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2011 Supreme(Ker) 416

High Court of Kerala
K.T.SANKARAN
Rasheeda, Kandissertharayil Peringala muri, Vallikunnam Village
Versus
Nazeer, S/O. Abdul Razak Kunju & Others
CRP.No. 1899 of 2002
Decided on : 24-05-2011

Advocates Appeared:
For the Petitioners:George Varghese (Perumpallikuttiyil), Advocate.
For the Respondent:C. Rajendran, Advocate.

Headnote:

Succession Act, 1925 - Section 306 - Civil Procedure Code, 1908 - Orders 22 and 32 - Rules 3 and 15 - Suit for declaration of documents executed by the donor or assignor - Father of petitioner filed O.S. for declaration that documents executed by him do not bind on him and properties and that they are null and void and also to set aside and cancel documents - Defendants in the suit are son, daughter and wife donor - Petitioner (Donor) died during pendency of the suit. I.A. was filed by petitioner to implead four other persons as legal representatives of deceased plaintiff and also filed another I.A. to implead her as second plaintiff - Court dismissed I.A. and dismissed suit as abated - Petitioner challenging judgment in the suit - Whether enquiry contemplated under Order 32 Rule 15 is mandatory - Whether a suit for declaration by a donor or assignor that the documents executed by him are invalid, abate on his death - Held, A suit for declaration documents executed by donor or assignor are not valid, or are vitiated by undue influence, fraud or coercion, could be filed by donor or assignor, as case may be - Such suit could be filed by any of his legal representatives after his death - A suit for declaration filed by donor or assignor, on his death, could be continued to be prosecuted by his legal representatives - The right to institute suit for declaration cannot be said to be personal to such donor or assignor - On death of donor or assignor who instituted the suit, cause of action survives in favour of his legal representatives - Relief was a personal relief and it did not survive after death of original plaintiff is unsustainable - Suit was dismissed only on ground that I.A. was dismissed - Finding that cause of action does not survive is also unsustainable - Court did not consider question whether application for impleading is otherwise maintainable or as to who should be impleaded as legal representatives - As stated earlier, court also did not make any enquiry under Rule15 of Order 32 of Code - Matter remanded to lower court to consider both IA afresh in light of observations made above - Civil Revision Petition is allowed. 10)

JUDGMENT

1. Abdul Razak Kunju, the father of the petitioner herein, filed O.S.No.561 of 1997 on the file of the Court of the Munsiff of Kayamkulam, for a declaration that the documents executed by him do not bind on him and the properties and that they are null and void and also to set aside and cancel the documents. Abdul Razak Kunju was represented by his next friend and daughter Rasheeda, the petitioner herein. The defendants in the suit are the son, daughter and wife of Abdul Razak Kunju. Abdul Razak Kunju died during the pendency of the suit. I.A.No.1075 of 1998 was filed by the petitioner to implead four other persons as the legal representatives of the deceased plaintiff. The petitioner also filed I.A.No.1076 of 1998 to implead her as the second plaintiff. The court below dismissed I.A.No.1076 of 1998 by the order dated 28.2.2001 and on that date itself, dismissed the suit as abated. This Revision is filed by the petitioner challenging the judgment in the suit. The order in I.A.No.1076 of 1998 is not challenged in the Revision. The judgment passed by the court below reads as follows:

"Plaintiff is no more. Petition I.A.1076/98 dismissed. Suit abates. No costs."

2. The records of the case were called for. From the records, it is seen that I.A.No.1076 of 1998 was dismissed by the following order:

"This is an application by the next friend of the deceased plaintiff herein, to implead herself as additional plaintiff and to prosecute the suit. Heard both sides. The petitioner has instituted this suit as the next friend of the plaintiff for declaration. However there is no averment that the original plaintiff had any legal disability. According to the petitioner the original plaintiff due to old age and advanced stage of cancer was unable to understand things in the proper perspective and so the suit was filed by her as next friend.

At the very outset it is to be stated that the original plaintiff appeared before this Court in person on 24.1.98 and submitted that this suit is instituted without his knowledge and consent and that he does not want to proceed with the suit. The duty of a next friend is to represent the plaintiff who is suffering from any legal disability and the locus standi of the next friend ceases when the legal disability ceases or when the original plaintiff dies. The next friend cannot subrogate to the position of the original plaintiff. The relief sought for by the original plaintiff in this suit is a declaration of his rights over the plaint schedule property which is a right in personam and with the demise of the original plaintiff such rights ceases to exist and consequently nothing survives for decision and the next friend has no locus standi to get herself impleaded and prosecute the suit. Hence this application is dismissed."

On the date on which I.A.No.1076 of 1998 was dismissed, I.A.No.1075 of 1998 was also dismissed on the ground that I.A.No.1076 of 1998 was dismissed. As stated earlier, on the same date, the suit was also dismissed on the ground that I.A.No.1076 of 1998 was dismissed.

3. The contention of the petitioner is that there is no abatement. The cause of action survives and the petitioner having filed an application for impleading, the court below could not have dismissed the suit on the ground of abatement. It is submitted that the judgment of the court below is illegal and unsustainable and therefore, it can be interfered with in the exercise of the jurisdiction under Section 115 of the Code of Civil Procedure. The learned counsel for the petitioner also submitted that the power under Article 227 of the Constitution of India can also be invoked to set right the proceedings and to see that the suit is disposed of in accordance with law. The applications for impleading were filed within time as stipulated under Article 120 of the Limitation Act. The court below dismissed I.A.No.1076 of 1998 on the following grounds: (1) The plaintiff (Abdul Razak Kunju) appeared before Court in pers












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