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

2023 Supreme(Online)(Bom) 2737

HIGH COURT OF BOMBAY
SANDEEP V. MARNE, J
Baburao Shivputra Erandole – Appellant
Versus
Kumar Adwait Nikhil Erandole – Respondent
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION APPEAL FROM ORDER NO. 484 OF 2023 | APPEAL FROM ORDER NO.500 OF 2023



Advocates:
For the Appellants/Petitioners: Mr. A. M. Kulkarni
Mr. Tejas D. Deshmukh, Ms. Sulagna S. Mohanty, Ms. Kshema Mahuli, Mr. Anshuman Deshmukh
Mr. S.S. Patwardhan, Mr. Mrinal Shelar

A coparcener cannot seek temporary injunction against another coparcener in a joint Hindu family property dispute, as they have alternative legal remedies available.

Headnote:(A) Specific Relief Act, 1963 - Section 38 - Joint Hindu Family - Temporary injunction granted by the Trial Court in a suit for partition held debatable; a coparcener cannot seek injunctive relief against another coparcener. (Paras 8, 13, 15)

(B) Appeals allowed - Blanket injunction set aside - Defendants restrained from creating third-party interests in specific property only. (Paras 17, 19)

Facts of the case:
Appeals are against the grant of temporary injunction restraining Defendants from alienating joint family properties during the suit. Key contention involves rights over the properties following the release of rights by sisters.

Findings of Court:
Temporary injunction granted by the Trial Court was found erroneous since a coparcener has sufficient rights to seek partition without an injunction. The court upheld the appeal for modifying the injunction to only apply to specific property.

Issues: The court addressed whether a coparcener could seek an injunction against another coparcener and the impact of prior sales on the claims of the minor plaintiff.

Ratio Decidendi: Injunctions cannot be issued against coparceners as they have effective remedies for protecting their interests; blanket injunctions were deemed inappropriate.

Result: The appeals succeed and the interim injunction is modified.

Table of Content
1. temp injunction against alienation (Para 1)
2. claims over joint family properties (Para 2 , 3 , 6)
3. contentions of non-linking family disputes (Para 4 , 5)
4. debates on claims and counterclaims (Para 7 , 13 , 15)
5. legal understanding of coparcener rights (Para 8 , 11 , 12)

JUDGMENT

1. Challenge in the present appeals is to the order dated 4th February 2022 passed by learned 3rd Joint Civil Judge Senior Division, Sangli allowing application at Exhibit-5 for grant of temporary injunction. By its order, the Trial Court has restrained the Defendants from creating third party rights or changing nature of the suit property during pendency of the suit.

2. Plaintiff No. 2 is the estranged wife of Defendant No.1. Plaintiff No.1 is her son, who was aged 5 years on the date of filing of the suit. Plaintiffs have filed Special Civil Suit No.387 of 2021 in the Court of Civil Judge, Senior Division, Sangli for partition of the suit properties. As per the family tree pointed out in para 2 of the plaint, Babu had 6 children - two sons named Shivputra and Siddhappa and four daughters. After death of Babu, the suit property would have devolved on the two sons and 4 daughters. However, it appears that the 4 daughters have executed Release Deed releasing their rights in respect of the suit properties. It is Plaintiff’s case that on account of release of rights by 4 sisters, the two brothers Shivputra and Siddhappa are entitled to ½ share each in the suit property. As per the family tree, Shivputra has three sons and Siddhappa has one son. Siddhappa’s son Nikhil is the husband of the Plaintiff No.2- Shubhangi. Plaintiff No.1-Adwait is son of Nikhil and Shubhangi. This is how, Plaintiff Shubhangi claims 1/6th share of Adwait in the suit properties. It appears that some of the suit properties have been transferred in favour of various purchasers (Defendant Nos.7 to 23) from time to time. Therefore, in addition to seeking partition of the suit properties by impleading Nikhil, his father Siddhappa as well as the entire branch of Shivputra, Plaintiffs have also challenged various sale deeds executed in favour of Defendant Nos.7 to 23. In that suit, Plaintiff filed Application at Exhibit-5 seeking temporary injunction. It appears that she additionally filed application at Exhibit-92 seeking status-quo in respect of the suit properties. The Trial Court has passed order dated 4th February 2022 granting temporary injunction in favour of Plaintiff restraining all the Defendants, from selling or creating any third party rights or changing nature of suit property during pendency of the suit. Defendant No.2 Siddhappa is aggrieved by the decision of the Trial Court and has instituted Appeal from Order No.500 of 2023. Similarly, the branch of Shivputra is also aggrieved by the decision of the Trial Court and they have instituted Appeal from Order No. 484 of 2023. Both the Appeals are taken up for hearing together.

3. Mr. Kulkarni would appear on behalf of the Appellant - Siddhappa in Appeal from Order No.500 of 2023. He would draw my attention to the written statement filed by the Defendant No.2-Siddhappa denying existence of joint Hindu family. He has contended that the suit properties have been inherited by Siddhappa towards his hereditary rights from late Babu Erandole. That during the lifetime of Defendant No.2-Siddhappa, no right is yet created in favour of Defendant No.1-Nikhil. That therefore there is no question of his grandson (Plaintiff No.1) seeking partition of the suit properties. Mr. Kulkarni would further submit that, in any case, release of rights of their respective shares by sisters in Siddhappa’s favour by execution of release deeds, make those shares self-acquired property of Siddhappa, in which his son or grandson cannot claim any right. That such release is not executed by the sisters in favour of son- Nikhil or grandson-Adwait. Therefore neither Nikhil nor Adwait would have any right in those shares relinquished in Siddhap

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