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2002 Supreme(All) 1817

IN THE HIGH COURT OF ALLAHABAD
B. K. Rathi, J.
DILIP KUMAR BAJAJ - Appellant
Versus
PRADEEP KUMAR BAJAJ - Respondents
Civil Revision 346 Of 1998
Decided On : 12/05/2002

Advocates Appeared:
KRISHNA MOHAN, P.SAHAI, PANKAJ MITTAL, PANKAJ NAQVI, R.P.SINHA, RAJESH KUMAR AGRAWAL

The main legal point established in the judgment is the importance of interpreting the Indian Trust Act and relevant case law in determining the applicability of its provisions to a private trust and the succession of trustees.

Headnote:

Indian Trust Act - Private Trust - Section 34 - Summary: The court revisited the provisions of the Indian Trust Act and the applicability of Section 34 to a private trust. It considered the succession of trustees and the validity of a registered Will appointing a sole trustee. The court referred to relevant case law to support its decision.

Fact of the Case:

The case involved a revision against the judgment granting permission to sell certain properties of a trust. The trust was created by a registered Will in 1914, and the respondent claimed to be appointed as the sole trustee by a registered Will in 1994.

Finding of the Court:

The court found that the provisions of the Indian Trust Act and the succession of trustees were crucial in determining the validity of the permission to sell the trust properties. It concluded that the order of the District Judge was not detailed enough and needed reconsideration.

Issues: The issues revolved around the applicability of the Indian Trust Act to a private trust, the succession of trustees, and the validity of the respondent's appointment as the sole trustee.

Ratio Decidendi: The court's decision was based on the interpretation of the Indian Trust Act, the succession of trustees as per relevant case law, and the need for a detailed consideration of the matter before granting permission to sell trust properties.

Final Decision: The revision was allowed, and the impugned order was quashed. The District Judge was directed to reconsider the matter in light of the court's observations.

B. K. RATHI, J.

( 1 ) THIS is a revision under Section 115, C. P. C. against the judgment and order dated 9. 7. 1998 passed by District Judge, Mirzapur in Misc. Case No. 8 of 1998 by which he granted permission to sell certain properties of the trust to the respondent.

( 2 ) THE trust was made by late Jamuna Das regarding his properties. He constructed a temple of dwarika Nathji also known as Dwarikadhish Ji in district Mirzapur, a dharmshala in Brindaban and other properties at Kanpur and Calcutta. The trust was created regarding all the above properties by registered Will dated 3. 2. 1914. According to the terms of the Will, Jamuna Das was to remain as trustee throughout his life, and thereafter, his only son Seth Rameshwar Das bajaj became trustee. Seth Rameshwar Das Bajaj also died on 12. 3. 1937. Thereafter, his son. Dwarika Prasad Bajaj, the father of the parties became the trustee. Both parties are sons of dwarika Prasad Bajaj. The respondent claimed that there was registered Will of Dwarika Prasad bajaj dated 22. 10. 1994 by which he was appointed managing trustee of the trust. He showed the need to sell certain properties of the trust and moved an application under Section 34 for permission to sell few properties. The learned District Judge considered the matter in detail and by the impugned order allowed the application in part and granted permission to sell certain properties, and rejected the same in part. Aggrieved by it, the present revision has been preferred.

( 3 ) I have heard Sri Pankaj Naqvi, learned counsel for the revisionist and Sri Krishna Murari. learned counsel for the respondent.

( 4 ) THE first argument of the learned counsel for the revisionist is that trust was a private trust and. therefore, the provisions of Indian Trust Act. 1882, does not apply to the present trust and application under Section 34 of the Act was not maintainable. The learned counsel has taken me through the trust deed, which has been created by Will dated 3. 2. 1914 of late Jamuna Das Bajaj. In the Will, he has mentioned that he had already given certain properties to Sri Dwarika Nath Ji and so that no body may interfere in the property given to Dwarika Nath Ji, he executed the Will. According to the Will after his death, his son Rameshwar Das Bajaj was to become the trustee and thereafter, his heirs. In the Will, he has referred to the temple as his own Thakurji and no outsider has been appointed in the trust to look after.

( 5 ) IT has, therefore, been argued that the contents of the Will shows that trust is private trust and the provisions of Section 34 of Indian Trust Act do not apply.

( 6 ) LEARNED counsel has also referred to Section 1 of the Indian Trust Act which provides that nothing herein contained affects the Rules of Mohammedan law as to waqf or the mutual relations of the members of an undivided family as determined by any customary or personal law. or applies to public or private religious or charitable endowments (emphasis given ). Therefore, it appears that trust in question is private trust and, therefore, the provisions of 34 of indian Trust Act do not apply. If it is so, the permission as granted under Section 34 appears to be without jurisdiction. This aspect of the matter was not at all considered by the Court below.

( 7 ) LEARNED counsel in support of the arguments has referred to the decision in the case of Lalta prasad v. Brahmanand and Ors. , AIR 1953 All 449, which is a Division Bench decision of this court. It was held that Indian Trust Act has no application to public or private religious or charitable endowment.

( 8 ) THE next argument of the learned counsel for the revisionist is that the respondent cannot be sole trustee. It is contended that according to Will of Seth Jamuna Das Bajaj by which the trust was created on 3. 2. 1914, till his death he remained sole trustee and after his death his son rameshwar Das Bajaj became trustee and thereafter his son Dwarika Prasad Bajaj became the trustee. It









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