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2017 Supreme(Mad) 1522

IN THE HIGH COURT OF MADRAS
G. Jayachandran, J.
Pattu - Appellant
Versus
Krishnammal @ Singari & Ors. - Respondents
Appeal Suit No. 288 of 2008
Decided On : 03-03-2017

Advocates:
Advocate Appeared:
For the Appellant : Mr. T.P. Manoharan for Mr. D. Kamatchi
For the Respondents: Mr. M.S. Krishnan, for Sarvabhauman

Headnote:

Indian Evidence Act, 1872 - Section 114 – Suit for partition – Legal Heirs/ Shares - Description of Property – Will – Execution of - Testamentary dispossession of suit property - Description of Property - Whether trial court proper in holding execution of Will proved, without examining scribe-cum-attesting witness and can it be considered as genuine in absence of medical records to show real health and mental condition of testator on date of execution of will - Whether circumstances claimed to be suspicious by appellant is sufficient to hold will as ingenuine - Plaintiff/appellant in her plaint contented that, her father died intestate after brief illness - She is daughter of his first wife - First defendant is his second wife - Second defendant is daughter of first defendant - Third to fifth defendants are her sons - Properties described in suit schedule are absolute properties of her father - She is entitled for ? share in A schedule property - B schedule property is common property of her father and his brother, who died issueless and intestate - 6th defendant is wife of S.R. Ramasamy Gowder. So, in B schedule property, plaintiff is entitled to 1/12 share - Pending suit, 2nd defendant died - So, her husband was brought on record as her legal representative and arrayed as 7th defendant - 6th defendant died issueless - Defendants 3 to 5 are her legal representatives - Held, Will was executed testator was admitted in hospital at the next day - He died in hospital after a week - Plaintiff was informed about existence of Will as early - From plaint, it is evident that plaintiff had not believed execution of Will by her father and had come to know that her father was not in good state of mind, while Will was prepared - Also evident that plaintiffs husband is a law graduate - Schedule of property mentioned in plaint itself based on partition deed and it is evidently clear that plaintiff was not in touch with testator for a long time, which has resulted in exposing her ignorance about alienation of (1)Item in A schedule property under Ex.B6 on 14.08.1985 by her father and (2) settlement deed executed by Chikkammal in respect of B schedule property as early as 1959 - In fact, settlement deed has been upheld by Court as early vide subsequent alienation of property found in B schedule through Exs.B3, B4 and B5 also clearly expose defect in plaintiffs case, who has commenced the litigation with a roving enquiry and filed suit based on surmises without any material evidence to claim right property - Plaintiff has not proved her right over suit schedule properties, some of which not in existence and rest been duly bequeathed upon defendants 3 to 5 under Will - First Appeal is dismissed.

JUDGMENT :

G. Jayachandran, J.

The unsuccessful plaintiff is the appellant herein. The trial court accepted the testamentary dispossession of the suit property against the plea of intestate. Hence, this appeal.

2. Pattu, the plaintiff/appellant in her plaint contented that, her father S.R. Chinnia Gowder died intestate on 11.01.1992 in the hospital after brief illness. She is the daughter of his first wife Rajammal. The first defendant Krishnammal @ Singari is his second wife. The second defendant is the daughter of the first defendant. The third to fifth defendants are her sons. The properties described in the suit schedule are the absolute properties of her father. She is entitled for ? share in 'A' schedule property. The 'B' schedule property is the common property of her father S.R. Chinnia Gowder and his brother S.R. Ramasamy Gowder, who died issueless and intestate. The 6th defendant is the wife of S.R. Ramasamy Gowder. So, in B schedule property, the plaintiff is entitled to 1/12 share. Pending suit, the 2nd defendant Kanaka died. So, her husband was brought on record as her legal representative and arrayed as 7th defendant. The 6th defendant Tmt. Saraswathi ammal, W/o S.R. Ramasamy Gowder died issueless. The defendants 3 to 5 are her legal representatives.

3. The case of the plaintiff is that, though her father married the first defendant as his junior wife and living with her and her children born through her, her father was fond of her and was in contact with her till 1986. Off late, the defendants 2 to 5 successfully prevented her father from having contact with her and she was not even informed by the defendants about her father's demise when she come to know about the death of her father, she caused notice on 25.01.1992 to the defendants requesting them not to alienate the property till her share is apportioned. The defendants 3 to 5 replied denying share to her in the property and contented that her father S.R. Chinnia Gowder has bequeathed all his properties to them through a Will dated 3.01.1992, a day before he was taken to hospital.

4. According to the plaintiff, she learnt that her father S.R. Chinnia Gowder was afflicted with continuous diarrhoea, vomiting and giddiness for about two to three days prior to 04.01.1992. On 04.01.1992 along with the above symptoms he had chest pain and was admitted in the hospital and he became unconscious. Despite medical attendance, he died on 11.01.1992 due to cardiac arrest. Therefore, the contention of the defendants that her father executed a Will, when he was in sound disposing state of mind is false and untenable. After exchange of notices, negotiations with the help of mediators was held to divide the estate of S.R. Chinnia Gowder amicably, but it ended in futile.

5. The defendants 1 and 2, who are the junior wife and daughter of the late S.R. Chinnia Gowder filed written statement admitting the relationship but, denying the other averments such as the plaintiff's claim of cordial relationship with her father S.R. Chinnia Gowder. According to these defendants, the plaintiff and her husband were throughout hostile towards late S.R. Chinnia Gowder, despite his best efforts to have cordial relationship. The relationship severed twenty years before the death of S.R. Chinnia Gowder. The allegations made about S.R. Chinnia Gowder health are denied. His faculties were intact and he was conscious of what he was doing. In a sound disposing state of mind, he executed a Will on 03.01.1992 bequeathing his properties in favour of his sons absolutely. Even they were not given any property in the Will, except obligation of maintaining the first defendant by her sons who are legatees under the Will. The defendants 1 and 2 are not necessary parties to the suit. The mediation talk averred in the plaint is denied. The plaintiff was never in joint possession of the property, so the valuation of the properties and the court fees paid thereon are totally incorrect.

6. The defendants 3 to 5, filed


























































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