A.S.4 OF 20151
SCJ, BOBBILI
IN THE COURT OF THE SENIOR CIVIL JUDGE: BOBBILI
Present: Sri T.VASUDEVAN,
Senior Civil judge, Bobbili
Tuesday, this the 2nd day of April, 2024
APPEAL SUIT No. 4 of 2015
Between:
Tentu Adinarayana, S/o late Narisimhulu @ Narasnnaidu, aged 53 years, Cultivation, residing at Mallampeta Village, Bobbili Mandal, Vizianagaram District.
... Appellant/Plaintif
And:
1.Tentu Appalaswamy, S/o late Narisimhulu @ Narasnnaidu, aged 70 years, Cultivation, residing at Mallammapeta Village, Bobbili Mandal, Vizianagaram District.
2. Tentu Seetham Naidu, S/o late Narisimhulu @ Narasnnaidu, aged 68 years, retired Gangmen, residing at Mallammapeta Village, Bobbili Mandal, Vizianagaram District.
3. Tentu Suridamma, W/o late Raminaidu, aged 60 years, residing at Mallammapeta Village, Bobbili Mandal, Vizianagaram District.
4. Tentu Tirupathi Rao, S/o late Raminaidu, aged 35 years, residing at Mallammapeta Village, Bobbili Mandal, Vizianagaram District.
5. Tentu Narasinga Rao, S/o late Raminaidu, aged 32 years, residing at Mallammapeta Village, Bobbili Mandal, Vizianagaram District.
6. Tentu Gopalam, S/o late Narisimhulu @ Narasnnaidu, aged 60 years, residing at Mallammapeta Village, Bobbili Mandal Vizianagaram District.
7. Karri Srinu, S/o Gopalam, aged 40 years, residing at Mallammapeta Village, Bobbili Mandal, Vizianagaram District.
(R.8 to R.10 are added as per orders in I.A. 698/2015, dt. 21.06.2016)
A.S.4 OF 20152
SCJ, BOBBILI
8. Tentu Appalanarasamma, W/o late Gopalam, aged 50 years, residing at Mallammapeta Village, Bobbili Mandalam, Vizianagaram District.
9. Tentu Venu, S/o late Gopalam, aged 30 years, residing at Mallammapeta Village, Bobbili Mandal, Vizianagaram District.
10. Tentu Sankara Rao, S/o late Gopalam, aged 25 years, residing at Mallammapeta Village, Bobbili Mandal, Vizianagaram District.
11. Tentu Krishnamma, W/o Appalaswamy, aged 55 years, residing at Mallammapeta Village, Bobbili Mandal, Vizianagaram District.
12. Tentu Venkateswara Rao, S/o late Appalaswamy, aged 55 years, residing at Mallammapeta Village,Bobbili Mandal,Vizianagaram District.
13. Tentu Janardhana Ramakrishna Rao, S/o late Appalaswamy, aged 49 years, residing at Near RTC Complex, Parvathipuram.
14. Chandana Jayalaxmi, W/o Srinivasa Rao, aged 45 years, residing at College Road, Bobbili.
(R.11 to R.14 are added as per orders in I.A. 311/2019, dt. 12.11.2020)
15. Tentu Srinivasa Rao, S/o late Seetamnaidu, aged 55 years, Employee, Mechanic, Railway Department, Visakhapatnam.
16. Tentu Tavitinaidu, S/o late Seetamnaidu, aged 50 years,Employee, Sakshi Paper, Chodavaram, Anakapalli, Visakhapatnam District
17. Maradana Uma, W/o Ramakrishna, aged 45 years, Railway Department, Puri, Orissa State.
(R.15 and R.17 are added as per orders in I.A. 281/2022, dt. 14.07.2022)Legal heirs of Respondent No.2
...... Respondents/Defendants
A.S.4 OF 20153
SCJ, BOBBILI
ON APPEAL AGAINST THE DECREE AND JUDGMENT IN
O.S. 231 of 2009 DATED 25.03.2015 ON THE FILE OF THE
PRINCIPAL JUNIOR CIVIL JUDGE’S COURT, BOBBILI
Between:
Tentu Adinarayana, S/o late Narisimhulu @ Narasnnaidu, aged 53 years, Cultivation, residing at Mallampeta Village, Bobbili Mandal, Vizianagaram District.
... Plaintif
And:
1.Tentu Appalaswamy, S/o late Narisimhulu @ Narasnnaidu, aged 70 years, Cultivation, residing at Mallammapeta Village, Bobbili Mandal, Vizianagaram District.
2. Tentu Seetham Naidu, S/o late Narisimhulu @ Narasnnaidu, aged 68 years, retired Gangmen, residing at Mallammapeta Village, Bobbili Mandal, Vizianagaram District.
3. Tentu Suridamma, W/o late Raminaidu, aged 60 years, residing at Mallammapeta Village, Bobbili Mandal, Vizianagaram District.
4. Tentu Tirupathi Rao, S/o late Raminaidu, aged 35 years, residing at Mallammapeta Village, Bobbili Mandal, Vizianagaram District.
5. Tentu Narasinga Rao, S/o late Raminaidu, aged 32 years, residing at Mallammapeta Village, Bobbili Mandal, Vizianagaram District.
6. Tentu Gopalam, S/o late Narisimhulu @ Narasnnaidu, aged 60 years, residing at Mallammapeta Village, Bobbili Mandal Vizianagaram District.
7. Karri Srinu, S/o Gopalam, aged 40 years, residing at Mallammapeta Village, Bobbili Mandal, Vizianagaram District.
(R.8 to R.10 are added as per orders in I.A. 698/2015, dt. 21.06.2016)
8. Tentu Appalanarasamma, W/o late Gopalam, aged 50 years, residing at Mallammapeta Village, Bobbili Mandalam, Vizianagaram District.
9. Tentu Venu, S/o late Gopalam, aged 30 years, residing at Mallammapeta Village, Bobbili Mandal, Vizianagaram District.
A.S.4 OF 20154
SCJ, BOBBILI
10. Tentu Sankara Rao, S/o late Gopalam, aged 25 years, residing at Mallammapeta Village, Bobbili Mandal, Vizianagaram District.
11. Tentu Krishnamma, W/o Appalaswamy, aged 55 years, residing at Mallammapeta Village, Bobbili Mandal, Vizianagaram District.
12. Tentu Venkateswara Rao, S/o late Appalaswamy, aged 55 years, residing at Mallammapeta Village,Bobbili Mandal,Vizianagaram District.
13. Tentu Janardhana Ramakrishna Rao, S/o late Appalaswamy, aged 49 years, residing at Near RTC Complex, Parvathipuram.
14. Chandana Jayalaxmi, W/o Srinivasa Rao, aged 45 years, residing at College Road, Bobbili.
(R.11 to R.14 are added as per orders in I.A. 311/2019, dt. 12.11.2020)
15. Tentu Srinivasa Rao, S/o late Seetamnaidu, aged 55 years, Employee, Mechanic, Railway Department, Visakhapatnam.
16. Tentu Tavitinaidu, S/o late Seetamnaidu, aged 50 years,Employee, Sakshi Paper, Chodavaram, Anakapalli, Visakhapatnam District
17. Maradana Uma, W/o Ramakrishna, aged 45 years, Railway Department, Puri, Orissa State.
(R.15 and R.17 are added as per orders in I.A. 281/2022, dt. 14.07.2022)Legal heirs of Respondent No.2
...... Defendants
This appeal coming on 20.02.2024 for final hearing before me in the presence of Sri K. Prasada Rao, Advocate for the Appellant and of Sri C.
Suryanarayana, Advocate for the Respondent No.7 and all others Re- spondents No.1 to 6, 8 to 17 remained exparte and having stood over for consideration to this date (Reserved), this Court passed the following:
A.S.4 OF 20155
SCJ, BOBBILI
J U D G M E N T
1. This appeal is directed against the decree and judgment dated 25.03.2015 in OS 231 of 2009 on the file of the learned Principal Junior
Civil Judge’s Court, Bobbili whereby and where-under, the learned Prin-
cipal Junior CivilJudge, Bobbili, dismissed the suit against the plaintiff re- fusing to divide the suit properties for partition and separate possession.
2. Aggrieved by the dismissal the suit, the unsuccessful Ap- pellant/plaintiff approached this court by way of filing of this appeal. For the sake of convenience, and brevity, hereinafter, the parties will be re- ferred as per their array in the suit before the learned trial Court. third son of late Narassamnaidu viz., Raminaidu died at about 5 years back to the suit thereby, his legal representatives / heirs i.e., wife and children had been added as defendant No. 3 to5 in this suit.
3. CASE OF THE PLAINTIFF IN BRIEF IS THAT :-
(a) Suit schedule properties consists 10 (ten) item of properties in various Survey numbers situated in Mallampeta Village of Bobbili Mandal and all are Wet and Dry lands with different extents and these are origi- nally belongs to the ancestors of one Tentu Narasimhulu @ Narasima
Naidu S/o Gopi Naidu of Mallampeta Village. Said Tentu Narasimhulu got five sons viz., Tentu Appalaswamy/ defendant No.1, Tentu Seetam Naidu /
A.S.4 OF 20156
SCJ, BOBBILI
defendant No.2, late Tentu Raminaidu/husband of defendant No.3, Tentu
Gopalam / defendant No.6 and TentuAdinarayana / plaintiff and all these father and sons being undivided joint family kept suit properties as joint family properties under joint cultivation by keeping in the hands of Tentu
Narasimhulu and after his demise who died about 20 years back to this suit, the plaintiff and defendants together got possession of these lands and enjoying with joint possession.
(b) Plaintiff further stated that defendant No.2 Tentu Seetamnaidu used to manage all these suit properties by acting as Kartha by sharing the agricultural products and income from and out of the suit properties among the sharers but for the past one year to this suit this defendant
No.2 started to act prejudicial to the interest of the plaintiff, therefore, plaintiff by coming to a conclusion that it may not be just to keep the prop- erties jointly in the management of defendant No.2, requested and de- manded the other sharers i.e., defendants to divide the suit properties into equal shares and to allot the share of plaintiff with metes and bounds by delivering its possession. Defendants having admitted the obligation, failed to make division of properties and further plaintiff came to knew that defendants 1 to 6 also mortgaged item No.1 of suit property to defen- dant No.7,therefore, plaintiff added defendant No.7 in this suit and got filed this suit praying the Court to divide the suit property into five (5) equal shares and to allot one (1) of those shares to him with metes and bounds.
A.S.4 OF 20157
SCJ, BOBBILI
4. PLEA OF THE DEFENDANTS IS THAT :-
(a) Defendant No. 2 filed his written statement by admitting the a relationship between the parties as stated by the plaintiff as well as the status of defendant No.7 as purchaser of item No.1 of suit schedule prop- erty but denied other averments. This defendant further pleaded that around 30 years back to this suit while their father Tentu Narasimhulu was alive, their father Tentu Narasimhulu and his children including the plain- tiff got divided the suit properties with metes and bounds by considering the fertility of land and in that oral partition item No.2,3,7 and 8 of suit properties herein were given to defendant No.2 whereas the item No.1, 5, 6 and 9 had been allotted to late Tentu Raminaidu who is representing by defendant No. 3 to 5 herein, thereby, the defendants could able to sell away item No.1 of suit property to one Karri Srinu S/o Gopala Rao / defen- dant No. 7 and item No.4 of suit property had been allotted to defendant
No.6 later, he sold away the same to one Tentu Taviti Naidu an employee in A.P. Residential School, at Bobbili and that Taviti Naidu raised Neelagiri
Plantation within his land purchased and those plants are raised about 5 years as on the date of this suit as well as item No.10 of suit property was allotted to defendant No.1 apart from giving Acre 0.15 cents of Wet land and Acre 1.25 cents of Dry land in Gollapalli Revenue village in total
Acre1.40 cents of land towards the share of plaintiff herein, therefore, all the sharers /heir of late Tentu Narasimhulu got divided the suit properties around 30 years back to this suit and plaintiff also got Acre 1.40 cents of land in that partition, received it possession and enjoying it independently
A.S.4 OF 20158
SCJ, BOBBILI
and separately.
(b)This defendant further pleaded that revenue authorities recog- nized the continuous and long possession of respective shares of land by plaintiffs and defendants as well as their oral partition and allotment of lands item No.1 to 10 shown in the schedule thereby, mutated all revenue records by entering the details of share of properties got by parties to this suit and issued pattadar passbooks separately, hence, there is no jointness of property as pleaded by plaintiff as on the date of instituting this suit, since these properties were got divided as partition around 30 years back to this suit and the plaintiff having received his share of property Acre 1.40 cents of land, knowing that he is not entitled more than that extent, by suppressing these facts, which are material in nature got filed this suit to gain wrongfully and to harass the defendants and further plaintiff also sold some e4.xtent of land fell to his share to one Tentu Taviti Naidu / an employee as referred above and that Tentu Taviti Naidu is the man behind this litigation, therefore, prayed to these circumstances and sought to dis- miss the suit.
(c)Defendant No.7 Karri Srinu filed his written statement stating that he purchased item No.1 of suit schedule property from the husband of defendant No.3 at about 5 years back for lawful cash consideration, ob- tained unregistered sale deed but that deed was lost at about 5 years back. This defendant further pleaded that from the date of purchase, this defendant No. 7 is in possession and enjoyment of land in Survey Number
A.S.4 OF 20159
SCJ, BOBBILI
of 269/12 an extent of Acre0.13 cents i.e, item No.1 of suit property and this sale was done by the husband of10defendant No.3 after partition of his ancestral property with his brother and as it was fell to the share of the husband of defendant No.3 Raminaidu, therefore,plaintiff cannot seek divi- sion of this item No.1 of suit property, therefore, prayed to consider these circumstances to dismiss the suit in respect of item No.1 of suit property.
5. ISSUES:-
Basing on the plea of parties in plaint and written statement as well as upon hearing and on verification of documents, the learned trial court framed following issues for trial and adjudication :-
1. Whether the plaint schedule property is an ancestral property?
2. Whether the Plaintif and defendants have
been enjoying plaint schedule property as joint
family property?
3. Whether the plaint schedule properties shall be partitioned into five (5) equal shares?
4. Whether the plaintif is entitled for one (1) of
those shares of plaint schedule property and
for its allotment with metes and bounds?
5. Whether the plaintif is entitled for any mesne profits?
A.S.4 OF 201510
SCJ, BOBBILI
6. Whether the Court Fee paid by the plaintif is correct?
7. To what relief?
6. EVIDENCE:
During the trial, before the learned trial court, in order to discharge his initial burden and to prove that he is entitled for the relief of partition of suit properties as prayed, the plaintiff Tentu Adinarayana himself de- posed as P.W.1 by exhibiting Ex.A.1 document i.e., Basic Valuation Slip of suit properties. Plaintiff further examined one Pola Simhachalam as PW2 apart from summoning and examining the representative Tahsildar, Bobbili i.e., K. Brahmanandachari as PW3 and this witness No.3 produced Ex.X.1
Certified Copy of Fair Copy of Adangal duly attested by the Tahsildar, Bob- bili as Ex.X.1. Defendants to substantiate their plea, defendant No.2 Tentu
Seetam Naidu deposed as DW1 and further examined one Nidiganti Ban- dayya as DW3 by producing Ex.B.1 to Ex.B.14 documents. These defen- dants though filed evidence in chief of one Pola Srinivas Rao as DW2, sub- sequently his evidence in chief was withdrawn, thereby eschewed.
7. FINDING OF TRIAL COURT:
After hearing both sides and on considering the entire evidence as referred above, the learned Principal Junior Civil Judge, Bobbili DIS-
MISSED THE SUIT WITH NO COSTS against the plaintiff by coming to a conclusion that the case of plaintiff not appears to be probable and reli-
A.S.4 OF 201511
SCJ, BOBBILI
able than the plea of defendants.
8. GROUNDS OF APPEAL:
Aggrieved by the dismissal of suit, the unsuccessful plaintiff / Appel- lant here in, preferred this appeal with the following grounds:
1. The Trial Court ought to have decree the suit instead of dismissal and erroneously came to a conclusion that the plaintiff failed in establishing his case.
2. The Trail Court ought to have consider entries in Ex.B.1 to
Ex.B.3 and Ex.B.10 to Ex.B.14 which does not contain the name of appellant in order to satisfy that there was partition but erroneously dismissed the suit.
3. The Trail Court failed in considering the evidence of PW1 in total but based on admission of plaintiff as PW1 about his possession of ancestral property to the extent of Acre 1.70 cents or Acre 2.00 cents, came to an erroneous conclusion.
4. The Trail Court failed in considering the admissions of DW1 and DW2 in their cross examination which favours the plaintiff/ appellant but dismissed the suit wrongly.
5. The Trail Court failed to consider the oral evidence and documentary evidence produced by defendants in a proper manner.
A.S.4 OF 201512
SCJ, BOBBILI
6. The Trail Court wrongly considered entries in Ex.B.1 to Ex.B.14 documents though it does not discloses property received by partition but relied and erroneously dismissed the suit.
09. ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE:
No additional evidence produced by both parties except advanc- ing arguments. Considered the arguments.
10. ARGUMENT IN APPEAL:
(a) Learned counsel for the appellant/ plaintiff submitted that in spite of the best evidence placed by plaintiff to substantiate his plea, the learned trail court erroneously decided the issues framed, thereby, the suit was dismissed and it is evident from the admissions of DW1 and the en- tries made in the documents Ex.X.1 coupled with the admissions of PW3 representative of revenue department made it clear that there is no parti- tion of properties with metes and bounds in writing equally among the members of joint family by dividing their ancestral property / suit property, therefore, prayed to consider the circumstances and to decree the suit by setting aside the decree and Judgment of trial Court.
(b) Learned counsel for the respondents/defendants submitted that by considering oral evidence adduced and documentary evidence pro- duced,the learned trial court arrived to a just conclusion in accordance
A.S.4 OF 201513
SCJ, BOBBILI
with the Law and Principles of evidence, thereby, dismissed the suit. Un- der these circumstances, requires no interference into the trail court judg- ment , since the Judgment of trial court is well supported with good rea- sons for arriving conclusion in favour of against the appellants, therefore, prayed to dismiss the appeal.
11. POINTS FOR CONSIDERATION:
In view of the specific contentions raised by both the parties, the following simple points arises for consideration are:
1. Whether the defendants could able to satisfy
upon the earlier oral partition and whether it is
binding the plaintif ? If, so
2. Whether the plaintif / appellant accepted the share of property allotted to him? If, so
3. Whether the plaintif is entitled to seek divi- sion of properties again as prayed? If, so
4. Whether the Judgment of the Trial Court is not sustainable under Law as argued? If, so
5. Whether the plaintif / appellant is entitled for
division of properties into five (5) equal shares
and for allotment of one (1) of such shares to
him as prayed?
12) POINTS NO.1 TO 5 :-
It is the Law settled that in all suits for partition, the burden
A.S.4 OF 201514
SCJ, BOBBILI
is upon the plaintiffs who approached the court to prove that they are in joint possession of suit properties and the suit properties are either joint family properties or ancestral properties as ruled by the
Hon'ble High Court of Andra Pradesh in between RAYADURGAM SUB-
RAMANYAM (DIED) REP, LRS VS. RAYADURGAM GANGAIAH
(DIED) REP, LRS reported in 2020 (6) ALT 141 (A.P) = 2020 SCC On-
Line TS 3395. Their Lordship ruled in para no. 20 of its Judgment as fol- lows:-
20. The initial burden to prove that the plaint sched-
ule properties are the joint family properties is on the
plaintifs. It does not in any manner get altered or
shifted to the defendants. At the same time, there is
presumption in favour of joint nature of the properties
held by a Hindu joint family
Herein, it appears from the evidence let in before the learned
Principal Junior Civil Judge, Bobbili, it appears that the plaintiff Tentu
Adinarayana in support of his claim for one (1) share out of five (5) equal shares of suit property deposed himself as PW1 by examining two more witnesses as PW2 and PW3 and produced Ex.X.1 through PW3. To obstruct the claim of plaintiff, the defendant number 2 and 7 who contested the suit through defendant No.2 Tentu Seetam Naidu produced Ex.B.1 to Ex.B.14 documents by examining a 3rd party Nidaganti Bandayya. It is the plea of plaintiff and evidence of PW1 Tentu Adinarayana that all the suit
A.S.4 OF 201515
SCJ, BOBBILI
properties i.e., item No.1 to 10 are the ancestral properties of his father and during the life of his father Tentu Narasimhulu, his father enjoyed with absolute rights and after his demise all items No.1 to 10 properties came in to the hands of his children including the plaintiff, defendant No.1 and 2, 6 as well as the husband of defendant No.3 and all these are jointly enjoying these properties item No.1 to 10 without any partition even by the date of suit O.S. 231/2009. In obedience to the judgment as referred above, it is the duty of plaintiff to place prima facie evidence that all these item No.1 to 10 of suit properties are ancestral properties of his family thereby, capable of partition. It appears that plaintiff produced no evidence before the learned trial court except himself deposing as PW1 by producing Ex.A.1.
13.Ex.A.1 is nothing but valuation certificate of suit properties filed for the purpose of ascertaining / determining the Court fee need to be paid for the suit O.S. 231/2009, hence , it is not a supporting evidence to the claim of plaintiff as found by the learned trial court. Though plaintiff summoned and examined the then Deputy Tahsildar of Bobbili Mandal viz.,
Kanchumoji Brahmanandachari as PW3, his evidence goes to show that the fair copy of adangal / Ex.X.1 contents are true and correct. Contents in
Ex.X-1 Fair Copy of Adangal /FCO discloses only six items of properties entered in the name of Tentu Gopi Naidu S/o Narasimhulu who is not at all a son of late Tentu Narasamnaidu as contained in the plaint. As per evidence of plaintiff as PW1 and his plea in his plaint late Tentu
Narasimhulu @ Narasamnaidu had only five sons, Tentu Appalaswamy /
A.S.4 OF 201516
SCJ, BOBBILI
defendant No.1, Tentu Seetamnaidu / defendant No.2, Tentu Rami Naidu / husband of defendant No.3, Telutu Gopal / defendant No.5 and the plaintiff
Tentu Adinarayana. Hence, it is clear that entries contained in Ex.X-1 FCO
Copy produced by PW3 to support the plaintiff does not reflect that the plaintiff is entitled for 1/5th share in the suit properties as it contains the name of pattadar as Tentu Gopi Naidu S/o Narasimhulu but not any of the above named children of Tentu Narasimhulu @ Narasamnaidu. Hence it
is clear that oral evidence adduced and the documentary evidence
produced by the plaintif does not discloses that all the suit
properties item No.1 to 10 are the ancestral properties of his father
and those are still under joint possession of plaintif and
defendants. However, it appears that defendant No.2, the brother of plaintiff admitted certain facts.
14.Defendant No.2 Tentu Seetamnaidu as DW1 not denied the fact that item No.1 to 10 of suit properties belongs to his ancestors, further he admitted in his cross examination by the plaintiff that all the suit schedule properties are ancestral properties inherited from his father.
From and out of these admissions of defendant No.2 as DW1 as well as the contents contained in the documents produced by him under Ex.B.1 to
Ex.B.14 including the revenue records supporting the plaintiff by establishing that all the items No.1 to 10 of suit schedule properties belongs to ancestors of PW1 thereby, these are all available on ground as ancestral properties of plaintiff family. Now it is for the plaintiff to place
A.S.4 OF 201517
SCJ, BOBBILI
evidence that these properties are still undivided and are in joint possession of plaintiff and defendants. Unless this joint possession is proved, he is not entitled to seek partition. For this evidence brought
before the learned trial court is the oral evidence of PW1 and 2 apart from
cross examining defendant No.2 who deposed as DW1. It is clear that the defendant No.2 Tentu Seetamnaidu denied the suggestion of plaintiff that all the suit properties are still in joint possession as undivided thereby, plaintiff is entitled for a share in it. In view of the denial of the joint status of suit properties by defendant No.2, the primary burden of proof is upon the plaintiff. It appears that plaintiff failed in discharging his burden of proof.
15.Since, plaintiff specifically pleaded and as PW1 deposed that all the suit properties item No.1 to 10 are undivided and are under the management of defendant No.2 Tentu Seetamnaidu as Kartha of joint family since, the father of plaintiff died long back by leaving defendant 1,2, 6 and the plaintiff with the husband of defendant No.3. To prove it plaintiff produced nothing in the form of documentary evidence except Ex.A.1 and
Ex.X.1. As discussed above, Ex.A.1 is nothing but a valuation slip for payment of court fee and Ex.X.1 does not contain the name of defendant
No.2 Tentu Seetamnaidu as possessor / owner of properties mentioned in
Ex.X-1 FCO Copy. Hence, as found by the learned trial court, these documents Ex.A.1 and Ex.X.1 are no way helpful to plaintiff to prove the fact of that the suit properties item No.1 to 10 are still undivided and
A.S.4 OF 201518
SCJ, BOBBILI
under the management of defendant No.2 . In view of the specific plea of defendant No.2 that all the suit properties i.e., item No.1 to 10 had been divided long back around 30 years to this suit and there is no jointness of property as the sharers i.e., plaintiff, defendant No.1, 2, 6 and the husband of defendant No.3 received their respective share, possessed and possessing respectively by mutating revenue records, it is for the plaintiff to place evidence that all these properties are still under the management of defendant No.2 as Kartha of joint family. There is no such evidence as found by the learned trail court to consider the prayer of the plaintiff. The other hand evidence let in in this suit by both parties before the learned trial court, discloses that the plea of defendants / respondents appears to be more probable and reliable under the facts and circumstances of the suit OS. 231/2009 than to the plea of plaintiff.
16.Plea of defendants / respondents herein, particularly the respondent No.2 and his evidence as DW1 is that around 30 years back to this suit there was a oral partition between the children of late Sri Tentu
Narasimhulu @ Narasamnaidu by considering the fertility and value of land and in that oral partition item No.2, 3, 7 and 8 had been allotted to the defendant No.2 Tentu Seetamnaidu, item No.1, 5, 6 and 9 of suit properties had been given towards the share of their brother late Tentu
Raminaidu/ husband of defendant No.3 and father to defendant No.4 and 5 as well as item No. 10 of suit property was allotted and given to defendant
No. 1 Tentu Appalaswamy and item No. 4 of suit schedule property was
A.S.4 OF 201519
SCJ, BOBBILI
allotted to defendant No. 6 Tentu Gopalam apart from allotting Acre 1.40 cents of ancestral property / land to the plaintiff Tentu Adinarayana towards his share, thereafter all these shares who got their respective share of properties obtained possession of their individual extents, cultivating their lands separately for the past 30 years to this suit and it was recognized by revenue authorities thereby, they got issued pattadar passbooks by mutating revenue in respect of the separate share properties of children of late Tentu Narasimhulu as well as the husband of defendant NO.3 viz., Rami Naidu out of his share of properties, he sold some extent of land i.e., item No.1 of property to defendant No. 7 Karri
Srinu. Since, defendant No.2 objected the relief of partition specifically with these facts, to prove these assertions, he produced Ex.B.1 to Ex.B.14 documents in addition to cross examining the plaintiff Tentu Adinarayana who deposed as PW1.
17.Before going to consider these oral evidence and documentary evidence it may be just in the interest of justice to refer the Law explaining the modes of partition. It is the Law settled that a partition of undivided joint or ancestral properties can be done either orally or by an instrument of partition. If an instrument is reduced into writing evidencing the partition, it shall be upon sufficiently stamped paper and it should be duly registered. If it is an oral partition, such partition is to be established by adducing oral evidence with supporting documentary evidence if any.
Hence, Law is settled that a partition of properties can be done even by
A.S.4 OF 201520
SCJ, BOBBILI
orally and it is valid under the Law. Honourable High Court of Madras in between PEDDU REDDIAR VS KOTHANDA REDDI reported in AIR 1966 MADRAS 419 ruled as follows:
(9) The question of law, however, remains, whether the arrangement, by which items 1 to 4 of A schedule and one fourth share in the well in item 6 were allotted specifically to Ellappa, is valid in law. Ellappa and Peddu Reddi were co-owners. An oral partition between co-owners is valid in
law. Sec. 9 of the Transfer of Property Act says that a transfer of
property may be made without writing in every case in which a writ-
ing is not expressly required by law. A partition between co-owners it
may perhaps be said to involve a transfer of property because in the
specific properties allotted to a particular co-owner the interest
which the other co-owners had previous to the partition is given up
and to that extent it may be said to be a transfer of property. But the
Transfer of Property Act itself does not expressly require such a par-
tition to be in writing, and there is no other provision of law requiring
such a partition to be evidenced by writing. The only Section in the Transfer of Property Act which can possibly be held to apply is Sec. 118 dealing with exchange. That runs thus: "When two persons mutually transfer the ownership of one thing for the ownership of another, neither thing or both things being money only, the transaction is called an "ex- change". A transfer of property in completion of an exchange can be made only in manner provided for the transfer of such property by sale".
Similarly, Honourable Supreme Court of India, in its recent pronouncement in between H. VASANTHI VS A. SANTHA (DEAD)
THROUGH LRS. AND OTHERS reported in 2023 SCC OnLine SC 998 while dealing with the validity of oral partition and its evidential value, ruled as follows:
A.S.4 OF 201521
SCJ, BOBBILI
15. We are alive to the principle that there is no prohibition to effect a
partition otherwise than through an instrument in writing by duly
complying with the requirement of law. In other words, the division
may also be effected under a settlement or oral understanding. The circumstances and manner of recognizing Defendants 1 and 2 as exclu- sive owners are not disclosed by the plaintiff or Defendants 1 and 2.
18.On plain and careful reading of above referred judgments, it is clear that a partition can be took place between the co-sharers orally also and all partitions always need not be compulsorily reduced into writing and should be registered. Herein, the plea of defendant No.2 is that long back around 30 years back of this suit there was a oral partition between the children of late Tentu Narasimulu @ Narasamnaidu in where the sharers including the plaintiff got their respective share of properties and enjoying it for the past 30 years thereby, there is no jointness of properties enabling the Court to divide again and entitling the plaintiff to claim share again. In support of it defendants produced Ex.B.1 to Ex.B.14 documents apart from examining the appellant herein, who is the plaintiff in O.S.
231/2009.
19. Tentu Adinarayana / appellant herein, as PW1 in OS 231/2009 though denied the earlier partition pleaded by defendant No.2, in the cross examination of PW1, he specifically admitted that “he is
living by cultivation and he is cultivating around Acre 1.70 cents or
A.S.4 OF 201522
SCJ, BOBBILI
Acre 2.00 cents of land which is an ancestral property devolved to
him through his family”. This admission of PW1 / plaintiff who is appellant herein, is not a stray admission but on careful and combined reading of his entire evidence coupled with the entries in Ex.B.1 to
Ex.B.14 documents suggests and supports the plea of defendants as probable and reliable than to the plea of plaintiff as well as establishing that there is no wrong committed by the trial court in considering this admission for arriving to a conclusion. PW1 being brother of defendant
No.2 and having knowledge about the plea of defendants as to the earlier oral partition and allotment of Acre 1.40 cents of land to plaintiff towards his share of property in the ancestral property of his family and having shown item No.1 to 10 properties of in the schedule, admitting that he is in possession of Acre 1.70 cents or Acre 2.00 cents of ancestral land and he cultivating these land and by living upon cultivation of this land. This man PW1 is aged about 56 years as on the date of his examination. Since, plaintiff himself admitted that he is in possession of Acre 1.70 cents of ancestral land belongs to his family, it is for him to prove further that what are those lands and where these lands are existing. There is no such specification either by PW1 or by his subsequent witnesses that whether said Acre 1.70 cents of land belongs to the ancestors of plaintiff which is under his cultivation or the lands shown item No. 1 to 10 herein, or the lands other than item No.1 to 10 suit properties.
A.S.4 OF 201523
SCJ, BOBBILI
20.If the land possessed by plaintiff as admitted by him which is ancestral property of his family is considered as the land other than item
No.1 to 10 of suit properties herein, it is clear that plaintiff not shown those lands in the schedule seeking partition of these lands also thereby, plaintiff intentionally suppressed lands of his ancestors which are capable of partition, hence, this suit OS 231/2009 amounts to a suit for partial partition for non inclusion of all ancestral properties capable of partition.
On this ground alone the plaintiff is not entitled for the relief. If, the land possessed by plaintiff is considered as item No.1 to 10 of suit property herein, he is not entitled to seek partition again out of his admittedly possessed extent of land i.e., Acre 1.70 cents of ancestral property as found by the learned trail court. Considering in any way, the plaintiff is not entitled for share of properties again in item No.1 to 10 suit schedule properties because the total extent of suit property in item No.1 to 10 is only Acre 1.90 cents and the suit is bad for non inclusion of ancestral properties admittedly possessed by plaintiff and liable to be dismissed, since, a suit for partial partition is not maintainable as ruled by
Honourable High Court of Andhra Pradesh in between N. JANGI REDDY
AND OTHERS VS YELLARAM NARASIMHA REDDY AND OTHERS
reported in 2008 (4) ALT 567. Further, contents in Ex.B.1 to B.14 documents supporting the plea of defendant No.2 by making it as probable and reliable.
A.S.4 OF 201524
SCJ, BOBBILI
21.Defendant No.2 Tentu Seetamnaidu in his written statement as well as in his evidence in chief as DW1 deposed that 30 years back to this suit by considering the fertility of land and its value, plaintiff defendant
No.1 and 2, husband of defendant No.3 and defendant No.6 being children of late Tentu Narasamnaidu @ Narasimhulu got divided item No.1 to 10 of suit schedule properties and other lands as they being their ancestral properties and in that partition item No.2, 3, 7 and 8 had been allotted to the defendant No.2 Tentu Seetamnaidu, item No.1, 5, 6 and 9 of suit properties had been given towards the share of their brother late Tentu
Raminaidu/ husband of defendant No.3 and father to defendant No.4 and 5 as well as item No. 10 of suit property was allotted and given to defendant
No. 1 Tentu Appalaswamy and item No. 4 of suit schedule property was allotted to defendant No. 6 Tentu Gopalam apart from allotting Acre 1.40 cents of ancestral property / land to the plaintiff Tentu Adinarayana towards his share, thereafter all these shares who got their respective share of properties obtained possession of their individual extents, cultivating their lands separately for the past 30 years to this suit and it was recognized by revenue authorities thereby, they got issued pattadar passbooks by mutating revenue in respect of the separate share properties of children of late Tentu Narasimhulu as well as the husband of defendant NO.3 viz., Rami Naidu out of his share of properties, he sold some extent of land i.e., item No.1 of property to defendant No. 7 Karri
Srinu. Since, defendant No.2 objected the relief of partition specifically with these facts, to prove these assertions, he produced Ex.B.1 to Ex.B.14 documents in addition to cross examining the plaintiff Tentu Adinarayana
A.S.4 OF 201525
SCJ, BOBBILI
who deposed as PW1. Entries in Ex.B.1 Original Pattadar Passbook defendant No.2 Tentu Seetam Naidu disclosing that he owned and possessed only item No.2, 3, 7 and 8 properties shown in schedule but not all item No.1 to 10. It is the plea and evidence of PW1 that defendant No.2
Tentu Seetamnaidu is managing all the suit properties as Kartha of joint family right from the demise of their father Tentu Narasimhulu by keeping the suit properties as joint family properties. If it is true, item No.1 to 10 of suit properties should be entered in the name of defendant No.2 Tentu
Seetamnaidu only but not item No. 2,3,7 and 8 alone. Further, entries available in other revenue records produced under Ex.B.2 / 1-B Account copy under Ex.B.3/ No.3 Adangal copy under Ex.B.4 to Ex.B.9/ Property tax receipts under Ex.B.10 to Ex.B.13 No.3 Adangal copies and Ex.B.14 copy of FAO Fair Adangal which are all duly signed by Tahsildar, Bobbili and the Revenue Inspectors evidencing that item No.2, 3, 7 and 8 of suit properties are in continuous possession and enjoyment of defendant No.2
Tentu Seetamnaidu right from the year 1999 even by the date of instituting this suit, therefore, only these items 2,3, 7 and 8 alone entered in the name of defendant No.2 but not all item No.1 to 10.
22.As the plaintiff / appellant specifically pleaded that item No.1 to 10 are in the possession of defendant No.2 as Kartha of joint family, in view of the evidence of defendant No.2 as DW1 and the entries contained in Ex.B.1 to Ex.B.14 documents, it is for the plaintiff to establish and prove that among plaintiff, defendant No.2, 6 and husband of defendant No.3, who possessed / possessing the other item of properties shown in the
A.S.4 OF 201526
SCJ, BOBBILI
schedule i.e., item No. 1, 4 to 6, 9 and 10. There is no such evidence on the other hand entries contained in Ex.B.1 to Ex.B.14 documents supporting the plea of defendant No.2 that item No.1, 5, 6 and 9 of suit schedule were allotted to the share of the husband of defendant No.3 / brother of plaintiff viz., late Tentu Raminaidu and item No. 4 had been allotted to the share of defendant NO.6 Tentu Gopalam, item NO. 10 was allotted to the share of defendant No.1 Tentu Appalaswamy and these are all enjoying these properties thereby, their names had been mutated in revenue records more particularly No.3 adangals under Ex.B.3, Ex.10 to
Ex.B.13. These entries available in Ex.B.10 to Ex.B.13 probablizing the plea of defendant No. 2 that there was oral partition between the children of late Tentu Narasimhulu by considering the fertility of suit schedule properties and in that oral partition item No.2, 3, 7 and 8 had been allotted to the defendant No.2 Tentu Seetamnaidu, item No.1, 5, 6 and 9 of suit properties had been given towards the share of their brother late
Tentu Raminaidu/ husband of defendant No.3 and father to defendant No.4 and 5 as well as item No. 10 of suit property was allotted and given to defendant No. 1 Tentu Appalaswamy and item No. 4 of suit schedule property was allotted to defendant No. 6 Tentu Gopalam apart from allotting Acre 1.40 cents of ancestral property / land to the plaintiff Tentu
Adinarayana towards his share, thereafter all these shares who got their respective share of properties obtained possession of their individual extents, cultivating their lands separately for the past 30 years to this suit and it was recognized by revenue authorities thereby, they got issued pattadar passbooks by mutating revenue in respect of the separate share
A.S.4 OF 201527
SCJ, BOBBILI
properties of children of late Tentu Narasimhulu. Hence, it is clear that the oral partition between the children of Tentu Narasimhulu @ Narasam
Naidu had been proved and it was acted upon by all the sharers, obeying to it without disputing for the past 30 years, enjoying their respective share of land including the plaintiff by receiving and cultivating around
Acre 1.70 cents or Acare 2.00 cents of ancestral property of his family as admitted by him, therefore, seeking division of properties again without disclosing his share of property establishing that the plaintiff not approached the learned trail Court with bonafide intention, suppressed material facts, thereby, failed to establish his plea by leading evidence during the trial, therefore, it leads to the just finding given by the learned trial court by dismissing the suit.
23.In view of above facts and Law discussed, this Court came to a conclusion that the learned trial Court by considering the evidence brought on record and by following the principles of Law of evidence, properly appreciated the evidence and gave finding with in the settled principles of Law, and the learned trail court considered Ex.B.1 to Ex.B.3,
Ex.B.10 to Ex.B.14 properly by considering the admissions of appellant herein as PW1 in the suit in appropriate manner and the learned trial court justified in dismissing the suit under the facts and circumstances of this suit since, the plea of defendant No.2 is appears to be more probable and reliable than to the plea of plaintiff / appellant. Therefore,, the finding given by the learned trial court in O.S. 231/2009 is not erroneous as submitted by the appellant herein, hence, no need to interfere into the
A.S.4 OF 201528
SCJ, BOBBILI
finding and judgment of learned Principal Junior Civil Judge, Bobbili in
O.S. 231/2009 thereby, this appeal against that decree and judgment in
that suit is liable to be dismissed.
24. RESULT:
In the result, this APPEAL IS DISMISSED by confirming the decree and judgment passed by the learned Principal Junior Civil
Judge, Bobbili in O.S. 231 of 2009, dt. 25.03.2015. In the facts and cir-
cumstances of the suit, NO COSTS.
Dictated to the Typist, typed, corrected, signed and
pronounced by me in the open court, this the 2 nd day of April, 2024.
Sd/- T. Vasudevan
Senior Civil Judge,
Bobbili.
APPENDIX OF EVIDENCE
WITNESSES EXAMINED
DOCUMENTS MARKED
No oral or documentary evidence adduced by either party in this appeal.
Sd/- T. Vasudevan
Senior Civil Judge,
Bobbili.