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2014 Supreme(Del) 2665

HIGH COURT OF DELHI
Rajiv Sahai Endlaw, J.
Mohinder Singh Verma Through Legal Representative - Appellant
Versus
J.P.S. Verma & Anr. - Respondent
CS(OS) 1419/2007
Decided On : 21-03-2014

Advocates Appeared:
For the Plaintiff :R.M. Bagai with Ms. Damini Khaira, Advocates.
For the Defendant :Ved Prakash Sharma, Mr. Aman Singh, Ms. Amrit Kaur Oberai & Ms. Pooja Yadav, Advocates.

Headnote:

Contract Act, 1872 - Section 16, 17, 19, 19A, 91, 92, 126 - Civil Procedure Code, 1908 - Order 7 Rule 11, Order 12 Rule 6 - Transfer of Property Act, 1882 - Sections 10, 11 - Injunction - Revocation of registered Gift Deed - Undue influence - Non-fulfillment of condition - Scope of - Plaintiff executed the Gift Deed in favour of the defendant no.2 - Plaintiff has pleaded fraud and undue influence but the argument has not been advanced on this aspect - Gift Deed does not provide that the deceased plaintiff was gifting the ground floor of the property to the defendant no.2 on the promise of the defendant no.2 to look after the deceased plaintiff - Plaintiff, "within a few months" of the execution of the Gift Deed became aware of the fraud claimed to have been exercised by the defendants - Limitation of three years commence from the date when the right to sue first accrues - It is neither the case of the plaintiff that the Donor and the Donee had agreed that on the happening of any specified event the Donor may revoke the gift nor is any such term found in the registered Gift Deed - A gift subject to the condition that Donee is to maintain the Donor cannot be revoked under Section 126 for failure of the Donee to maintain Donor - Suit is being decided finally without framing issues and without evidence - Payment of the Property Tax and electricity and water charges would not negate the gift - Question of ordering trial on the said aspect also does not arise - Courts are not to mechanically put all suits to trial, when outcome thereof is not dependent upon any factual adjudication - Suit is dismissed.

Rajiv Sahai Endlaw, J.:--

1. The deceased plaintiff instituted the present suit (a) for declaration of the registered Gift Deed dated 10th June, 1997 executed by him of the ground floor of his house No. A-2/163, Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi in favour of his daughter-in-law defendant No. 2 Smt. Om Wati Verma as null and void; (b) for permanent injunction restraining the defendants from claiming any right, title, interest in respect of any portion of his house No. A-2/163, Safdarjung Enclave, New Delhi; and, (c) for recovery of possession of the portion of the ground floor in possession of the two defendant, pleading:-

(i) that the plaintiff executed the Gift Deed aforesaid in favour of the defendant No. 2 under the undue influence of the two defendants being his son and daughter-in-law;

(ii) that the Gift Deed was subject to the conditions (a) that the plaintiff shall be entitled, throughout his life, to live in the front drawing room on the ground floor; and, (b) that the said house shall be given to the defendants” son Mr. Vikas Verma after his marriage;

(iii) that the defendants had emotionally blackmailed the deceased plaintiffs into executing the Gift Deed by representing that they did not have any immovable property and that their status in life will rise in society if they became owners of the ground floor and the same will also facilitate them in marrying their daughter after a few years;

(iv) that the defendants had also promised that they will look after the plaintiff very well, taking care of all his needs including food, shelter, clothing etc.;

(v) that after the execution of the Gift Deed, the defendants initially treated the plaintiff nicely as they were doing prior to the execution of the Gift Deed “but after few months” they started ignoring the plaintiff; the treatment meted out by the defendants to the plaintiff worsened “within a few months” and the defendants stopped giving food though the plaintiff continued to live in the front drawing room of the ground floor, compelling the plaintiff to go for food to the first floor of the adjoining house of his another son;

(vi) that in the last week of September, 2003 the defendants also prevented the entry of the plaintiff to the ground floor; a complaint was lodged by the plaintiff with the local Police Station, but no action was taken thereon; the plaintiff then filed Writ Petition (Crl.) No. 1188/2003 in this Court, vide order dated 10th September, 2004 wherein the local Police Station was directed to register a criminal case against the defendants; FIR No. 483/2004 of offences under Section 341 read with Section 34 of IPC was registered against the defendants;

(vii) that the Gift Deed is nullity in the eyes of law because in pith and substance the said Gift Deed was made in favour of Mr. Vikas Verma but the same has not been accepted by him and without which acceptance the Gift Deed is null and void;

(viii) that the defendants have never acted upon the Gift Deed as the house continues to be mutated in the name of the plaintiff who has been paying House Tax thereon; the electricity and water connections of the house also continue to be in the name of the plaintiff who has been paying bills thereof;

(ix) that the Gift Deed was conditional with the plaintiff having the absolute right to use the front room throughout his life and the defendants giving the said ground floor to their son Mr. Vikas Verma after his marriage and is liable to be set aside on this ground also;

(x) that the defendants had committed breach of the conditions on which the Gift Deed was made and the Gift Deed is liable to be set aside on this ground also; and,

(xi) that the plaintiff had revoked the Gift Deed vide notice dated 1st June, 2007.

Accordingly, the suit for the reliefs aforesaid was filed.

2. The defendants contested the suit by filing a written statement, on the grounds:-

(a) that the suit was barred by time;

(b) no particulars of any fraud or undue influence had been pleaded; the representations a










































































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