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1969 Supreme(Pat) 47

PATNA HIGH COURT
Tarkeshwar Nath and K.K.Dutta JJ.
Tribeni Mishra
Versus
Rampujan Mishra
Appeal from Original Decree No. 379 of 1963 ; 380 of 1963 ;
Decided On : FEBRUARY 26, 1969

The presumption of joint family property arising from the acquisition of property during the subsistence of a joint Hindu family can be rebutted by evidence showing that the acquisition was made from separate funds.

Headnote:

PARTITION - Joint Hindu Family - Acquisition of Property - Presumption of Joint Family Property - Rebuttal - Burden of Proof - Compromise Petition - Fraud - Limitation - Evidence Act, 1872, Section 44 - Limitation Act, 1908, Article 95.

Fact of the Case:

Plaintiff Ramdeyal Mishra instituted a partition suit for the division of properties allegedly left joint in a previous partition suit. Defendants 1 to 3, sons of Hikayat Mishra, and defendants 4, 6, and 7, descendants of Ratan Mishra, contested the suit, claiming that the suit was defective for non-inclusion of certain lands in Mohammad Patti, which they alleged were joint family lands. The plaintiff claimed that the Mohammad Patti lands were his separate property, acquired with his wife's money.

Finding of the Court:

1. The court held that the presumption of joint family property arising from the acquisition of property during the subsistence of a joint Hindu family could be rebutted by evidence showing that the acquisition was made from separate funds. 2. The court found that there was no reliable evidence to show that the Mohammad Patti lands were acquired from joint family funds, while there was evidence to support the plaintiff's claim that they were acquired with his wife's separate money. 3. The court rejected the defendants' allegation that the plaintiff had fraudulently inserted a recital in the compromise petition stating that the Mohammad Patti lands were his exclusive property, finding that the compromise petition was signed by the parties after its contents had been read out and that there was no fraud involved. 4. The court held that the defendants' plea of fraud could be raised under Section 44 of the Evidence Act in a collateral proceeding, irrespective of the time when the judgment or decree was passed, and that the limitation period prescribed in Article 95 of the Limitation Act did not apply.

Issues: 1. Whether the Mohammad Patti lands were joint family property or the separate property of the plaintiff. 2. Whether the compromise petition was obtained by fraud, and whether the defendants were barred from raising this plea due to limitation.

Ratio Decidendi: 1. The court held that the presumption of joint family property arising from the acquisition of property during the subsistence of a joint Hindu family could be rebutted by evidence showing that the acquisition was made from separate funds. 2. The court found that there was no reliable evidence to show that the Mohammad Patti lands were acquired from joint family funds, while there was evidence to support the plaintiff's claim that they were acquired with his wife's separate money. 3. The court rejected the defendants' allegation that the plaintiff had fraudulently inserted a recital in the compromise petition stating that the Mohammad Patti lands were his exclusive property, finding that the compromise petition was signed by the parties after its contents had been read out and that there was no fraud involved. 4. The court held that the defendants' plea of fraud could be raised under Section 44 of the Evidence Act in a collateral proceeding, irrespective of the time when the judgment or decree was passed, and that the limitation period prescribed in Article 95 of the Limitation Act did not apply.

Final Decision: The court dismissed both appeals, upholding the judgment and decree of the lower court. The contesting respondents were awarded costs, with one set of hearing fees to be paid half and half by the appellants in each appeal.

Judgment

K.K.Dutta, J.

1. Both these appeals have been taken up together for hearing as these arise out of the judgment and decree in one and the same suit, namely, Partition Suit No. 95/20 of 1961-63 of the Court of the Additional Subordinate Judge,. Chapra.

2. This suit for partition was instituted by original Respondent No. 1 Ramdeyal-Mishra, who has since expired and has been substituted by his heirs, namely, his sons and daughters. The parties are descendants of a common ancestor. According to the admitted genealogy Ram-deyal Mishras father Ratan Mishra had one brother Hikayat Mishra. Defdts 1 to 3 Rambilas Mishra, Brahma Mishra and Anesa Mishra are sons of Hikayat Mishra. Ratan Mishra had four sons, two of whom are dead and the remaining two are defendants 4 & 5 Tribeni Mishra and Kaule--shwar Mishra. Defendants 6, 7 & 8, Gopi-Mishra, Gautam Mishra and Mosst. Raj-pati Kuer are the two sons and widow of Bishun Dayal Mishra, one of the deceased brothers of Ramdeyal Mishra, while defendants 9, 10 and 11 are the sons and widow of the other deceased brother Kishuni Mishra. It appears that there was a previous partition suit between the parties namely Partition Suit No. 31 of 1958 in which a compromise petition was filed and the suit was decreed in terms thereof. According to the terms of the compromise, some of the lands of the family were left joint between all the members of the family, that is, the descendants of both Ratan Mishra and Hikayat Mishra, while some other lands. were left joint as between the descendants of Ratan Mishra alone, that is, plaintiffs Ramdeyal Mishra and his brothers and brothers sons. The present suit for partition was instituted for partition of the properties alleged to have been left joint in the previous title suit.

3. The suit was contested by defendants 1 to 3, that is, the sons of Hikayat Mishra, who filed written statement jointly and by defendants 4, 6 and 7, that is, Tribeni Mishra (who, as already mentioned is one of the brothers of plaintiff Ramdeyal Mishra), Gopi Mishra and Gautam Mishra the two of the sons of the plaintiffs deceased brother Bishura Dayal Mishra. These defendants have also filed a joint written statement. Defendants 5, 9 and 10, that is, the remaining brother of Ramdeyal Mishra and the sons of the remaining deceased brother Kishuni Mishra, filed a joint written statement supporting the plaintiff. The case of both sets of the contesting defendants, that is, defendants 1 to 3 and defendants 4, 6 and 7, was that the suit was bad for non-inclusion of some of the joint lands of the family namely an area of 5 bighas 19 kathas and 8 dhurs, situated in Moham-mad Patti, which originally belonged to one Kesho Misra and which was alleged to have been acquired out of the joint family funds. According to the case of defendants 1 to 3, these lands are still joint as between the parties and they are in joint possession thereof while the case of defendants 4, 6 and 7 was that there has been a partition of these lands as between the plaintiff and other descendants of Ratan Mishra through a Panchayati and, according to the award of the Panches, which was accepted by the parties, 2 bighas out of this area were allotted to the plaintiff and the remaining area was allotted to the two surviving brothers of the plaintiff, and the sons of the two deceased brothers. Further, according to the case of both sets of the contesting defendants, in the compromise petition which had been filed in the previous title suit, the plaintiff, who according to them, was looking after the family affairs and the litigations of the family, had fraudulently inserted a recital to the effect that the lands of Mohammad Patti belonged exclusively to the plaintiff. Defendants 1 to 3s version in connection with the compromise petition was that although they had signed the compromise petition, they had done so without going through the contents thereof and they were accordingly not aware of the incor-Doration of this rec






























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