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2021 Supreme(Mad) 2977

BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT
R. THARANI, J.
D. Rajkumar - Appellant
Versus
Rajeswari - Respondent
C.R.P.(PD)(MD).No.2535 of 2018 and C.M.P.(MD).No.11143 of 2018
Decided on : 29-10-2021

Advocates:
Advocate Appeared:
For the Appellant : Mr.R.Sundar Srinivasan
For the Respondent: Mr.J.Madhu

Headnote:

Registration Act, 1908 - Indian Evidence Act, 1872 – Civil Revision Petition - Main suit was filed for partition - Petitioners herein have filed a suit seeking partition - Pending suit, petitioner herein has filed a petition in I.A. to admit xerox copy of family arrangement entered into between parties for a collateral purpose - Whether suit property is joint family property or not – Held, xerox copy of a family arrangement was filed by defendants - xerox copy is a secondary evidence - But a xerox copy of a document cannot be registered, even after payment of stamp duty and penalty - Suit is for partition, wherein petitioners are claiming a share in first schedule property, claiming first schedule property as joint family property - To prove status of property, plaintiffs are relying on alleged family arrangement, existence of which was denied by defendants - Main issue to be decided in original suit is whether plaintiffs are having share in property - Plaintiffs are claiming share in property on basis of unregistered and unstamped xerox copy of document - Request for marking of document is not for collateral purpose but to prove the share of plaintiffs - Civil Revision Petition is dismissed.

ORDER :

1. This petition has been filed to set aside the order in I.A.No.258 of 2018 in O.S.No.109 of 2015 dated 14.09.2018 on the file of the II Additional District Judge, Tiruchirappalli.

2. The petitioners herein are the plaintiffs and the respondents herein are the defendants in the suit. The petitioners herein have filed a suit in O.S.No.109 of 2015 seeking partition. Pending suit, the petitioner herein has filed a petition in I.A.No.258 of 2018 to admit the xerox copy of the family arrangement dated 15.05.2000 entered into between the parties for a collateral purpose.

3. Brief substance of the petition in I.A.No.258 of 2018 reads as follows:

The main suit was filed for partition. On 15.05.2000, a family arrangement has taken place. The original family arrangement is with the defendants and the xerox copy of the same was available with the plaintiffs and the same was produced as document no.5. In the family arrangement, the first defendant has admitted that the suit item 1 was purchased in her name for the benefit of joint family from the joint family fund and that the property is enjoyed jointly by the family members. Despite a notice to produce the documents, the defendants have not produced the original document and made an endorsement that such a document never come into existence. The said document is essential for deciding the real controversy between the parties. The document is necessary to decide whether the suit property is joint family property or not. Hence, the xerox copy of the document has to be received for collateral purpose. The petitioners undertake to pay the necessary stamp duty and penalty.

4. Brief substance of the counter in I.A.No.258 of 2018 filed by the first respondent and adopted by the second respondent is as follows:

It is false to state that on 15.05.2000, a family arrangement has taken place and that the original agreement is with the defendants and that a xerox copy is available with the plaintiffs. The allegations that the first defendant had admitted that the suit item 1 of the property was joint family property is denied as false. The alleged document is not in existence. No such family arrangement took place between the parties. Copy of the document cannot be marked before the Court. The document, requires compulsory registration under the Registration Act and the same cannot be received and marked as an exhibit. A document, which requires stamp duty and registration, if the same was not done, cannot be received and marked as Exhibit and the petition is liable to be dismissed.

5. After hearing both sides, the trial Court dismissed the petition.

Against which, the revision petitioner has preferred this appeal.

6. On the side of the petitioner, it is stated that the trial Court has erred in holding that the document sought to be marked is an unregistered and unstamped document and cannot be permitted to be marked. The reliance on the document is not to establish title, but only to rely upon some of the recitals in the said document. Only for collateral purpose, the document is to be marked. The document was referred to in the plaint itself and notice to produce the original document was served on the defendants. The defendants is complying with the formalities by letting evidence for collateral purpose and prayed the order to be set aside.

7. On the side of the petitioner, it is stated that there are two items of the properties in the suit. The first item is a house property purchased out of joint family funds. The defendants admitted the same in the family arrangement. The xerox copy of the family arrangement was filed as 5th document. The defendants in the written statement has denied the execution of the document and the defendants claimed the property as a separate property and not as a joint family property. Notice to produce the original document was filed and the Court closed the memo, after recording that the defendants are not having the original. Only to prove that the first item of the

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