Allahbad High Court
M.P.MEHROTRA
Hari Shankar - Appellant
Versus
Durga Devi - Respondent
Decided On : 03/31/1977
COMPROMISE DECREE - REGISTRATION - NOT REQUIRED - DEDICATION OF PROPERTY TO DEITY - VESTED RIGHT - ENJOYMENT POSTPONED TILL DEATH OF LIFE TENANT - NO FURTHER DOCUMENT NEEDED.
Fact of the Case:
Plaintiff deity sued for a declaration of ownership of house No. 211, Faithful Ganj, Kanpur, based on a compromise decree in suit No. 28 of 1933, which dedicated the property to the deity after the death of Smt. Rukmani Kunwar. The defendants, claiming to be bona fide purchasers, contested the suit, arguing that the compromise decree was inadmissible due to lack of registration and that Smt. Rukmani Kunwar had acquired absolute title by adverse possession.
Finding of the Court:
The court held that the compromise decree did not require registration as it was saved from the necessity of registration under clause (vi) of sub-section (2) of S. 17 of the Registration Act, 1908, since the immoveable property was the subject-matter of the suit in which the compromise was arrived at. The court also held that the compromise decree created a vested right in the deity and that no further document was needed after the death of Smt. Rukmani Kunwar to vest the property in the deity.
Issues: 1. Whether the compromise decree in suit No. 28 of 1933 required registration? 2. Whether the compromise decree created a vested right in the deity? 3. Whether a further document was needed after the death of Smt. Rukmani Kunwar to vest the property in the deity?
Ratio Decidendi: 1. Clause (vi) of sub-section (2) of S. 17 of the Registration Act, 1908, exempts decrees or orders of a court made on a compromise between the parties and comprising immoveable properties from the requirement of registration, provided that the immoveable property is the subject-matter of the suit or proceeding. 2. A compromise decree that dedicates property to a deity creates a vested right in the deity, even if the enjoyment and management of the property is postponed till the death of a life tenant.
Final Decision: The appeal was dismissed with costs.
2. The brief facts are these:-
The deity sued as the plaintiff for a declaration that the deity was the owner of house No. 211, Faithful Ganj, Kanpur. One Pitamber Lal was the original owner of many properties including the one in dispute in the suit. He died some time in 1932 and on his death, dispute arose between various parties. One Raghubir Prasad claimed to be the adopted son of the said Pitamber Lal. Smt. Rukmani Kunwar was the widow and Newaji Lal was the brother of the said Pitamber Lal. Raghubir Prasad filed suit No. 28 of 1933 in the court of the Civil Judge, Kanpur, wherein Newaji Lal and Smt. Rukmani Kunwar were made defendants. There were certain other defendants also in the said suit. The prayer in the suit was that a declaration be granted that in terms of the will dated 17th September, 1932 of the said Pitamber Lal, the plaintiff Raghubir Prasad was the trustee in valid possession and management of the properties detailed at the foot of the plaint. In the alternative, the relief sought was that in case the aforesaid relief could not be granted to the plaintiff, then the latter was entitled to the said property as the validly adopted son of the said Pitamber Lal and that he was in possession of the said properties in the said capacity. Admittedly the property in dispute before me was one of the items of the properties detailed at the foot of the plaint. The said Suit No. 28 of 1933 was ultimately compromised and the said compromise was made the rule of the court. A certified copy of the compromise decree is Ext. 10 in the suit. Under the terms of the compromise, it was settled that house No. 87/167, Bhannapurwa would be the property of the plaintiff deity and the temple of the deity would be constructed therein and the deity would be installed in the temple and it was also agreed that certain amounts in deposit with the Punjab National Bank Limited belonging to Pitamber Lal were to be utilised for the said purpose. It was further stipulated that house No. 211, which is the subject-matter of dispute before us, was to be given to Smt. Rukmani Kunwar to remain in her possession during her lifetime but she was not given any power of alienation and on her death the property was to stand dedicated to the deity Durga Devi who was to be its owner. Certain trustees of the deity were appointed in terms of the compromise decree. The plaintiff deity alleged that the said compromise decree passed in suit No. 28 of 1933 was fully acted upon and the deity was installed with full religious ceremony in the aforesaid Bhannapurwa house after the temple had been constructed therein as stipulated in the compromise decree. It was stated that on 9th January, 1959, Smt. Rukmani Kunwar died and on her death, the deity became entitled to the possession of the said house which had been declared to be a Wakf property vesting in the deity after the death of Smt. Rukmani Kunwar by the aforesaid compromise decree passed in suit No. 28 of 1933. It was alleged that the defendants were questioning the plaintiffs title which they had no right to do and, therefore, it had became necessary for the plaintiff deity to seek a declaration of her title. The property happens to be in possession of the tenants who were sought to be pressurised by the defendants so that they did not pay the rent to the plaintiff deity.
3. The defendants contested the suit, inter alia, the defence was that Raghubir Prasad was not the adopted son of Pitamber Lal and the entire property of the latter was his self-acquired and on his death his widow Smt. Rukmani Kunwar succeeded to the properties of her husband. It was denied that there was any valid compromise arrived at in suit No. 28 of 1933 and the suit itself was alleged to be vexatious, frivolous and collusive. The compromise said to have been arrived at in suit No. 28 of 1933 was alleged to be
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