2004 Supreme(Mad) 252
High Court of Judicature at Madras
THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE S.SARDAR ZACRIA HUSSAIN
Santha Bai - Appellant
Versus
Ponnamma & Another - Respondents
Second Appeal No.1796 of 1991
Decided On : 23 February 2004
The central legal point established in the judgment is the requirement to prove the voluntary execution of a gift deed, the sound and disposing state of mind of the donor, and the acceptance of the gift, while also emphasizing the need for specific pleading and timely legal action in cases of alleged undue influence and coercion.
Headnote:
Gift Deed - Property Dispute - Section 114 of the Evidence Act - 1959 Mortgage - Undue Influence - Coercion - Sound and Disposing State of Mind - Acceptance of Gift - Registration of Document - Second Appeal
Fact of the Case:
The suit involved a dispute over a gift deed executed by Subramania Konar in favor of the defendant, which was challenged by the plaintiffs on the grounds of undue influence, coercion, and the mental state of Subramania Konar. The trial court dismissed the suit, but the first appellate court decreed it, leading to the second appeal.
Finding of the Court:
The court found that the gift deed was voluntarily executed by Subramania Konar and was acted upon by the defendant. It also concluded that Subramania Konar was in a sound and disposing state of mind when he executed the gift deed. The first appellate court's decision to set aside the gift deed was deemed to be based on substantial errors.
Issues: The main issues revolved around the validity of the gift deed, including allegations of undue influence, coercion, and the mental capacity of Subramania Konar at the time of execution.
Ratio Decidendi: The court emphasized the importance of considering the evidence of sound and disposing state of mind, acceptance of the gift, and the circumstances surrounding the execution and registration of the gift deed. It also highlighted the need for specific pleading and timely legal action in cases of alleged undue influence and coercion.
Final Decision: The Second Appeal was allowed, the judgment of the first appellate court was set aside, and the suit was dismissed with no costs.
The appellant is the defendant who lost the case before the first appellate Court. The respondents/plaintiffs, who are mother and daughter filed the suit O.S.No.205 of 1982 to set aside the gift deed dated 5.3.1982 executed by S.Subramania Konar, who is the husband of the first plaintiff and father of the second plaintiff in favour of the defendant, the appellant herein and as per which he conveyed the suit property to the defendant.
2. The parties are described as per their rankings in the suit.
3. The suit property originally belonged to Subramania Konar, son of Subramania Konar of Medayum Veedu, Thoppavilakom, Attoor village, who is the husband of the first plaintiff and the father of the second plaintiff. He was living in the house with his first wife the first plaintiff and the second plaintiff was living with her husband Sivathanu in Trivandrum, where he was employed. The defendant who belongs to scheduled caste is a native of Eraniel village and she settled in Venniyaravayalkarai near the suit property. She got mortgage of the suit property from Subramania Konar in 1959, which was assigned to one Yesudasan from whom the plaintiff got an assignment and came into possession on 1.9.1981. Subramania Konar got acquainted with the defendant and her parents and on such acquaintance, the defendant managed to purchase 10 cents of paddy field from him in 1981 and as such, there have been some contact between them. Subramania Konar was suffering from ailments for the last few years and he was treated by the second plaintiff in Trivandrum. He was physically and mentally not all right and using the same and by exercising undue influence and coercion, the defendant fraudulently got the gift deed dated 5.3.1982 executed in her favour in respect of the suit property. In the gift deed it is mentioned that the defendant is his daughter born through his second wife Nesam. In fact the husband of Nesam is alive and that marriage is subsisting. Further, as per recitals of the gift deed, the donor had no wife or children. The gift deed was registered in the house of the defendant, in which Subramania Konar had put his thumb impression only instead of signing. The attestors to the document are close associates of the defendant. The gift deed was not accepted by the defendant and it did not come into force. When Subramania Konar visited the defendant's house, fell ill and while he was semi-conscious, the gift deed was obtained. The defendant refused to send him to his house and he died on 13.3.1982. Subramania Konar was cremated by the plaintiffs in his house after some difficulty. Since the attempts to recover the suit property fails, the suit has been filed.
4. The defendant resisted the suit that Subramania Konar is also known as Subbiah Konar and the defendant is her daughter born through his second wife Nesam. Subramania Konar was not residing with the first plaintiff. First plaintiff was leading immoral and wayward life and as such, Subramania Konar deserted her even before the second plaintiff attain the age of five years. It is admitted that the second plaintiff is residing with her husband in Trivandrum. The defendant is not a native of Eraniel. She was born to Subramania Konar through his second wife Nesam at Venniyaravayalkara veedu in Attoor village. After deserting the first plaintiff, Subramania Konar married Nesam and was living as husband and wife in Venniyaravayalkarai and in fact the defendant was admitted in school by him. He adopted his alias name of Subbiah in the school register without making any change in the signatures since the second marriage was viewed with contempt by his relatives. Subramania Konar executed a mortgage to the defendant in 1959. The defendant's marriage was fixed and conducted by him. After the marriage on 20.4.1971, as a token of gift, he conveyed 40 cents of paddy land in survey number 3318 of Attoor village and when the defendant's children attained school going age, he conveyed the remai