IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
G. Jayachandran, J.
Jagadambai – Appellant
Vs.
Suresh Kumar – Respondent
Second Appeal No. 575 of 2010
Decided On : 02-03-2017
Suit property - Vacant possession - Death - Sole legal heir - Plaintiff before is that she is widow of late, who is owner of suit property - Said died on - After his death, as a sole legal heir of plaintiff succeed to his estate - Due to matrimonial dispute, said deserted plaintiff and therefore, she filed M.C. No. on file of learned Additional Family Court, and obtained an order dated for payment of maintenance at rate of Rs.350/- per month, which was paid to her till April - After demise plaintiff requested first defendant to transfer tenancy in her favour so that she could collect rent from defendants 2 and 3, but it was refused by first defendant - In such circumstance, plaintiff has filed suit for declaration - Pending suit, first defendant has sold suit schedule property to defendants 4 to 7 - Therefore, plaint was amended impleading purchasers pendente lite, defendants 4 to 7 and included prayer to declare sale in favour of defendants 4 to 7 as void - According to first defendant, deceased executed a Will dated registered in office of the Sub Registrar Office, Periamet, whereby he had bequeathed suit property in his favour - As per intention of testator, he paid a sum of Rs.200/- per month to plaintiff –Held, Court fails to understand that when there is a specific plea made in the plaint that first defendant is not son but an orphan, burden is on first defendant to establish that he was not an orphan but son - As rightly pleaded by the counsel for the appellant, defendants have not marked any document in support of their defence and in such event, courts below ought to have taken an adverse interference especially failure of first defendant to produce Will purported to have been executed by te deceased in his favour - Plaintiff is legally wedded wife and pension paper indicates that she was wife failure to produce legal heirship certificate from Tashildar or succession certificate from Court will not disentitle her to right to make a claim over suit property - Instead, Courts below ought to have taken an adverse inference against defendants for not producing any documents - Court is constrained to set aside judgment and decree passed by Courts below by allowing this second appeal and consequently holds that defendants 4 to 7 are not having bonafides to claim themselves as a purchaser of suit property from first defendant under Exs.B1 and B2 - Accordingly, second appeal is allowed, with costs.
G. Jayachandran, J.
1. The plaintiff is the appellant before this Court. The suit was filed for declaration to declare that the plaintiff is the absolute owner of the suit property, the sale made in favour of the defendants 4 to 7 is void and to direct the defendants to deliver vacant possession of the suit property.
2. The case of the plaintiff before is that she is the widow of late B.M. Murugesan, who is the owner of the suit property. The said Murugesan died on 05.05.1994. After his death, as a sole legal heir of Murugesan, the plaintiff succeed to his estate. Due to matrimonial dispute, the said Murugesan deserted the plaintiff and therefore, she filed M.C. No. 282 of 1988 on the file of the learned Additional Family Court, Chennai and obtained an order dated 20.06.1990 for payment of maintenance at the rate of Rs.350/- per month, which was paid to her till April 1994. According to the plaintiff, after deserting her, her husband Murugesan resided along with the first defendant and taking advantage of the same, the first defendant had let out the schedule property to the defendants 2 and 3 and the rent thereof was collected by the first defendant. After the demise of B.M. Murugesan, the plaintiff requested the first defendant to transfer the tenancy in her favour so that she could collect the rent from the defendants 2 and 3, but it was refused by the first defendant. In such circumstance, the plaintiff has filed the suit for declaration. Pending suit, the first defendant has sold the suit schedule property to defendants 4 to 7 on 26.05.1995. Therefore, the plaint was amended impleading the purchasers pendente lite, the defendants 4 to 7 and included the prayer to declare the sale in favour of the defendants 4 to 7 as void.
3. The first defendant filed his written statement claiming that he is the sole surviving legal heir of the deceased B.M. Murugesan, having born to his second wife. According to the first defendant, the deceased executed a Will dated 29.05.1986 registered in the office of the Sub Registrar Office, Periamet, whereby he had bequeathed the suit property in his favour. As per the intention of the testator, he paid a sum of Rs.200/- per month to the plaintiff. The specific case of the first defendant is that B.M. Murugesan had three wives, two of them predeceased B.M. Murugesan. The plaintiff and the first defendant are the surviving legal heirs of B.M. Murugesan. As per the will, the plaintiff is not entitled to succeed the estate of B.M. Murugesan but only entitled for Rs.200/- per month for her maintenance.
4. The plaintiff has filed a reply statement alleging that the first defendant is not the son of B.M. Murugesan and he was an orphan brought from Kasthuribai hospital. The deceased Murugesan, on account of his chronic ailment was keeping the first defendant as a helper. Taking advantage of the position, the first defendant has fabricated and created a "Will" alleged to have been executed by B.M. Murugesan. The Will was not probated as required by law and therefore, it cannot be relied upon by the first defendant. The first defendant, taking advantage of the ill health of the deceased, continued to exploit the situation. As regards the plaintiff, due to fear of her life, she has left the suit premises leaving the deceased. The Plaintiff has filed the suit prior to the purchase of the suit property by defendants 4 to 7. The defendants 4 to 7 have purchased the suit property to deprive the right of the plaintiff. Having purchased it on their own risk from a person who has saleable right, title, interest to the suit property, these defendants have no locus to contest suit.
5. The defendants 4 to 7 also contended the suit by stating that the suit property was purchased by one Melliammal, the mother of the first defendant. The defendants 4 to 7, after verifying the title deeds and legal heir certificate issued by Tahsildar, have purchased the suit property after exercising prudent care and valid search.
SupremeToday
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.