IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
S.KANNAMMAL, J.
Mrs.Unnamalai - Appellant
Versus
Mrs.Thamizharasi - Respondents
Civil Miscellaneous Second Appeal Nos.7 & 9 of 2013 and M.P.Nos.1 of 2013
Decided On : 24-01-2022
Hindu Succession Act - Section 6 - Hindu Women's Property Act,1938 - Suit for Partition - Order of Executing Court - Whether enactment of Hindu Succession (Amendment Act) is to equal rights unconditionally to daughter of a co-parcener - Appellant is a third party claimant in both execution proceedings - Respondents 1 and 2 are judgment debtors and 3rd respondent is decree holder - Respondent had initiated two separate Arbitration Cases in ARC against respondents for recovery of money due under two different promissory notes and obtained Awards as against respondents - There were no appeals as against awards and therefore Awards have become final - Earlier execution petitions filed by decree holder in year for arrest of 2nd judgment debtor pursuant to awards it appears had been dismissed by executing court for default of petitioners and subsequent execution petitions filed by decree holder in year for attachment of properties of judgment debtors had also been dismissed for default of petitioner – Section 6 (1) of the Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act,2005 is very specific that on and from the commencement of the Hindu Succession (Amendment) Act, 2005, in a Joint Hindu family, governed by the Mitakshara law, the daughter of a coparcener shall, by birth, become a coparcener in her own right in the same manner as the son (Para 20)
Finding of the Court:
In order that a Hindu claims a right of coparcenery he or she must prove that property in which he/she claims share is a joint family property or coparcenery property and it is undivided - In case on hand property in question was partitioned/divided among second respondent his brother and widowed mother on through registered partition deeds which was years back respectively - However amendment to Section 6 of Hindu Succession Act,1956 came into effect only with effect from whereby daughter becomes a coparcener by birth in her right in same manner as that of son - In this regard crucial point to be examined is whether property is a joint family/coparcenery property and that it is undivided among family members - As already stated above property in question is not only not joint family/coparcenery property but it is also divided among family members.
Result: Second Appeals dismissed.
JUDGMENT :
These Civil Miscellaneous Second Appeals are by the unsuccessful claimant, challenging the dismissal of the Civil Miscellaneous Appeals by the lower appellate Court, confirming the order of the Executing Court, dismissing the claim petitions.
2. The brief facts leading to the filing of these Civil Miscellaneous Second Appeals are as follows:-
Appellant is a third party claimant in both the execution proceedings. The respondents 1 and 2 are the judgment debtors and the 3rd respondent is the decree holder. The 3rd respondent had initiated two separate Arbitration Cases in ARC Nos.614 and 612 of 1998 against the respondents for recovery of money due under two different promissory notes and obtained Awards as against the respondents 1 and 2 on 31.07.1998. There were no appeals as against the awards and, therefore, the Awards dated 31.07.1998 have become final. Earlier, the execution petitions filed by the decree holder in the year 1999 for the arrest of the 2nd judgment debtor pursuant to the awards, it appears, had been dismissed by the executing court for the default of the petitioners and the subsequent execution petitions filed by the decree holder in the year 2001 for attachment of the properties of the judgment debtors had also been dismissed for the default of the petitioner. Thereafter, on 10.04.2008, the 3rd respondent initiated two separate execution proceedings as stated above against the respondents 1 and 2 herein in R.E.P.No.66 and 65 of 1998 respectively on the file of the Executing Court (Sub Judge), Krishnagiri, for attachment of the property belonging to the respondents 1 and 2 herein for realization of the amounts due under the Awards. Pending those execution petitions, it appears, that the appellant herein had filed a suit on 04.11.2008 in O.S.No.91 of 2008 on the file of the learned Principal District Judge, Krishnagiri, against the respondents 1 and 2 herein and one Ramalingam for a preliminary decree of partition of the subject matter of the property into four equal shares by metes and bounds and for allotment of one such share in her favour and for permanent injunction restraining the other co-sharers from alienating or making any encumbrance over the suit schedule properties, wherein the defendants were set ex parte. Pending the above said suit, it appears, the appellant had filed two separate Claim Petitions on 01.03.2009, which are the subject matter in the present appeals.
3. Appellant (claimant) filed the Claim Petitions inter alia contending that she is the elder sister of the 2nd respondent. The 1st respondent is the wife of the 2nd respondent. She was given to understand that attachment proceedings were initiated as against the respondents 1 and 2 pursuant to the Awards passed by the Registrar of Chit Funds, Chennai. The properties in question are not the absolute properties of the respondents 1 and 2 and they are the joint family properties. In the partition alleged to have been entered into between the brothers, she was not added as a party. In the property in question, which was said to have been allotted to the share of the 2nd respondent herein, she has also a share and she is entitled to ¼ share. Therefore, the partition said to have been effected between the brothers will not bind on the appellant. The properties are not liable for attachment as they are joint family properties and not the exclusive properties of the 2nd judgment debtor.
4. The Claim Petitions were resisted by the decree holder, the 3rd respondent herein, inter alia contending that the partition took place in the family of the 2nd respondent as early as in the year 1987 and as per Section 6 of the Hindu Succession Act, as amended by Central Act 39 of 2005, the appellant (sister) was not entitled to claim for partition. Moreover, the properties were self acquired properties of the respondents 1 and 2. The said respondents played fraud upon the court in collusion with the appellant, as the suit for partition was not at all
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