SupremeToday Landscape Ad
Back
Next
Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation
Listen Audio Icon Pause Audio Icon
judgment-img

2025 Supreme(Mad) 3834

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
V.LAKSHMINARAYANAN, J.
V.Balakrishnan - Appellant 
Versus 
K.Chandrasekar - Respondent 
C.R.P.PD.No.5364 of 2024 and C.M.P.No.29770 of 2024
Decided on : 03-01-2025
Advocate Appeared : 
For the Appellant : Mr.Ma.P.Thangavel
For the Caveator : Mr.N.S.Suganthan 

Advocates:
Advocate Appeared:
For the Appellant : Mr.Ma.P.Thangavel
For the Caveator : Mr.N.S.Suganthan

The appointment of an Advocate Commissioner is essential in property disputes where identity is contested, as it aids in achieving accurate findings.

Headnote:(A) Civil Procedure Code, 1908 - Order 26 - Appointment of Advocate Commissioner - Dispute over property rights and pathway identity - Essential for resolution where evidence needed for clear findings - Discretion to appoint such Commissioner is inherent, provided not exercised arbitrarily or capriciously. (Paras 5, 15, 16, 17)

(B) Civil dispute - Suit for permanent injunction and counter claim - Plaintiff alleged interference with possession by defendants based on partition deeds. (Paras 3, 9, 10)

Facts of the case:
The plaintiff claimed ownership derived from a partition of property executed in 2008 among legal heirs of his predecessor, while defendants contended rights based on earlier partition deeds. The dispute arose concerning an alleged pathway impacting property boundaries.

Findings of Court:
The appointment of an Advocate Commissioner was justified to clarify aspects related to property dimensions and pathway.

Issues: The main issue was the necessity of an Advocate Commissioner to resolve property boundary disputes asserted by the defendants.

Ratio Decidendi: The court upheld that where property identity is disputed, appointing a Commissioner is vital to inform the court's decision-making process, affirming the trial judge's discretion.

Result: Civil Revision Petition dismissed.

Table of Content
1. identification of possession rights over property. (Para 2 , 3)
2. details of property ownership and dispute (Para 4 , 5)
3. counter claims regarding property ownership and description discrepancies. (Para 6 , 7 , 9)
4. application for appointment of advocate commissioner (Para 10)
5. the role of advocate commissioner in evidence collection. (Para 13)
6. legal precedent dictates the necessity of a commissioner in property disputes. (Para 15)
7. supreme court precedent on property disputes (Para 16)
8. discretionary nature of advocate commissioner appointment (Para 17)
9. final decision respecting the trial judge’s discretionary powers. (Para 18)

ORDER :

This Civil Revision Petition arises against the order passed by the learned I Additional District Munsif Court, Tiruppur, in I.A.No.423 of 2024 in O.S.No.162 of 2023, dated 09.12.2024.

2. The Civil Revision Petitioner is the plaintiff.

3. O.S.No.162 of 2023 is a suit for permanent injunction restraining the defendants from interfering with the plaintiff's peaceful possession and enjoyment of the property.

4. The case of the plaintiff is that their predecessor in interest one Velusamy Gounder, together with one Kanagasabapathy Vaduganatha Gounder and one Balasubramania Gounder, purchased a large portion including the suit schedule mentioned property on 03.12.1959. Ten days thereafter, these three persons partitioned the property amongst themselves. In the said partition, A-schedule property went to the share of Kanagasabapathy Vaduganatha Gounder, B schedule property fell to the share of Balasubramania Gounder and C schedule property was allotted to the share of Velusamy Gounder.

5. Velusamy Gounder passed away on 07.03.1983. The plaintiff and the other legal heirs of Velusamy Gounder partitioned the property amongst themselves by way of registered partition deed dated 27.11.2008. The cause of action for the suit is that on 03.09.2023, the defendants attempted to trespass into the property. This constrained the plaintiff to lodge a complaint with the Avinasipalayam Police Station against the alleged act of trespass. Being a civil dispute and since the defendants did not stop with their attempt to grabbing the property, the plaintiff brought forth the suit. Suit summon was served on the defendants.

6. The 3rd defendant filed written statement admitting to the fact of purchase by Velusamy Gounder, Kanagasabapathy Vaduganatha Gounder and Balasubramania Gounder. He also accepted the date of partition on 11.12.1959.

7. He pleaded that Velusamy Gounder was allotted 1.25 acres under one side and 4 acres on the other with a common cart track running between two parcels of land. It was further pleaded that the property allotted to Velusamy Gounder is located east of the defendant's property, which is situate at S.F.No.74. On the death of Kanagasabapathy Vaduganatha Gounder, the defendants 1 to 4 succeeded to his estate as his legal heirs. Subsequent to this succession, they pleaded they are in possession and enjoyment of the property. The defendants further alleged that in the partition deed dated 27.11.2008, inter-se entered into the legal heirs of Velusamy Gounder, the boundaries were deliberately mis-described.

8. The case of the 3rd defendant is that the plaintiff is attempting to grab the property that fell to the share of Kanagasabapathy Vaduganatha Gounder, on the strength of this misleading partition deed. They state that on account of the fact that the plaintiff wanted to grab their property, they attempted to interfere with the possession of the defendants.

9. Consequent there to, the defendants also presented a counter claim. In the counter claim, they sought for relief of declaration that the inter-se partition deed dated 27.11.2008, entered the legal heirs of Velusamy Gounder, is not binding on them and for permanent injunction restraining the plaintiff from interfering with the peaceful possession and enjoyment of items II and III of the counter claim schedule mentioned pr

Click Here to Read the rest of this document
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
SupremeToday Portrait Ad
supreme today icon
logo-black

An indispensable Tool for Legal Professionals, Endorsed by Various High Court and Judicial Officers

Please visit our Training & Support
Center or Contact Us for assistance

qr

Scan Me!

India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!

For Daily Legal Updates, Join us on :

whatsapp-icon Back to top