BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT
R.Vijayakumar, J.
Natchiar Ammal - Appellants
Vs.
G.Murugan (died) - Respondent
S.A.No.1274 of 2003
Decided On : 02-02-2022
Indian Evidence Act, 1872 - Section 68 - Property - Sale deed - Plaintiff had contended that suit items 1 and 2 are originally belonged to one and he had executed Exhibit A1 in favour of plaintiff - Plaintiff further contended that third schedule property originally belonged to one and he had executed Exhibit A2 sale deed in favour of plaintiff - According to plaintiff, under Exhibit A2, fourth item of property was shown as a common pathway for third schedule property - Plaintiff had further contended that northern portion of common passage is fifth schedule property - According to plaintiff, he is entitled to enter common passage namely 4th and 5th schedule properties through 'H' door on eastern wall and maintain northern portion and maintain eastern wall - Plaintiff further contended that he is entitled to use fourth schedule property to enter into Therkku Theru which is located on south of the common lane - He further contended that defendants are obstructing usage of 4th and 5th schedule properties and hence, the prayer for declaration that the 4th and 5th schedule properties are common to both the plaintiff and the defendants and for consequential injunction - Whether both Courts is right in law in granting decree in favour of plaintiff upon easementary right which was not established and proved as contemplated under Indian Evidence Act.
Finding of the Court: All three documents produced on side of defendants, support the case of plaintiff - When no cloud has been created over right of the defendants, there is no necessity for plaintiff to seek a prayer for declaration - Rejection of the prayer for declaration on the ground of limitation will not be an impediment for Courts to grant a decree for permanent injunction based upon documents - In fact, prayer for permanent injunction is not to protect his possession, but to protect the usage of common pathway in 4th and 5th schedule properties - Viewed from any angle, decree of permanent injunction granted by Courts cannot be faulted with - In view of discussion, substantial questions of law are answered plaintiff has not sought for title to 4th and 5th schedule properties, but only sought for declaring that they are common properties of plaintiff and the defendants - Courts below were right in granting a decree in favour of plaintiff - Courts below have not granted a decree based upon easementary right, but based upon right conferred upon parties under Exhibit B2 document - In view of said discussions, all substantial questions of law are answered as against appellants.
Result: Second appeal is dismissed.
JUDGMENT :
The defendants are the appellants.
2. The plaintiff filed O.S.11 of 1992 before the Additional District Munsif Court, Ambasamudram for declaration that the 4th and 5th schedule properties are the common properties of the plaintiff and the defendants and consequential injunction restraining the defendants from disturbing the plaintiff's from entering into the 4th and 5th schedule properties through 'H' door in order to white-wash and maintaining the eastern wall. The plaintiff further prayed for an injunction that the defendants should not disturb the plaintiff's from using the 4th item as a common pathway by opening a door way in the eastern wall. The suit was decreed by the trial Court with regard to injunction prayer, but the same was dismissed with regard to the prayer for declaration. The defendants filed A.S.No.28 of 1999 before the Sub Court, Ambasamudram. The appeal was also dismissed. As against the same, the present second appeal has been filed by the defendants.
3. The plaintiff had contended that the suit items 1 and 2 are originally belonged to one Ramachandran Pillai and he had executed Exhibit A1 in favour of the plaintiff on 30.07.1975. The plaintiff further contended that the third schedule property originally belonged to one Kumarasamy and he had executed Exhibit A2 sale deed in favour of the plaintiff on 27.04.1976. According to the plaintiff, under Exhibit A2, the fourth item of the property was shown as a common pathway for the third schedule property. The plaintiff had further contended that the northern portion of the common passage is the fifth schedule property. According to the plaintiff, he is entitled to enter the common passage namely the 4th and 5th schedule properties through 'H' door on the eastern wall and maintain the northern portion and maintain the eastern wall. The plaintiff further contended that he is entitled to use the fourth schedule property to enter into Therkku Theru which is located on the south of the common lane. He further contended that the defendants are obstructing the usage of 4th and 5th schedule properties and hence, the prayer for declaration that the 4th and 5th schedule properties are common to both the plaintiff and the defendants and for consequential injunction.
4. The defendants filed a written statement contended that the plaintiff does have any right over the fourth schedule property. The said fourth schedule property has already been sold by the said Kumarasamy in favour of the defendants under Exhibit B1 on 06.04.1975. Thereafter, the said Kumarasamy has no right to execute Exhibit A2 sale deed in favour of the plaintiff. The defendants further contended that the fourth schedule property is the exclusive pathway available to the defendants. The defendants further contended that it is for the plaintiff to establish that they have any right over the fifth schedule property in order to maintain their eastern wall. The defendants further contended that the prayer for declaration of 4th and 5th schedule properties as the common properties was introduced much later in the plaint by way of an amendment and hence, the same is barred by limitation.
5. The trial court after considering Exhibits A1, A2, B1 to B3, oral evidence and the commissioner's report and plan, arrived at a conclusion that the 4th and 5th schedule properties have been shown as the common properties under Exhibit B2 partition deed and hence, the plaintiff will be entitled to use the said 4th and 5th schedule properties. The trial Court also found that the plaintiff is entitled to enter into the fifth schedule property through the doorway at 'H' in order to maintain the eastern wall. The trial Court also found that the fourth schedule property is a common property retained for the benefit of the brothers under Exhibit B2 and hence, the plaintiff, who is the purchaser from one of the co-sharers is entitled to fourth schedule property as a pathway. The trial court also found that since the fourth sc
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