IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
T. Ramaprasada Rao and S. Ratnavel Pandian, JJ.
G. Shanmugham Chetty and another …..Appellant(s)
Versus
Chinnammal …..Respondent(s)
O.S.A. No. 4 of 1975.
Decided On : 06 October 1977
2. She was admittedly a person to whom notice was ordered before the grant was made. But according to the respondent such a notice which was served on her on 12th January, 1974 was not accompanied by the copy of the petition filed for the grant and that no publication was made about the date of hearing of the testamentary proceedings and that she sought for inspection of the records as per order of the Master of this Court dated 19th March, 1974 and it was only thereafter she entered caveat. But as by then the letters of administration was ordered on 14th February, 1974, the respondent’s allegation is that the grant was obtained on; false and fraudulent misrepresentation. She concedes that she has questioned the legality of the will in earlier proceedings, but could not prosecute the litigation for want of funds. She is also aggrieved over the form of the petition in that her name was not impleaded" as one of the respondents. According to her Alagiriswami Chetty, the testator, who is her husband, was under medical treatment and that the appellants manipulated to get a will from him to. Her prejudice and to their advantage. She refers to the prior litigation to which she was a party and to which we shall presently make a reference to and would add that when the counsel for the appellants were contacted for a copy of the original petition by the clerk of the respondent’s counsel, it was not even handed over to him. Her further allegation is that in the petition for the issue of the grant, there are two important aspects which have been suppressed, namely, about the place of death of the testator and about the incompleteness of the affidavit of assets. According to her, the will dated 24th November, 1964 was revoked by a further will by the testator himself in his last will and testament dated 17th March, 1966 and that, therefore the grant of such a will which has been subsequently cancelled by the testator ought not to remain on record, Paul, J., granted the letters of administration after following the usual procedure. Mohan, J., however, thought that the allegations made by the respondent in the affidavit for revocation of the grant were sufficient to revoke it and directed a citation to issue to the appellants to lodge the original letters of administration in this Court. The appellants in spite of their opposition to the application for the revocation for the grant could not succeed. Hence, the appeal.
3. We shall now trace the earlier history of this litigation, as it would furnish a sufficient background for the appreciation of the facts and circumstances of the subject-matter.
4. On 12th December, 1959 and 2nd May, 1960, Alagiriswami Chetty executed two deeds of settlement which were questioned by the respondent. The result of it was a suit in this Court in C.S. No. 46 of 1962 for maintenance of the respondent. This suit ended in a compromise where under she was awarded a sum of Rs. 500 as and towards her maintenance and thereafter the above suit which was to set aside the settlement deeds ended. Then Alagiriswami Chetty executed the will which was the subject-matter of the grant by Paul, J., on 14th February, 1974, lived for two years and more thereafter and died on 17th March, 1966. Once again the respondent initiated proceedings questioning the settlement deeds and the will. A pauper Application No. 361 of 1967 to that effect was filed. In those proceedings filed in forma pauperis Application No. 509 of 1967 was taken for the appointment of a receiver. One of us dismissed the s
Login now and unlock free premium legal research
Login to SupremeToday AI and access free legal analysis, AI highlights, and smart tools.
Login
now!
India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!
Copyright © 2023 Vikas Info Solution Pvt Ltd. All Rights Reserved.