IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
M.M. Ismail and K.S. Palaniswami, JJ.
E. Gopalakrishnan
Versus
Meganathan (died)
Appeal No. 449 of 1964 and Memo. of Cross-objections.
Decided On : 30 March 1972
2. The trial Court found that there was no joint family so as to entitle the plaintiff to claim a half share in the A schedule property which was purchased in the name of his grandfather Govindappa Naicker. Inasmuch as the plaint B schedule property was acquired in the name of the plaintiff’s father, the trial Court found that the plaintiff was entitled to that property alone and, accordingly, dismissed the suit as regards the plaint A schedule property and the movables in the B schedule in which the plaintiff claimed a share, and decreed the suit declaring the plaintiff’s title to the B schedule property and for possession of the same. Aggrieved by this decree the first defendant has filed this appeal. Aggrieved by the dismissal of the suit in so far as the plaint A schedule property is concerned, the plaintiff has filed the memorandum of cross-objections.
3. The first question that arises for consideration is whether there was an earlier partition in the family as contended by the defendants. On this aspect, the written statement is very vague with regard to the alleged partition. In paragraph 5 of the written statement of the first defendant, it is alleged that Govindappa Naicker had given away the plaintiff’s father share, and sent him out of the family and that during the lifetime of Govindappa Naicker, he was living with his younger son, Elumalai. From this, we are asked to infer that a partition had been effected even during the lifetime of Govindappa Naicker. There is no evidence to show that there was any partition at all either during the life time of Govindappa Naicker or thereafter. D. W. 4 who was examined by the defendants to speak about the alleged partition, did not claim to have any personal knowledge of the alleged partition. He was examined in the year 1964 when his age was 54. years. It is significant to note that Govindappa Naicker had died in 1914. If during his lifetime, a partition had been effected, it must have been prior to 1914. If the age of D. W. 4 was 54 years when he gave evidence in 1964, he must have been a boy of about 3 or 4 at the time of the alleged partition, and it is hard to believe that he would have had any knowledge of the partition. If that evidence goes, then there is no evidence on record from which the case of partition can be made out. The trial Court was right in holding that there was no division as contended by the defenda
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