Judges : S.VELU PILLAI
Sreedharan Pillai - Appellant
Versus
Narayana Pillai - Respondent
Case No : S. A. No. 167 of 1956 E
Decided On : 03/02/1959
Advocates Appeared :
P. P. John; For Appellant M. C. Mathew; For Respondent
Consideration - Sale Deed - Ext. C - 13th Edavom 1117 - Rs. 24/-, Rs. 40/-, Rs. 16/- - Ext. B, Ext. C - Ext. B, Ext. C - Tarwad Necessity - Marumakkathayam Law - Rs. 24/-, Rs. 40/-, Rs. 16/- - Janaki Kunjamma Kalyani Kunjamma v. Krishnan Govindan 1954 KLT 171 - Krishnan Govindan v. Janaki Kunjamma Kalyani Kunjamma 1957 KLT 806 - Akku Thamburatti v. Raman 1957 KLT 1026
Fact of the Case:
The case involves a dispute over the validity of a sale deed (Ext. C) dated the 13th Edavom 1117, whether it is supported by consideration and tarwad necessity, and binding on the tarwad of the plaintiff and defendants 2 to 4. The plaintiff sought to set aside both Ext. B and Ext. C on the grounds of lack of consideration and tarwad necessity.
Finding of the Court:
The court found that Ext. C is supported by consideration and tarwad necessity, and is valid. The plaintiff's appeal was dismissed with costs.
Issues: The main issues were whether Ext. C was supported by consideration and tarwad necessity, and whether the plea for partition and expenses related to it constituted tarwad necessity.
Ratio Decidendi: The court held that the sale deed (Ext. C) was supported by consideration and tarwad necessity based on the testimony and actions of the parties involved. The court also emphasized the importance of pleadings in raising legal questions for consideration.
Final Decision: The appeal was dismissed with costs.
1. The only question for decision in this Second Appeal is whether Ext. C, a sale deed dated the 13th Edavom 1117 is supported by consideration and necessity, binding on the tarwad of the plaintiff and of defendants 2 to 4. They are members of Pattariar Community and are stated in the plaint in the description of the parties, to be followers of Marumakkathayam Law. The 3rd defendant is the mother of the plaintiff and of defendants 2 and 4. The 2nd defendant is now no more. Defendants 2, 3 and 4 executed a mortgage, Ext. B, dated the 29th Mithunam 1114 for the suit property in favour of the 1st defendant for Rs. 40/-. They then executed Ext. C, for the equity of redemption, for a total consideration of Rs. 80/- out of which, Rs. 40/- was reserved for taking a release of Ext. B. Rs. 24/- was stated to have been received in cash from the 1st defendant, and Rs. 16/- was reserved to be paid with interest by him, to the plaintiff and to the 4th defendant's daughter, on their attaining majority. The plaintiff instituted the suit out of which this Second Appeal arises, for setting aside both Exts. B and C, on the ground that they are unsupported by consideration and tarwad necessity. The District Munsiff at Vaikom by whom the suit was tried, held that Ext. B is valid and binding on the plaintiff, but that Ext. C is not supported by tarwad necessity, and set aside Ext. C, and gave the plaintiff a decree for the recovery of the suit property, on deposit of the mortgage amount of Rs. 40/-, with mesne profits at Rs. 5/- per annum, from the date of the notice of deposit. The 1st defendant preferred an appeal against the decree, which was allowed by the Subordinate Judge at Vaikom, who dismissed the suit with costs in both the courts. The plaintiff has come up in appeal to this Court.
2. On the question of consideration for Ext. C the only point is whether the sum of Rs. 24/- was paid by the 1st defendant. The learned Munsiff did not find against the 1st defendant on this issue. The view taken by the judge was, that Ext. C is supported by consideration. The husband of the 3rd defendant and the husband of the 4th defendant had attested Ext. C. All the adult members of the tarwad were parties to it. The 1st defendant has sworn, that he paid the sum of Rs. 24/. The testimony of defendants 3 and 4, as Dws.1 and 2 can never be acted upon. It is quite clear, that they are now supporting the plaintiff in order to defeat the 1st defendant. The 3rd defendant has overstated the case by pretending in the witness-box that she was misled into executing Ext. C, as if it was a melotti document. I believe Dw. 3, the first defendant, and hold, that Ext. C is supported by consideration in respect of the recital of Rs. 24/-. The recital of Rs. 40/- was for the redemption of Ext. B, and the 3rd recital of Rs. 16/- was future payment. Though the 1st defendant had a plea, that a sum of Rs. 4/- out of Rs. 16/- had been paid by him, there was no evidence worth the name in support of it, and it was found against. The first defendant is
prepared to pay Rs. 16/- in accordance with the recital. It may therefore be deemed, that Ext. C is supported by consideration. This position was not seriously contested on behalf of the plaintiff. It was urged on behalf of the plaintiff, that there was no necessity for executing an outright sale deed like Ext. C, when a sum of Rs.24/- could have been raised by a transaction, short of a sale of tarwad property. This raises also a question of fact, for which there is no foundation in the plaint or in the replication. The grounds for impeaching Ext. C laid in the pleadings was, that both Exts. B and C were not supported by consideration and tarwad necessity. The present argument was advanced, on the strength of the decision in Janaki Kunjamma Kalyani Kunjamma v. Krishnan Govindan 1954 KLT 171. This decision of a single judge of the Travancore-Cochin High Court was reversed on appeal by a Full Bench of this Court in Krishnan G
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