PATNA HIGH COURT
H.Mahapatra and Tarkeshwar Nath JJ.
Dukh Haran Tewary
Versus
Dulhin Bihasa Kuer
Appeal from Original Decree No. 406 of 1959 ;
Decided On : MARCH 04, 1963
CIVIL PROCEDURE CODE - ORDER 22 RULE 5 - SUBSTITUTION OF LEGAL REPRESENTATIVES - RES JUDICATA - HINDU LAW - INHERITANCE - AGNATES - ATMA-BANDHU - TITLE TO PROPERTY - MESNE PROFITS.
Fact of the Case:
Plaintiffs filed a suit for declaration of title and recovery of possession of lands. The defendants claimed to be the agnates of the deceased Ramgati Tewari and came in possession of all the properties on his death. The trial court found that the defendants were not the agnates of Ramgati Tewari and decreed the suit in favor of the plaintiffs.
Finding of the Court:
The court held that the order passed under Order 22 Rule 5, Civil Procedure Code, substituting the defendants as legal representatives of Ramgati Tewari in two earlier suits would not operate as res judicata. The court also held that the defendants were not the agnates of Ramgati Tewari and, as such, nearest heirs to him. The court further held that the plaintiffs were entitled to inherit the suit properties from Ramgati Tewari and Saudagar Rai.
Issues: 1. Whether the order passed under Order 22 Rule 5, Civil Procedure Code, substituting the defendants as legal representatives of Ramgati Tewari in two earlier suits would operate as res judicata. 2. Whether the defendants were the agnates of Ramgati Tewari and, as such, nearest heirs to him. 3. Whether the plaintiffs were entitled to inherit the suit properties from Ramgati Tewari and Saudagar Rai.
Ratio Decidendi: 1. An order for substitution of the legal representatives of a deceased party in a suit or in an appeal is, strictly speaking, confined to that suit. It may be that the rightful heir of the deceased party may not take any interest in a particular litigation and may not therefore waste his time and money to contest in the substitution proceedings, in which case, another person, asking for being substituted in place of the deceased party, may be brought on record without any contest. That could not take away, for all tune to come, the rights of a rightful heir of the deceased in all matters. Such an order does not confer heirship. 2. The defendants failed to establish that they were the agnates of Ramgati Tewari. The plaintiffs, on the other hand, were able to prove that they were the nearest heirs of Ramgati Tewari and Saudagar Rai.
Final Decision: The appeal was dismissed with costs. The cross-objection was allowed in part but without any costs.
Key Points: - An order for substitution of legal representatives of a deceased party is strictly confined to that suit and does not confer heirship or operate as res judicata beyond that litigation (!) . - The defendants failed to establish they were agnates of Ramgati Tewari; the plaintiffs proved they were the nearest heirs of Ramgati Tewari and Saudagar Rai (!) . - The trial court’s finding that the defendants were not agnates and that the plaintiffs were entitled to inherit the properties is supported (!) (!) . - Properties in Schedules 1 and 2 belonged to Saudagar Rai, whose widow passed title to the plaintiffs via deed of gift; the plaintiffs are entitled to inherit (!) (!) . - As the defendants’ possession was unlawful, they are liable to pay mesne profits to the plaintiffs from the date of suit until delivery of possession (!) . - The appeal is dismissed with costs; the cross-objection is allowed in part without costs (!) .
Mahapatra, J.
1. This is an appeal by the defendants arising out of a suit instituted for declaration of title to and recovery of possession of lands mentioned in the three schedules given in the plaint. Of the two plaintiffs, plaintiff No. 1 is the mother and plaintiff No. 2 is her son. According to the genealogy given in the plaint which was accepted by the trial Court, one Jiba Rai had two sons Deodhari Rai and Saudagar Rai and a daughter Mt. Parichha Kuer. Deodhari and Saudagar arc dead. Bataso Kuer is the widow of Saudagar Rai. Plaintiff No. 1 is the daughter of Saudagar Rai. Mt. Parichha Kuer was married and had a son Ramgati Tewari who died on the 16th of December, 1952. The properties in Schedules 1 and 2 of the plaint belonged to Saudagar Rai though dunng his life-time his sisters son Ramgati Tewari was put in possession of the same by way of maintenance. Ramgati lost his father in infancy and, as there was no land to maintain the child and the mother, Saudagar Rai brought both his sister and her son to his house and maintained them.
Ramgati became very helpful to the maternal uncle in management of properties and in fighting litigations over lands in Schedule 2. Saudagar out of satisfaction and sympathy gave the Schedules 1 and 2 lands to be enjoyed by Ramgati. On the death of the latter, the properties were to be inherited by Saudagars heir, his widow Bataso Kuer. She, however, made a deed of gift in favour of plaintiffs Nos. 1 and 2 and that is how plaintiff No. 1 was joined in the suit and claimed along with plaintiff No. 2 suit properties. The properties in Schedule 3 were acquired by Ramgati Tewari and the plaintiff No. 2 is entitled to the same as nearest Atma-bandhu of Ramgati Tewari. The defendants posed themselves as the agnates of Ramgati Tewari, after the death of Ramgati in Title Suits No. 80/20 of 1949/50 and No. 70/22 of 1950/52 where Ramgati Tewari and some others were defendants. Their claim to be substituted in place of Ramgati Tewari in those two suits was allowed in spite of the objections raised by Ramsingasan Rai, plaintiff No. 2. Being emboldened by that order, the defendants succeeded in dispossessing the plaintiff from the suit lands. On these allegations the present suit was instituted.
2. The contest by the defendants was based on denial of the plaintiffs genealogy. They asserted that Mr. Parichha Kuer, Ramgatis mother, was not a sister of Saudagar. She was the daughter of Gagan Rai, brother of Jiba Rai, who was the father of Saudagar. The properties of plaint Schedule 1 belonged to Gagan Rai, and he having no son, brought his daughter Parichha Kuer and her son Ramgati Tewari to live with him. After Gagan Rais death Ramgati Tewari came over possession of those properties and he also obtained the properties of Schedule 2 of the plaint by inheritance from one Mt. Rajwanti Kuer. Schedule 3 properties were also acquired by him. Thus Ramgati was the full owner of all the suit properties. His father was Lila Tewari having an alias name of Chhabila Tewari who with Juthan Tewari and Kalicharan Tewari were sons of one Takia Tewari. The defendants are the sons of Khedu Tewari who was the son of Juthan Tewari. Thus the defendants claimed that they were the agnates of the deceased Ramgati Tewari and came in possession of all the properties on the death of Ramgati. They denied the plaintiffs title altogether. They also stressed that their claim to inheritance through Ramgati could no longer be challenged as that question had been decided in the two earlier suits when they applied for being" substituted in place of deceased Ramgati. That order would operate as res judicata for the present suit.
3. On these pleadings the parties went to tria). The first Additional Subordinate. Judge, Arrah, gave judgment in favour of the plaintiffs holding that the order passed under Order 22 Rule 5, Civil Procedure Code, (substitution) in the two earlier suits would not operate as res judicata, and on evidence, th
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