SupremeToday Landscape Ad
Back
Next
Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation
Listen Audio Icon Pause Audio Icon
judgment-img

2025 Supreme(Kar) 1751

IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU
K. SOMASHEKAR, VENKATESH NAIK T., JJ.
Sri K.S. Ramesh, S/o. Late K. R. Seetharamaiah - Appellant
Versus
Sri K. S. Rangaswamy, S/o. Late K. R. Seetharamaiah and Ors. – Respondents
Regular First Appeal No.1676 of 2019 (PAR)
Decided On : 03-03-2025

Advocates Appeared:
For the Appellant :Sri Vijaya Kumar R., Advocate.
For the Respondents:Sri B. K. Sampath Kumar, Senior Counsel, for Sri Shanmukhappa, Advocate, Sri H. S. Prashanth, Advocate.

Admissions in pleadings or related documents allow for expedited judgments under Order XII Rule 6 CPC, affirming that clear and unequivocal admissions can preclude the need for further evidence.

Headnote:(A) Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 - Order XII Rule 6 - Judgment on admission - Appeal against judgment allowing petition for judgment on admission and decreeing the partition of property under the Will executed by K.R. Seetharamaiah. The defendant admitted the execution of the Will and the nature of the properties as self-acquired. The trial court found no severance of joint family status and thus allowed partition. (Paras 3, 6, 29)

(B) Admission - Legal implications - Clear and unequivocal admissions in the written statement constitute binding evidence, allowing for judgment on admissions without the need for further trial or evidence, enhancing judicial efficiency. (Paras 12, 20)

Facts of the case:
Respondents sought partition of property, asserting joint ownership as children of K.R. Seetharamaiah who had executed a Will regarding the distribution of his properties, which the defendant initially contested but later admitted.

Findings of Court:
The trial court's judgment was upheld, confirming the distribution of the property as per the Will and ruling that admissions by the defendant justified the decision under Order XII Rule 6 CPC.

Issues: 1. Legality of trial court's reliance on Order XII Rule 6 for judgment based on admission. 2. Whether the admissions made by the defendant constituted binding and unequivocal acknowledgments.

Ratio Decidendi: The appellate court affirmed that the admissions by the defendant in written statements were binding and justified the trial court’s decision under Order XII Rule 6 CPC, expediting resolution without unnecessary trial.

Result: Appeal dismissed.

JUDGMENT :

K. SOMASHEKAR, VENKATESH NAIK T., JJ.

The appeal in R.F.A.No.1676/2019 is preferred by the appellant Shri K.S. Ramesh, challenging the judgment and decree dated 11.06.2019 rendered by the XXXIX Addl. City Civil Judge, Bangalore City, in O.S. No.4955/2013 and seeking to set aside the judgment and decree dated 11.06.2019 allowing I.A.No.6 filed by the respondents under Order XXII Rule 6 CPC and consequently, to direct the trial Court to restore the suit.

2. For the sake of convenience, the parties are referred to as per their ranking before the trial Court. The appellant is defendant and respondent Nos.1 to 8 are plaintiff Nos.1 to 8.

3. The factual matrix of the appeal is as follows:-

Respondents had filed a suit for partition and separate possession against the appellant seeking the relief of declaration that the plaintiffs and defendant are joint family members and to divide the property and alternatively, if the defendant is not agreeing the suit properties be divided into five shares among the children of K.R. Seetharamaiah and allot 1/5th share each. As per the case of the plaintiffs, one K.R. Seetharamaiah was the original propositus of the family, who married Smt. K.S. Nagalaxmi as per Hindu customs and rituals. Out of their wedlock, four sons and a daughter were born viz., K.S. Rangaswamy, K.S. Nagesh, V.G. Jayashree, K.S. Murali and K.S. Ramesh. K.S. Murali died on 04.03.2013 leaving behind plaintiff Nos.3 to 5. The daughter V.G. Jayashree died on 09.08.2011 leaving behind plaintiff Nos.6 to 8. During the lifetime of K.R. Seetharamaiah, he acquired movable and immovable properties out of his earnings in and around Bengaluru and Mysuru. During the life time of K.R. Seetharamaiah, he was allotted a site bearing No.434, 1st Block, Rajajinagar, Bengaluru-560 010 by the then C.I.T.B.(Now known as BDA) measuring East- West 90 feet and South - North 45 ft and accordingly, executed lease-cum-Sale deed in favour of K.R. Seetharamaiah and thereafter, obtained absolute sale deed from CITB, Bengaluru. Thereafter, K.R. Seetharamaiah sold a portion of his property to an extent of East - West 30 feet, North - South 45 feet on the eastern side of the property in favour of one S.N. Murthy under registered Sale Deed dated 10.04.1974 and remaining extent measuring East - West 60 feet and North- South 45 feet along with vacant land lying to the East is the 'A' schedule suit property. In the year 1993, K.R. Seethramaiah applied for allotment of site before Mysore Urban Development Authority (for short 'MUDA') and on consideration of the same, site bearing No.2089 measuring 30 x 40 feet ('B' schedule property) was allotted in favour of K.R. Seetharamaiah and hence, an absolute sale deed was executed in his favour by MUDA on 19.09.2003. During the life time of K.R. Seetharamaiah, he executed a Will in respect of suit schedule properties on 03.03.2007 bequeathing the same in favour of his sons and daughter. Smt. K.S. Nagalaxmi, W/o. K.R. Seetharamaiah died on 08.01.2013 and K.R. Seetharamaiah died on account of old age on 07.02.2013, leaving behind his children as his legal representatives. There are no other ancestral properties belonging to the plaintiffs and defendant, except the suit properties, which was acquired by K.R. Seetharamaiah, out of his earnings. Thus, these properties are self-acquired properties of K.R. Seetharamaiah. As per the Will executed by K.R. Seetharamaiah, schedule 'B' property shall devolve to the defendant and in 'A' Schedule property, the ground floor shall be divided among four sons and 1st Floor portion was given to the children of his daughter Smt. V.G. Jayashree. In the Will, it is recited that in respect of ground floor, if the property was not able to divide among the sons and legal representatives of K.S. Murali, in which, eventuality, the property may be sold and the sale proceeds shall be divided among the children of K.R. Seetharamaiah. Therefore, the plaintiffs requested the defendant to divide th

Click Here to Read the rest of this document
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
SupremeToday Portrait Ad
supreme today icon
logo-black

An indispensable Tool for Legal Professionals, Endorsed by Various High Court and Judicial Officers

Please visit our Training & Support
Center or Contact Us for assistance

qr

Scan Me!

India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!

For Daily Legal Updates, Join us on :

whatsapp-icon Back to top