Madras High Court
NATARAJAN
Krishnakumar - Appellant
Versus
N.Goverdhana Naidu - Respondent
Decided On : 01/25/1974
ORDER 22, RULE 5, CIVIL PROCEDURE CODE - SCOPE OF ENQUIRY - DETERMINATION OF LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE OF DECEASED PARTY - LIMITED TO PRIMA FACIE CLAIM - NO COMPREHENSIVE ENQUIRY REQUIRED - RECOGNITION OF LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE DOES NOT CONFER RIGHTS ON ESTATE OR OPERATE AS RES JUDICATA.
Fact of the Case:
In a partition suit, the second defendant died after the trial was over but before the judgment was passed. The plaintiff filed an application under Order 22, Rule 4, Civil Procedure Code (CPC) to implead his minor son as the legal representative of the deceased second defendant, relying on a registered will executed by the second defendant in his favor. The first defendant opposed the application, alleging that the will was procured by fraud, undue influence, and coercion.
Finding of the Court:
The court held that the Subordinate Judge erred in conducting a comprehensive enquiry into the validity of the will and in refusing to recognize the revision petitioner as the legal representative of the deceased second defendant. The court clarified that the scope of enquiry under Order 22, Rule 5, CPC is limited to determining who has a prima facie claim to represent the estate of the deceased party, and that such recognition does not confer rights on the estate or operate as res judicata.
Issues: 1. Whether the Subordinate Judge erred in conducting a comprehensive enquiry into the validity of the will in an application under Order 22, Rule 4, CPC. 2. Whether the recognition of a legal representative under Order 22, Rule 5, CPC confers rights on the estate or operates as res judicata.
Ratio Decidendi: 1. The purpose of Order 22, Rule 5, CPC is to facilitate the early disposal of pending actions and not to determine the rights of the parties in the estate of the deceased person. 2. A comprehensive enquiry into the validity of a will is not required under Order 22, Rule 5, CPC, as the recognition of a legal representative is only for the purpose of the pending action and does not confer rights on the estate or operate as res judicata.
Final Decision: The revision petition was allowed, and the order of the Subordinate Judge was set aside. The court directed that the application to implead the revision petitioner as the legal representative of the deceased second defendant be allowed.
2. Respondents 1 and 2 herein who were arrayed as the plaintiff and first defendant in the suit are brothers and are the grandsons of the deceased second defendant through her daughter. The first respondent as plaintiff filed the suit for partition and separate possession of his one-fourth share in the A schedule property and half share in the B schedule property. It is not disputed that the first defendant is entitled to the remaining half share in the B schedule property and one-fourth share in the A schedule property. It is also the common case of parties that the second defendant was solely entitled to the remaining half share of the A schedule property in pursuance of a registered will executed by her sister Balambal on 2-6-1928. She was made a party to the suit inasmuch as she was in joint possession of the A schedule property along with the plaintiff and the first defendant.
3. After the trial of the suit was over and the suit was posted for judgment, the second defendant died on 21-2-1971. Preliminary decree in the partition suit was nevertheless passed on 27-2-1971. Thereafter the plaintiff filed I. A. 521 of 1972 under Order 22, Rule 4, Civil P. C. praying that his minor son the petitioner in this revision petition be impleaded as the legal representative of the deceased second defendant. The case set up by the plaintiff in the affidavit filed in support of the application is that on 19-1-1971, the second defendant executed a registered will Ex. A-1 bequeathing her half share in the A schedule property to the revision petitioner and as such the revision petitioner was entitled to be brought on record as the legal representative of the deceased second defendant. The application was vehemently opposed by the first defendant on the ground that the will, despite its registration, was brought about by fraud, undue influence and coercion and that as such the revision petitioner ought not to be given recognition as the legal representative of the second defendant and brought on record.
4. On account of the rival contentions of the parties about the legality and validity of the will, the learned Subordinate Judge proceeded to record detailed evidence on both parties in support of their respective contention and ultimately he held for several reasons set out by him in his order that the will on which reliance was placed to get recognition of the petitioner as the legal representative of the deceased second defendant must have been brought about by either fraud or undue influence and therefore the revision petitioner cannot be recognised as the legal representative of the deceased second defendant and brought on record.
Aggrieved by this order, the revision petitioner has come forward with this revision.
5. I am afraid that the learned Subordinate Judge has completely misconstrued the purport and object of O. 22, R. 3 and R. 4 and the scope of the enquiry that has to be conducted as contemplated under O. 22, R. 5, C. P. Code, when there are rival claimants for getting recognition of the Court as the legal representative of a deceased plaintiff or defendant in a pending action. Order 22, Rule 5 reads as follows :
"When a question arises as to whether any person is or is not the legal representative of a deceased plaintiff or a deceased defendant, such question shall be determined by the Court............"
It is needless to say that though a duty is cast by Rule 5 of Order 22 on the Court to determine who is the legal representative of a deceased plaintiff or deceased defendant, there need not be a comprehensive and exhaustive enquiry to determine the person who could be properly designated the legal representati
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