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1979 Supreme(Ori) 29

High Court Of Orissa
B. K. Ray And J. K. Mohanty, JJ.
RADHAMOHAN DEV - Appellant
Versus
NABAKISHORE NAIK - Respondent
First Appeal 12  Of  1970
Decided On : 05/18/1979

Advocates Appeared:
A.MOHANTY, B.K.PAL, B.Pal, P.K.ROUTRAY, R.N.SINHA, S.N.SINHA

A civil court has jurisdiction to frame a scheme for the proper management of a private devottar at the instance of interested parties in case of mismanagement or breach of trust by the managing trustee.

Headnote:

HINDU LAW - RELIGIOUS ENDOWMENT - PRIVATE DEBUTTAR - SUIT FOR FRAMING OF SCHEME - MAINTAINABILITY - JURISDICTION OF CIVIL COURT - MISMANAGEMENT - ALIENATION OF DEITY'S PROPERTIES - SETTING ASIDE - SEBAYATI RIGHT - CLAIM BY FEMALE MEMBER OF FOUNDER'S FAMILY - VALIDITY.

Fact of the Case:

Plaintiff No. 2, claiming to be a marfatdar of the family deity, filed a suit for a declaration of her 4 annas share in the sebayati right of the deity, partition of the sebayati interest, framing of a scheme for proper management, setting aside alienations of devottar properties, recovery of possession of alienated properties, accounts of deity's properties, injunction against further alienations, and costs.

Finding of the Court:

1. The dedication made in favor of the deity is absolute, and the properties are absolute devottar properties. 2. Plaintiff No. 2 has no right, title, or interest over the deity's sebayati right as her father alienated the same under Ext. 1. 3. Plaintiff No. 2, being a female member of the founders' family, has an interest in the worship and maintenance of the deity and can challenge alienations of deity's properties. 4. Defendants 1 and 3 are the real sebayats, but the claim of defendant No. 3 to be the sole trustee is left open for a properly constituted suit. 5. Alienations by defendants 2 and 3 of deity's properties under Exts. 2, 2/b, and 2/e are invalid and must be set aside. 6. Evidence of mismanagement by defendant No. 3 is vague, and the question of framing a scheme does not arise.

Issues: 1. Whether plaintiff No. 2 has locus standi to file the suit on behalf of the deity. 2. Whether the alienations of deity's properties were valid. 3. Whether mismanagement by defendant No. 3 has been established. 4. Whether a scheme for the proper management of the deity's affairs can be framed.

Ratio Decidendi: 1. A female member of the founder's family has an interest in the worship and maintenance of the deity and can challenge alienations of deity's properties. 2. Alienations of deity's properties without necessity and for the personal benefit of the sebayat are invalid and can be set aside. 3. Mismanagement by the sebayat can be established through evidence of improper performance of daily and periodical Nities, discontinuation of festive occasions, and failure to maintain accounts. 4. A scheme for the proper management of a private devottar can be framed by a civil court at the instance of interested parties in case of mismanagement or breach of trust by the managing trustee.

Final Decision: The appeal is allowed to the extent that defendant No. 3 is removed from the Sebaitship, and a proper scheme for the management of plaintiff No. 1 and its endowment is to be framed by the Subordinate Judge in consultation with plaintiff No. 2 and defendants Nos. 1 to 6.

J. K. MOHANTY, J.

( 1 ) PLAINTIFFS, whose suit has been decreed in part by the Subordinate Judge, Puri in O. S. No. 4/61 of 1969/66 (I), have preferred this appeal against that part of the decree which has gone against them.

( 2 ) PLAINTIFF No. 2 Parbati Dei claiming herself as a marfatdar of the family deity sri Radhamohan Dev (Plaintiff No. 1) filed the suit for giving her 4 annas share in the sebayati right of plaintiff No. 1; for partition of the sebayati interest of herself and of defendants Nos. 1 to 6 or, in the alternative, for joint possession of all the deity's properties described in Schedules 'a' and 'b' of the plaint; for framing of a scheme for the proper management of the affairs of plaintiff No. 1 by allowing each of the sebayats to have his term in proportion to his right over the endowed properties; for setting aside the alienations of the devottar properties effected by defendants Nos. 2 and 3 in favour of defendants Nos. 7 to 9 which are described in schedule 'c' of the plaint; for recovery of possession of the properties described in Schedule 'c' of the plaint; for a direction to defendant No. 3 to furnish accounts of the deity's properties from the date of his management i. e. 30-8-63 till the date of filing of the suit; for awarding costs of the suit; and for an injunction against defendant No. 3 not to alienate any of the deity's properties.

( 3 ) THE case as disclosed from the plaint is as follows: Plaintiff No. 1 is the family deity of plaintiff No. 2 and defendants Nos. 1 to 6. Plaintiff No. 2 is the daughter of late Bharat Naik, who was one of the founders of the deity. Bharat naik's son is Nabakishore (defendant No. 1 ). Bharat Naik's brother was babajee. Babajee's two sons are Biswanath (defendant No. 3) and Kasinath (defendant No. 2) and two daughters are Nilamani (defendant No. 5) and ujyolmani (defendant No. 6 ). Defendant No. 4 Radhamani is the widow of babajee. Bharat and Babajee continued to live jointly after the death of their father Brundaban Naik. They by their industry and perseverance acquired huge landed properties which were their secular properties. As they were men of religious temperament, they installed plaintiff No. 1 as the family deity and purchased large extent of immovable properties in the name of plaintiff No. 1. They also acquired huge moveable properties for the use of the deity and dedicated both moveable and immovable properties to plaintiff No. 1 which are fully described in Schedules 'a' and 'b' of the plaint and Schedule 'a' properties stood recorded in the revenue papers and municipal records in the name of plaintiff No. 1. After the death of Bharat Naik in 1960, defendant No. 1 and babajee and his sons, effected partition of their secular properties by a deed dated 30-8-63. But at the time of partition, plaintiff No, 2 was not given any share nor she was consulted. On her demand for a share, defendant No. 1 agreed and executed a deed of partition in her favour on 28-3-66. Hence she (plaintiff No. 2) got her due share from the family properties which were secular in character. Bharat and Babaji, who were the founders of plaintiff No. 1, continued to exercise the right of sebayats of the deity till their death. During the lifetime of Bharat and Babaji, as they became old and unable to manage the affairs of the deity and the endowed properties, they on 26-12-57/16-1-58 executed a registered deed (Ext. 1) in favour of defendants 1 and 3 for the management of the endowed properties and the affairs of the deity. The said document was only a power of attorney and by that the founders did not cease to have any interest as sebayats over the deity's affairs. As both the founders continued to be the sebayats of the deity till their death, the plaintiff No. 2 is entitled to succeed to the sebayati right of her father and as such she had 4 annas interest in the sebayati right of the family deity. After the death of bharat, on 30-8-1963 Babajee and defendants 1 and 2 execute




























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