SupremeToday Landscape Ad
Back
Next
Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation
Listen Audio Icon Pause Audio Icon
judgment-img

2023 Supreme(Ker) 1050

IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM
Anil K. Narendran, J.
Nandini Amma - Appellant
Versus
Krishnan and others - Respondents
SA No. 827 of 2002
Decided On : 22-12-2023

Advocate Appeared:
For the Appellant :Sri. K.Ramakumar (Sr.), Smt. Saritha Varma, Advocates.
For the Respondent:Smt. Meena.A., Sri. K.R.Avinash Kunnath, Sri. Vinod Ravindranath, Smt. M.R.Mini, Sri. Abdul Raoof Pallipath, Sri. Ashwin Sathyanath, Sri. T.Krishnan Unni Sr., Sri. K.Ramachandran, Sri. Rohit Nandakumar, Sri. P.Ramachandran, Advocates.

The plaintiff failed to establish the identity of the property in question, leading to the dismissal of the suit for recovery of possession and injunction.

Headnote:(A) Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 - Section 100 - Recovery of possession - The appellant sought recovery of possession and mandatory injunction against the defendants regarding property previously owned by her mother, Devaki Amma, under a registered Will - The trial court dismissed the suit, finding insufficient identification of the property - The appellate court upheld this dismissal, concluding no substantial question of law arose for consideration. (Paras 1, 12, 16)

(B) Identification of property - The courts found that the plaintiff failed to establish the identity of the property in question, leading to the dismissal of her claims for recovery and injunction. (Paras 12, 15)

Facts of the case:
The appellant filed a suit for possession and injunction against defendants who allegedly trespassed on property inherited through a Will. The trial court found the property inadequately identified and dismissed the suit, a decision upheld by the appellate court.

Findings of Court:
The identity of the property could not be established, and the plaintiff's failure to provide sufficient evidence led to the dismissal of her claims.

Issues: The primary issue was whether the plaintiff adequately identified the property in question to support her claim for possession and injunction.

Ratio Decidendi: The court ruled that without proper identification of the property, the plaintiff could not claim possession or seek an injunction against the defendants.

Result: The second appeal was dismissed.

JUDGMENT :

Anil K. Narendran, J.

The appellant filed O.S.No.1 of 1986 before the Munsiff Court, Ponnani, against the defendants seeking a degree for recovery of possession of plaint A schedule property on the strength of her title and a decree for a mandatory injunction directing the defendants to demolish the wall in plaint A schedule property, which forms part of plaint B schedule property. Going by the averments in the plaint, plaint B schedule property belonged to the plaintiff's mother, Devaki Amma. The plaintiff obtained right over the said property by virtue of Ext.A1 registered Will dated 15.10.1979. The property described in plaint C schedule was assigned by Devaki Amma in favour of the 1st defendant. The property belonging to the plaintiff lies on all four sides of the property assigned to the 1st defendant. The 1st and 2nd defendants have constructed a wall in plaint A schedule property. When the husband of the plaintiff enquired about the construction made by the 1st and 2nd defendants, they told him that the said property belonged to them. The defendants have trespassed upon plaint A schedule property and reduced it to their possession. Therefore, the plaintiff is entitled to get a decree for recovery of possession of plaint A schedule property on the strength of her title. She is also entitled to a decree for a mandatory injunction directing the defendants to demolish the wall in plaint A schedule property.

2. Defendants 3 to 8 were subsequently impleaded in the suit. Defendants 1, 4 and 5 to 8 filed written statement and additional written statement, contending that the extent of the property shown in the plaint schedules is not covered. At the time of assignment of the property in favour of the 1st defendant, the property was measured by the person brought by Devaki Amma and the document was prepared on that basis. The 1st defendant is not aware of the measurements of the property. The entire property as per the assignment deed was entrusted to the 1st defendant. Thereafter he assigned a portion of that property to one Chacko. He gifted the remaining property in favour of the 4th defendant, who is his wife. Defendants 5 to 8 are unnecessary parties to the suit. The defendants have not trespassed upon plaint A schedule property. The plaintiff is not entitled to get a decree for recovery of possession of plaint A schedule property. Defendants 2 and 3 filed separate written statements, contending that the property shown in the schedules to the written statement belonged to them and they have not trespassed upon any property belonging to the plaintiff.

3. Before the trial court, PWs 1 to 3 were examined on the side of the plaintiff and Exts.A1 to A7 were marked. On the side of the defendants, DWs 1 to 3 were examined and Exts.B1 to B7 were marked. The report and plan of the Advocate Commissioner, who was examined as PW3, were marked as Exts.C1 to C5. After appreciating the pleadings and evidence on record, the trial court found that the plaint schedule properties are not properly identified and accordingly the suit was dismissed by the judgment and decree dated 28.02.1991. Feeling aggrieved, the plaintiff filed A.S.No.106 of 1991 on the file of the Sub Court, Tirur. The 2nd defendant died during the pendency of the appeal and his legal representatives were impleaded as additional respondents 9 to 21. That appeal ended in dismissal by the judgement and decree dated 13.08.2002, which is under challenge in this Second Appeal filed before this Court, under section 100 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908.

4. On 26.03.2003, when this Second Appeal came up for admission, this Court ordered notice to the respondents on the substantial questions of law formulated in the memorandum of the Second Appeal. By the order dated 26.07.2023 in I.A.No.3 of 2015, the applicant therein, who has entered into an agreement for sale dated 23.08.2000 in respect of 33.5 cents of land, which forms part of plaint A schedule property, comprised in

Click Here to Read the rest of this document
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
SupremeToday Portrait Ad
supreme today icon
logo-black

An indispensable Tool for Legal Professionals, Endorsed by Various High Court and Judicial Officers

Please visit our Training & Support
Center or Contact Us for assistance

qr

Scan Me!

India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!

For Daily Legal Updates, Join us on :

whatsapp-icon Back to top