HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT
K. K. MEHTA, J.
Jadeja Pravinsinhji Anandsinhji
Versus
Jadeja Mangalsinhji Shivsinhji
Civil Revn. Appln. No. 941 of 1960
Decided On : 06-09-1961
Civil suit - Civil Procedure Code,1908 - Order 1, Rule 8 - Suit to prosecute - Application against an order passed by Civil Judge, Senior Division allowing an amendment of prayer by substituted applicant in Probate Case deceased testatrix made a will December appointing one as an executor of her said will - After the death of testatrix applied for probate of will on February four opponents to said application were heirs of deceased and each of them was a beneficiary will of deceased testatrix - Substituted applicant applied for an amendment of prayer in probate petition which became necessary on applicant having been substituted for in original petition for probate executor being the applicant prayer was for issuing of a probate of Will of deceased - Held, At appellate stage it was found that executor named in will one had died - Appeals were filed against grant to Administrator General by legatees and other litigants and Court observed that proper course to adopt was to proceed under section 232 under which when an executor dies after having proved will but - Before having administered all estate of deceased a universal or a residuary legatee may be admitted to prove will and letters of administration with will annexed may be granted to him of whole estate or of so much thereof as may be unadministered and that question of granting letters of administration can be considered when a proper application is made by such a person - Question which arises before me did not arise in this Allahabad case - Revision dismissed
The deceased testatrix Bai Jivubai made a will dated 14th December, 1946, appointing one Jadeja Shivubha Madhavsang as an executor of her said will. After the death of the testatrix, Shivubha applied for the probate of the will on 6th February, 1957. The four opponents to the said application were the heirs of the deceased and each of them was a beneficiary under the will of the deceased testatrix. The applicant executor died pending probate proceedings on 17th January, 1960. On the 25th January, 1960, opponent No. 1 in the original Probate Application, Jadeja Mangalsinhji Shivsinhji, who is also opponent No. 1 in the present revision application applied to the Probate Court that he be transposed as a plaintiff in place of the deceased executor. That application was allowed and Jadeja Mangalsinhji Shivsinhji was allowed to be substituted as a plaintiff in place of the deceased executor and to continue the proceedings as the plaintiff-applicant. On 28th of January, 1960, the substituted applicant Jadeja Mangalsinhji Shivsinhji applied for an amendment of the prayer in the probate petition, which became necessary on the applicant having been substituted, for in the original petition for probate, the executor being the applicant, the prayer was for the issuing of a probate of the Will of the deceased. The substituted applicant not being an executor was not entitled to probate but could only be entitled to letters of administration with the will annexed. In these circumstances, the prayer in the original probate petition was sought to be amended by substituting a prayer for the grant of letters of administration with a copy of the will annexed. An order was passed by the learned Civil Judge, Senior Division, Morvi, on the 26th April, 1960, allowing this amendment of the prayer. The present revision application is directed against this order, allowing the amendment of the prayer by the original opponent No. 4, who was one of the heirs of the deceased. The order of substitution of the opponent No. 1 in place of the deceased executor as plaintiff is also challenged.
2. The revision application is supported on the ground that the right to probate is a right personal to the executor and that on the death of the executor, the right to sue does not survive and that the application for probate should therefore be deemed to have abated.
3. A point has also been taken on behalf of the opponent here, that the first order of transposition was made on the 25th January, 1960 and that there was no revision application against that order and so that order stood. It was further contended that the present revision petition is directed against the order allowing the amendment of the prayer and that therefore in this revision application the order of transposition cannot be questioned. It may be stated at this stage that the amendment of the prayer was allowed subject to the applicant proving that he was a residuary legatee. It was further said against the present revision application that the present application is premature, for unless the question whether the substituted applicant is a residuary legatee is decided in his favour he would have no right to prosecute the probate proceedings and in this view of the case, the present revision application would be premature. Further it is contended by the respondents on merits that the order of transposition and of amendment by the learned Civil Judge was correct in law.
4. Now, so far as the objection of the opponents that the order of transposition cannot be questioned, I do not think that there is much substance in it. When the order of transposition was made, no amendment of the prayer was asked for. It is only after the amendmen
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