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1985 Supreme(HP) 43

High Court Of Himachal Pradesh
GOKAL CHAND MITAL
GURMEJ SINGH - Appellant
Versus
MAKHAN SINGH - Respondent
Regular Second Appeal No. 1625 of 1977
Decided On : 05/20/1985

Advocates Appeared:
For the appellant :Mr. M, L. Sarin, Advocate with Mr. R. P. Bali, Advocate, For the respondent No. 1.:Mr. A. S. Sandhu, Advocate.

A transfer of property passes forthwith to the transferee all the interest which the transferor is then capable of passing in the property, and all the interest which the transferor may afterwards acquire therein, unless a different intention is expressed in the transfer.

Headnote:

TRANSFER OF PROPERTY ACT, 1882 - SECTION 43, 48 - SALE OF PROPERTY - EFFECT OF SUBSEQUENT ACQUISITION OF TITLE BY VENDOR - GIFT OF PROPERTY ALREADY SOLD - VALIDITY.

Fact of the Case:

Gurdit Singh died issueless in 1959, leaving behind land that was inherited by his collaterals. In 1964, the widow and three children of one of the collaterals sold 42 Kanals 14 Marlas of the land to the appellants. In 1970, Charno, one of the collaterals who had inherited from Gurdit Singh, gifted 1/6th share of the land to the plaintiffs, sons of Harnama, another collateral. The plaintiffs filed a suit for joint possession of 5/6th share of the land, claiming half on the basis of the gift and the rest on the basis of inheritance. The trial court decreed the suit for one-fourth share on the basis of inheritance, and the lower appellate court granted a decree for 4/12th share, half on the basis of the gift and the remaining on the basis of inheritance.

Finding of the Court:

The court found that the sale deed executed by Charno and the other vendors in 1964 was not limited to 1/6th share each, but rather conveyed all of their inherited shares in the land. The court also found that the gift deed executed by Charno in 1970 conveyed only 1/6th share of the land, not half as claimed by the plaintiffs. The court held that the sale of half of Charno's share in 1964 was valid, and that the subsequent gift of 1/6th share in 1970 was ineffective as Charno had already transferred his entire share through the sale.

Issues: 1. Whether the sale deed executed by Charno and the other vendors in 1964 conveyed only 1/6th share each, or whether it conveyed all of their inherited shares in the land. 2. Whether the gift deed executed by Charno in 1970 conveyed half of his share in the land, or only 1/6th share. 3. Whether the sale of half of Charno's share in 1964 was valid, and whether the subsequent gift of 1/6th share in 1970 was effective.

Ratio Decidendi: The court relied on Section 43 of the Transfer of Property Act, 1882, which provides that a transfer of property passes forthwith to the transferee all the interest which the transferor is then capable of passing in the property, and all the interest which the transferor may afterwards acquire therein, unless a different intention is expressed in the transfer. The court also relied on Section 48 of the Transfer of Property Act, which provides that where a person purports to transfer property of which he is not at the time the owner, the transfer shall not operate to pass any interest in the property until the transferor has acquired an interest in it, but the transfer shall operate from the time when the transferor acquires an interest in the property.

Final Decision: The court allowed the appeal and held that half of the land belonged to the appellants who were vendees from Charno, and the remaining half belonged to the descendants of Harnama, the plaintiffs and Smt Viro defendant.

JUDGMENT

Gokal Chand Mital, J-—Gurdit Singh died issueless on 27-12-1959 leaving behind 77 Kanals 13 Marlas of land. In 1963, mutation of inheritance was recorded in favour of his collaterals (Ishar Singhs) widow and five children. According to the mutation, his collaterals widow and five children got one-sixth share each. On 17-11-1964, the widow of the collateral and three of her children sold 42 Kanals 14 Marlas of land out of the estate inherited from Gurdit Singh, in favour of Gurmej Singh and others, the appellants in this appeal (vide sale deed Ex. D-l, Ex. D-4 being copy thereof. Out of the five children of the collateral, who had succeeded Gurdit Singh, two were males and three were females. In the sale, Charno was one of the male heirs. The other male heir was Harnama who had not joined in the sale-deed. After the sale, Harnamas three children filed a suit for possession of three-eighth share out of the estate left by Gurdit Singh on the plea that only Charno and Harnama succeeded to Gurdit Singh in equal shares. To that suit, the vendees, the vendors and the other persons, in whose favour the mutation of inheritance had been sanctioned, were impleaded as defendants. Harnama bad another son Jarnail Singh who was also impleaded as a defendant. According to the plaint, this Jarnail Singh had succeeded to I/8th share whereas Charno had succeeded to the remaining one-half share. By judgment and decree dated 27-1-1966 (Exhibit P-2 is the copy thereof), the suit was decreed after recording a finding that only Charno and Harnama had succeeded and, since Harnama bad left four heirs, it was held that the plaintiffs got 3/8th share and the balance of I/8th share went to Jarnail Singh. The vendees appeal was dismissed on 3-4-1968 by the first appellate Court, copy of which is Exhibit D-31. That matter became final.

2. On 10-6-1970 Charno made a gift of l/6th share in favour of Makhan Singh and Jarnail Singh, sons of Harnama, vide Exhibit P- . On 23-4-1971, the aforesaid two surving sons of Harnama filed a suit, out of which this appeal has arisen for joint possession of 5/6th share out of the estate left by Gurdit Singh on the following basis.

3. One-half share on the basis of gift, dated 10-6-1970 and the rest on the basis of inheritance. One-sixth share was to go to their sister Smt. Viro who was impleaded as a defendant. By judgment and decree, dated 5-2-1974, the trial Court decreed the suit for one fourth share on the basis of interitance in favour of Makhan Singh as, by then, Jarnail Singh had died. Makhan Singh plaintiff filed an appeal and the vendees filed Cross- Objections. The lower appellate Court, vide judgment and decree, dated 15-3-1977, granted decree to Makhan Singh for 4/12th share, half on the basis of the gift and the remaining on the basis of inheritance because Jarnail Singh had died without leaving wife or children. This second appeal has been filed by the vendees.

4. Mr, M. L. Sarin, Advocate, appearing on behalf of the vendees, has argued that the two documents sale-deed Exhibit D-l and the gift deed Exhibit P-l have been misread by the lower appellate Court. According to the learned Counsel, there is no mention in the sale-deed Exhibit D-l that Charno sold l/6th share. A reading of the document shows that all the vendors has sold ail what they owned in the land inherited from Gurdit Singh. The lower appellate Court read the sale-deed to mean that each of the vendors was selling l/6th share. On a reading of the document, I find that the lower appellate Court clearly misread the same because there is no mention that l/6th share each was being sold. On the contrary there is clear recital that whatever they inherited from Gurdit Singh is being sold.

5. A reading of gift-deed Exhibit P-l shows that Charno had gifted only l/6th share in the land measuring 77 Kanals 13 Marlas whereas the lower appellate Court has read that he gifted half of the share in the aforesaid land. While it is true that, according to judgm





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