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2022 Supreme(Cal) 199

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT CALCUTTA
BISWAJIT BASU, J.
Shyamali Dutta - Appellant
Versus
Sattya Sandip Dutta - Respondent
S.A. No. 145 of 2017 (IA No. CAN 04 of 2021)
Decided On : 11-05-2022

Advocates Appeared:
For the Appellant : Siva Prosad Ghose.
For the Respondent: Sourav Sen, Adrisnata Chakroborty.

Headnote:

Deed of Settlement - Right of Residence - Deed of Family Settlement - [Deed of Settlement, Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005] - The court discussed the interpretation of the Deed of Family Settlement executed by the father of the parties, addressing the right of the defendant to reside in the suit premises and her entitlement to a share of the sale proceeds. The court examined the intention of the settlor, the provisions of the deed, and the applicability of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 in reaching its decision.

Fact of the Case:

The suit involved a dispute over the right of residence in a property as per a Deed of Settlement. The plaintiff alleged nuisance by the defendant and sought eviction, while the defendant contested the suit, claiming her right to occupy the property.

Finding of the Court:

The court found that the settlor intended to provide a right of residence to the defendant in the suit property only until her marriage, and her right to possess the suit room was extinguished upon her marriage. The court also held that the defendant's entitlement to a share of the sale proceeds was subject to the condition of surrendering possession of the suit room.

Issues: The main issue was whether the defendant still had the right of residence in the suit property as per the Deed of Settlement, and whether her entitlement to a share of the sale proceeds was affected by her marital status.

Ratio Decidendi: The court interpreted the clauses of the Deed of Settlement to determine the intention of the settlor regarding the defendant's right of residence and entitlement to the sale proceeds. The court also considered the applicability of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 in the case.

Final Decision: The court dismissed the appeal and the application for reception of additional evidence, affirming the decree passed by the lower courts, and directed the Lower Court record to be sent down to the Court below.

JUDGMENT :

1. The instant second appeal is at the instance of the defendant in a suit for eviction of licencee and is directed against the judgment and decree passed by the learned Additional District Judge, Fast Track, 2nd Court at Alipore, District-24 Parganas(south) in Title Appeal No. 66 of 2015 thereby affirming the judgment and decree dated March 20, 2015 passed by the 1st Court of Learned Civil Judge (Junior Division) at Alipore, District 24 Parganas (South) in Title Suit No. 1252 of 2010.

2. The plaint case of the said suit is thus, the father of the parties was the owner of the entire first floor and the roof of the Premises No. 32/3A Gariahat Road together with the undivided share in the common areas of the said premises. He, by a registered deed of settlement dated August 10, 1990 settled the said first floor in favour of his younger son, the plaintiff and the said roof in favour of his elder son subject to the condition that so long he and his wife are alive, they would hold the said property as the trustees of the beneficiaries of the said deed and for their benefit, but they shall not be entitled to sell, mortgage or otherwise encumber the said property, the further stipulation of the said deed was that the younger daughter of the settlor, the defendant, shall have a right of residence in one room of the said first floor, the suit room so long she is unmarried and in the event she becomes physically disabled, her brothers, the beneficiaries of the said deed of settlement would be obliged to maintain her and in the event of sale of the said property after the death of the settlor and his wife, she will be entitled to 1/6th share of the sale proceeds. The defendant got married after the death of the father but she returned to the said property after her marriage was dissolved by a decree of divorce and she was permitted to stay in the suit room. The widow of the settlor died subsequently. In the mean time, the plaintiff has become the absolute owner of the said property as his elder brother by a registered deed of gift dated September 18, 2006 transferred his allotment in the said property to the plaintiff.

The plaintiff alleged that the defendant is a quarrelsome lady and has caused various nuisance and annoyance to the plaintiff and his family members, she even tried to forcefully occupy other rooms of the said property, the plaintiff under such circumstances was forced to revoke the license of the defendant to occupy the suit room by a notice dated May 06, 2010 even thereafter the defendant did not quit and vacate it, hence the suit.

3. The defendant contested the suit. In her written statement, she asserted her right to occupy the suit room on her own right which she claimed to have derived from the said deed of settlement. She denied that her right to reside in the said property was extinguished on her marriage. She denied the allegation of the plaintiff that she misbehaved with the plaintiff and his family members, on the contrary, she alleged that she was subjected to torture by the plaintiff and his family members.

4. Whether or not in terms of the said deed of settlement, the defendant still has right of residence in the suit property or it was extinguished with her marriage, is the main issue which the learned Trial Judge addressed in deciding the suit. The learned Trial Judge answered the said issue against the defendant, holding that in the deed, the settlor did not make any financial or residential arrangement for his other married daughters and there is also no provision for the said daughters to get any residential or financial support from the settlor in case their marriage is broken, therefore the intention of the settlor is clear that he intended to provide the defendant a right of residence in the said property till her marriage only. The Learned Trial Judge further held that the said intention of the settlor gets amplified when he, with unambiguous terms settled the said property in favour of his two

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