Gujarat High Court
M. U. SHAH,B. K. MEHTA
Nazarali Kazamali - Appellant
Versus
Fazlanbibi - Respondent
First Appeal No. 283 of 1968 with Second Appeal No. 242 of 1971
Decided On : 12/10/1973
Bombay Court Fees Act 1959 - Section 6 – Title dispute – Jurisdiction of Court – Estate - It is impossible Court to administer estate without deciding what estate is and until question title has been settled Court does not know as to on what property its orders are to operate - When that second question is decided it will be Court to consider in what manner administration should be effected – Held, question was still open to be considered in the appeal, viz., in the appeal that was filed in the District Court which heard the appeal and the cross-objections and in those proceedings, the contesting defendants contended on, the contrary that the valuation for the purpose of Court-fees was proper. The suit being governed by Section 8 of the Suits Valuation Act, the valuation for the purposes of jurisdiction would also be the same. The plaint as originally instituted was, therefore, validly instituted in the proper Court. But this does not make any the difference in the present case as it has now assumed an academic interest in view of our findings aforesaid in these proceedings– Ordered accordingly
M. U. SHAH, J. :- These two appeals arise out of the original Special Jurisdiction Civil Suit No. 52 of 1965 of the Court of the 2nd Joint Civil Judge (Senior Division) at Baroda, for administration of the estate of deceased Kazamali Mustafamiya who died intestate leaving extensive immovable properties and leaving behind him the plaintiff daughter and the parties to the suit as his heirs. First Appeal No. 283 of 1968 is filed by original defendants Nos. 1 and 5 of the said suit and is directed against the decision of the learned Joint Civil Judge (Senior Division) at Baroda, in Special Jurisdiction Civil Suit No. 52 of 1965 given on 31-8-1967, whereby the learned Civil Judge has passed a preliminary decree as in an administration suit and directed that accounts be taken and enquiries be made in relation to estate left by deceased Kazamali Mustafaali save the immovable properties comprised in Kazamali's gift-deeds Exs. 125 and 126. Second Appeal No. 242 of 1971 is directed against the decision of the learned 2nd Extra Assistant Judge, Baroda, given on 29-1-1971, in the appeal which was filed by original defendants Nos. 1 and 5 against the decision of the learned Civil Judge (Senior Division) at Baroda in Special Jurisdiction Civil Suit No. 52 of 1965 in which appeal original plaintiff had filed cross-objections, the learned Judge having dismissed the appeal and allowed the cross-objections.
2. The two appellants in each of these two appeals were respectively the contesting original defendants Nos. 1 and 5 of that suit. It was an administration suit filed by the present respondent No. 1 of both the appeals named one Fazlanbibi as plaintiff for the administration of the estate of her father one Kazamali Mustafamiya, a Sunni Mohomedan, who has died intestate sometime in September-October 1942 leaving behind him inter alia extensive immovable properties consisting of houses and house-site lands and about 70 pieces of agricultural lands bearing different survey numbers and situated in village Gothada of Taluka Savli in District Baroda. The said deceased had four brothers, viz., Jafarali, Anumiya, Bakarali and Imamali who were all separate from him. Jafarali has a son Inayatali whose daughter is married to defendant No. 5. Kazamali left behind him his widow named Nanibibi. Of this marriage, Kazamali had a son named Nazarali who is defendant No. 1 in the suit and three daughters named Fazlanbibi, Amirbibi and Hamidabibi, of whom Fazlanbibi is the plaintiff of the suit. Nazarali has two wives named Badranibibi and Madina. Amirbibi, who has died on 1-10-1943, after the death of Kazamali was married to one Arabsab, who is defendant No. 7 of the suit and has left two children, a son named Pyarasaheb and a daughter named Fatmabibi who are respectively defendants Nos. 2 and 3 of the suit. Hamidabibi, who has Indisputably predeceased her father Kazamali was married to one Haiderali who is defendant No. 6 of the suit and, of this marriage she has left a son named Hasanali who is defendant No. 4 of the suit. Nazarali has a son Gulamhussain, born of his marriage with Madina, who is defendant No. 5 of the suit. Defendants Nos. 2 and 4 have married the daughters of defendant No. 1 Nazarali, by his first wife Badranbibi. Defendant No. 5 is married to the daughter of Inayatali Jafarali. Indisputably, defendant No. 1 has become insane since sometime in the year 1938. Deceased Kazamali's estate comprised of houses and house-site lands, more particularly described in Schedule 'A' to the plaint and about 70 pieces of agricultural lands, more particularly described in Schedule 'B' to the plaint and which in aggregate admeasured 73 Acres - 34 Gunthas. Shortly after the death of Kazamali, there was some intermeddling with the estate of deceased Kazamali as the only male member of the family, namely, Kazamali's son Nazarali was a lunatic and, therefore, the estate of Kazamali was taken over under the Guardians and Wards Act as applicable to the th
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