GAUHATI HIGH COURT
S.N.Phukan, J.
Ganga Govinda Mookherjee -Appellant
Versus
Amar Chandra Saha -Respondent
First Appeal No. 7 of 1974
Decided On : 12-09-1986
SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE - HINDU SUCCESSION ACT, 1956 - SECTION 22 - PARTITION ACT, 1893 - SECTION 4 - TRANSFER OF PROPERTY ACT, 1882 - SECTION 44 - AGREEMENT FOR SALE OF PART OF DWELLING HOUSE BELONGING TO UNDIVIDED FAMILY - PREFERENTIAL RIGHT OF OTHER HEIRS TO ACQUIRE INTEREST - SALE TO STRANGER - UNENFORCEABILITY OF AGREEMENT - RIGHT OF CO-SHARER TO PRE-EMPTION - DECREE FOR SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE NOT FRUITFUL - APPEAL ALLOWED.
Fact of the Case:
Appellant agreed to sell a part of his homestead to the respondent for a sum of Rs. 15,000/- and accepted Rs. 500/- as earnest money. The appellant did not execute the sale deed after taking the balance of the consideration money, so the respondent filed a suit for specific performance of the agreement and possession.
Finding of the Court:
The agreement for sale was in respect of a part of the dwelling house belonging to an undivided family and that the appellant agreed to execute the agreement of sale with the respondent, who is a stranger. It is also not disputed that there was no partition of the property in question. The parties are also governed by Hindu Succession Act, 1956.
Issues: Whether the agreement for sale of part of dwelling house belonging to undivided family to a stranger is enforceable?
Ratio Decidendi: Section 22 of the Hindu Succession Act 1956 provides that an intercept in any immovable property of an intestate devolves upon two or more heirs and anyone of such heirs proposes to transfer his or her interest in the said property, the other heirs shall have a preferential right to acquire the interest proposed to be transferred. Section 4 of the Partition Act 1893 provides that where a share of a dwelling house belonging to an undivided family has been transferred to a person who is not a member of such family, and such transferee sues for partition, the court shall, if an member of the family being a shareholder shall undertake to buy the share of such transferee, make a valuation of such share and direct the sale of such share to such shareholder.
Final Decision: The appeal is allowed and the judgment and decree of the learned Subordinate Judge, Tripura at Agartala in Title Suit No. 22 of 1973 are set aside.
2. Prior to the filing of the present suit, the brother of the appellant filed a suit against both the appellant and respondent and the said suit was registered as Title Suit No. 10 of 1970. The suit was decreed against both the appellant and respondent and an injunction was issued restraining the appellant from allowing respondent to enter the suit property and respondent was also restrained from interfering and disturbing the possession of the plaintiff of that suit, Sri Amarendra Mukherjee. Amarendra Mukherjee is the brother of the present appellant. The said suit was filed in respect of the joint dwelling house belonging to the undivided family of said Amarendra Mukherjee, his brother, the present appellant and their aunt. From the judgment of the said suit (exhibit-A) it transpires that the present appellant was unwilling to sell his share of the undivided property to his brother, the plaintiff of that suit, Amarendra Mukherjee or to his aunt Smti. Nihar kana Debi, pre-defendant No. 3 of the said suit and instead was trying to sell the property to a outsider viz. the present respondent and hence the suit was filed.
3. Present suit was contested by the appellant who denied the allegations that the respondent offered the balance consideration money though he admitted the receipt of the registered notice. The appellant also stated that he was willing to perform his part of agreement, but he could not do so in view of the perpetual injunction granted in the above Title Suit No. 10 of 1970.
4. On the pleadings, the learned trial court framed as many as 5 issues and ultimately decreed the suit. However, the learned trial court refused to grant decree for khas possession and hence this appeal.
5. There is no dispute that the agreement for sale was in respect of a part of the dwelling house belonging to an un-divided family and that present appellant agreed to execute the agreement of sale with the respondent, who is a stranger.
It is also not disputed that there was no partition of the property in question. The parties are also governed by Hindu Succession Act, 1956. From the judgment (exhibit-A), I find that originally the land was taken on settlement by the husband of the Pro-defendant No. 3 of the suit i.e. the uncle of the two brothers from the then Maharaja, Tripura and thereafter the land devolved upon the appellant, his brother Amarendra Mukherjee and their aunt Smti. Nihar Kana Debt.
6. Section 22 of the Hindu Succession Act 1956 inter alia, provides that an intercept in any immovable property of an intestate devolves upon two or more heirs and anyone of such heirs proposes to transfer his or her interest in the said property, the other heirs shall have a preferential right to acquire the interest proposed to be transferred. In the instant case as stated earlier though the brother of the appellant, Amarandra Mukherjee acquired a preferential right t
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