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2006 Supreme(Pat) 400

PATNA HIGH COURT
Navaniti Prasad Singh, J.
Ram Singari Devi
Versus
Govind Thakur
Civil Revision No. 538 of 2003 ;
Decided On : MAY 02, 2006

Headnote:Code of Civil Procedure, 1908-Order 22, Rule 3-Substitution of legal representatives-Revision by heirs of plaintiffs by half blood against the order substituting heirs of full blood of plaintiff-Petitioners asserting that even though they are heirs of half blood, they have to be preferred by heirs of full blood-Section 18 of the Act has no application to the facts of the present case-The half blood relations, the petitioners are not excluded by virtue of section 18 of the Act in preference to full blood relations-The contesting opposite parties for the simple reasons that they are not related to the same degree of assent or dessent-Petitioners are cousins where contesting parties nephews that is lower in dessent-In terms of explanation appended to the schedule with reference to section 8 of the Act reference of brother and sister would include half brothers and half sister but exclude brother or sister by uterine blood-On the basis of genealogy the contesting opposite arty could not claim preference to be substituted in place of petitioners before this court-Order impugned set aside-Civil Revision allowed.

       Practice and Procedure-Once the law with regard to Succession amongst Hindus have been codified making drastic changes in otherwise well established norms of succession, the codeified law will have to be given effect to as against the pre-existing practices or rules.

       AIR 1915 PC 81, AIR 1984 Bombay 208 AIR 1976 Bombay 375.

       

Judgment

Navaniti Prasad Singh, J.

1. This civil revision application raises an interesting issue arising out of a matter relating to substitution of legal representatives of deceased-plaintiff under Order 22 Rule 3 of Code of Civil Procedure (In short "CPC"). Heirs of plaintiff by half blood have moved this Court in civil revision against the impugned order by which heirs of full blood of the plaintiff have been substituted. The petitioners before this Court are asserting that even though they are heirs of half blood, they have to be preferred to heirs of full blood which on the first flash seems to be quite a preposterious proposition. Both sets are represented before this Court. Shri Pushkar Narain Shahi, Advocate appears on behalf of petitioners and Shri Wasi Akhtar, Senior Advocate appeared on behalf of the contesting opposite parties. Heard the parties.

2. Before coming to grips with the legal Issue, It is necessary to give out the salient facts appropriate for the decision of this Court. The plaintiff Banarsi Devi, who died on 04.12.2002 and the matter in relation to substitution of her legal representatives is the question, instituted the present suit being Title Suit No. 142 of 1996 and pending before Sub Judge I, Sitamarhi alleging that her widow mother Gulbadan Devi being wife of Ram Pragas Thakur had dedicated some land to deities and after her death, her daughter-in-law Ramphal Devi, wife of Brajraj, the son of Ram Pragas Thakur acted as Sewait till her death (Ramphal Devi) on 01.12.1995 and, thereafter, the plaintiff claiming to be the sister of Brajraj and the successor-in-interest of that branch of the family claimed that she had inherited both dedicated and personal properties of the branch of Ram Pragas Thakur. It was further asserted that the sole defendant Alok Ranjan, who was the natural son of Shyam Nandan Thakur, was claiming to have gone in adoption to Ramphal Devi by deed of adoption dated 17.06.1994, the said document was forged and fabricated and should be declared to be such. The plaintiff, accordingly, prayed for declaration and confirmation of possession and title over the scheduled lands. The defendant Alok Ranjan appeared, filed a written statement asserting that he was the legally adopted son of Ramphal Devi and, as such, was entitled to succeed to the properties of Brajraj and Ramphal Devi and that he had the title and possession over the scheduled lands. To appreciate the relationship, now accepted, genealogical table of the family is given hereunder:

SHEO THAKUR

died 1916

/

--------------------------------------------------------------

/ /

01 st wife=Jagtaran 02nd wife=ful Kumari

dead dead

/ /

------------------------- /

/ / Triveni Thakur

Ram Pragash Thakur Ram Angya Thakur dead 1968

dead 1943 dead /

wife Gulbadan Devi-dead / --------------------

/ / /

--------------------- -------------------------- Shyam Nandan Thakur Ram

Petitioner No Singari

Devi

/ / / / Petitioner No 1

Brajraj





















































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