2023 Supreme(Online)(KAR) 16732
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NC: 2023:KHC-K:5774
RSA No. 200126 of 2019
IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA
KALABURAGI BENCH
DATED THIS THE 25TH DAY OF JULY, 2023
BEFORE
THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE N.S.SANJAY GOWDA
REGULAR SECOND APPEAL NO. 200126 OF 2019 (PAR)
BETWEEN:
1.
SUVARNA W/O LATE SANGAPPA
AGE: 36 YEARS, OCC: HOUSEHOLD,
R/O BALABATTI VILLAGE,
TQ. JEWERGI
DIST : KALABURAGI-585309.
2.
SRI SHARNAPPA S/O LATE SANGAPPA
AGE: 18 YEARS, OCC: AGRICULTURE,
R/O BALABATTI VILLAGE,
TQ. JEWERGI,
DIST : KALABURAGI-585309
3.
KUMARI ROHINI D/O LATE SANGAPPA
AGE: 16 YEARS, OCC: AGRICULTURE,
R/O BALABATTI VILLAGE,
TQ. JEWERGI,
DIST : KALABURAGI-585309
4.
ASHWINI D/O LATE SANGAPPA
AGE: 14 YEARS, OCC: AGRICULTURE,
R/O BALABATTI VILLAGE,
TQ. JEWERGI,
DIST : KALABURAGI-585309
5.
KUMAR S/O LATE SANGAPPA
AGE: 12 YEARS, OCC: AGRICULTURE,
R/O BALABATTI VILLAGE,
Digitally signed
by SACHIN
Location: HIGH
COURT OF
KARNATAKA
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NC: 2023:KHC-K:5774
RSA No. 200126 of 2019
TQ. JEWERGI,
DIST : KALABURAGI-585309
…APPELLANTS
(BY SRI AMEET HATTI, ADVOCATE FOR
SRI GANESH S. KALBURGI, ADVOCATE)
AND:
1.
SMT. SHARNAMMA W/O LATE BASAVARAJ,
(D/O LATE PARUTAPPA),
AGED ABOUT 46 YEARS,
OCC: HOUSEHOLD/AGRICULTURE,
R/O BALBATTI VILLAGE, TQ. JEWERGI &
DIST : KALABURAGI-585309
2.
SMT. BASAMMA W/O ERANNA
(D/O LATE PARUTAPPA),
AGED ABOUT: 40 YEARS,
OCC: HOUSEHOLD/AGRICULTURE,
R/O HEGGANDODDI VILLAGE,
TQ. SHORAPUR
DIST : YADGIRI-585201
3.
SMT. DANAMMA W/O LATE CHANDRAKANT
(D/O LATE PARUTAPPA),
AGED ABOUT 36 YEARS,
OCC: HOUSEHOLD/AGRICULTURE,
R/O RATKAL VILLAGE, TQ. AFZALPUR &
DIST: KALABURAGI-585322
4.
MAHADEVI W/O LATE PARUTAPPA
AGED ABOUT 66 YEARS,
OCC: HOUSEHOLD & AGRICULTURE
R/O BALBATTI VILLAGE, TQ. JEWARGI
DIST : KALABURAGI-585309
5.
SRI. GURUNATH S/O LATE PARUTAPPA
AGED ABOUT 38 YEARS,
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NC: 2023:KHC-K:5774
RSA No. 200126 of 2019
OCC: AGRICULTURE, R/O BALBATTI
VILLAGE, TQ. JEWERGI &
DIST: KALABURAGI-585309
6.
SMT. SHIVUBAI W/O AMBRESH
(D/O LATE PARUTAPPA),
AGED ABOUT: 34 YEARS,
OCC: HOUSEHOLD/AGRICULTURE,
R/O TUMBAGI VILLAGE,
TALUKA-MUDDEBIHAL,
DIST : VIJAYAPURA-586214
7.
SMT. SAVITRI W/O RAMANGOUDA
(D/O LATE PARUTAPPA),
AGED ABOUT: 32 YEARS,
OCC: HOUSEHOLD/AGRICULTURE,
R/O TUMBAGI VILLAGE,
TALUKA-MUDDEBIHAL,
DIST : VIJAYAPURA-586214
8.
SMT. VIJAYALAXMI
W/O LATE SOMSHEKAR MAGADAL
(D/O LATE PARUTAPPA),
AGED ABOUT 44 YEARS,
OCC: HOUSEHOLD/AGRICULTURE,
R/O ASKI VILLAGE, TALUKA-SINDAGI,
DIST : VIJAYAPURA-586118
…RESPONDENTS
(BY SRI DEEPAK V. BARAD, ADVOCATE FOR R1 TO R3 &R5 to R7;
NOTICE TO R4 IS ORDERED AS UNNECESSARY;
NOTICE TO R8 SERVED)
THIS RSA IS FILED UNDER SECTION 100 CPC, PRAYING
TO ALLOW THIS APPEAL AND SET ASIDE THE JUDGMENT AND
DECREE DATED 21.12.2018 PASSED IN R.A.NO.06/2018 ON
THE FILE OF THE SENIOR CIVIL JUDGE & JMFC, AT JEWARGI,
MODIFYING THE JUDGMENT AND DECREE DATED 27.01.2018
PASSED IN O.S.NO.99/2013 ON THE FILE OF THE CIVIL JUDGE
& JMFC, JEWARGI, AND TO PASS ANY OTHER APPROPRIATE
ORDERS.
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NC: 2023:KHC-K:5774
RSA No. 200126 of 2019
THIS APPEAL, COMING ON FOR ADMISSION, THIS DAY,
THE COURT DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING:
This second appeal is by Sangapa’s wife Suvarna and
her five children who were defendant Nos.2 to 7 in the
suit.
Sharanamma, Vijayalaxmi, Basamma and Danamma
the four daughters of Parutappa and Mahadevi, instituted
a suit against their sister-in-law Suvarna and her five
children
and
also
against
their
brother
Gurunath
(defendant No.8) and two sisters Shivubai and Savitri
seeking for partition in respect of land bearing Sy.Nos.26
and 25, apart from a house property and an open plot.
They contended that the suit properties were joint
family properties and their father Parutappa had acquired
the same in the year 1975-76 and on his death, they had
succeeded to the same and were enjoying the property
jointly. It was stated that their brother Sangappa had
nominally got mutated his name in respect of half the
portion of the suit property (B) and the remaining half was
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mutated in favour of the other brother Gurunath. It was
stated that on the death of Parutappa, since they had
succeeded to the same equally, they were entitled to an
equal share.
The suit was contested by their sister-in-law Suvarna
(defendant No.2) and her children. In the written
statement filed by Suvarna, the relationship was admitted.
It was stated that the suit A and B properties land bearing
Sy.No.26 and 25 were the self-acquired properties of the
deceased Parutappa.
It was stated that during the life time of Parutappa,
there was a partition between Parutappa her father-in-law
and her husband and in the partition, 4 acres 25 guntas of
B schedule properties had fallen to the share of her father-
in-law Parutappa and the remaining extent of 4 acres 29
guntas had fallen to her husband’s share. It was stated
that after the death of her husband, her name had been
mutated in the records. It was also stated that suit item
No.A schedule properties had been mutated in the name of
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her mother-in-law Mahadevi and since the marriage of the
daughters of Partutappa had been celebrated a huge
expense, they were not entitled to claim any share in the
suit properties which were the self-acquired properties of
Parutappa.
Their brother Gurunath, their mother Mahadevi
(defendant No.1) and sister Savitri did not contest the
proceedings. Shivubai the other sister (defendant No.9)
consented.
The Trial Court on consideration of the evidence,
came to the conclusion that the four sisters had proved
that the suit properties were ancestral properties.
The Trial Court, on consideration of the evidence,
came to the conclusion that four sisters had proved that
the suit properties were ancestral properties and joint
family properties and they were entitled to 1/27th share
each in item Nos.A and B of suit properties and her sister-
in-law and her children were entitled to 10/27th share. It
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also held that Gurunath, their brother, was also entitled to
10/27th share. In granting the said shares, the Trial Court
applied the theory of notional partition and effected a
notional
partition
between
Parutappa,
Suvarna
and
Gurunath.
9.
Being aggrieved, the four sisters preferred an appeal.
10.
The Appellate Court, on re-appreciation of the
evidence proceeded to come to the conclusion that the
theory of notional partition could not be applied and came
to the conclusion that the daughters were entitled to an
equal share and proceeded to grant all the children of
Parutappa an equal share.
11.
The Appellate Court granted 1/9th share to each of
the children and also 1/9th share to the widow of
Parutappa i.e., Mahadevi (defendant No.1).
12.
It is against these concurrent judgments, the present
second appeal has been preferred.
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13.
Learned counsel for the appellant, who appears for
Suvarna and her children, contended that the Trial Court
could not have decreed the suit in the light of the clear
evidence which established that in a partition, half the
property had been granted to Sangappa, the husband and
father of defendants No.2 to 7. He submitted that the
evidence on