Supreme Court of India
Kothi Satyanarayana vs Galla Sithayya & Others on 21 November, 1986
Equivalent citations: 1987 AIR 353, 1987 SCR (1) 359, AIR 1987 SUPREME COURT 353, (1987) MARRILJ 49, 1987 HRR 55, (1987) 1 SCJ 156, (1987) 1 APLJ 1, 1987 (1) SCJ 159, 1987 (1) UJ (SC) 215, (1986) JT 904 (SC), (1986) 2 HINDULR 428, 1986 (4) SCC 760, (1986) 4 SUPREME 282, (1987) 1 CIVLJ 409, (1987) 1 LANDLR 269
Author: Misra Rangnath
Bench: Misra Rangnath, O. Chinnappa Reddy
PETITIONER:
KOTHI SATYANARAYANA
Vs.
RESPONDENT:
GALLA SITHAYYA & OTHERS
DATE OF JUDGMENT21/11/1986
BENCH:
MISRA RANGNATH
BENCH:
MISRA RANGNATH
REDDY, O. CHINNAPPA (J)
CITATION:
1987 AIR 353 1987 SCR (1) 359
1986 SCC (4) 760 JT 1986 904
1986 SCALE (2)858
ACT:
Hindu Succession Act 1956, s. 14--Life estate created in
favour of widow by Settlement Deed--When can be transformed
into full ownership.
HEADNOTE:
Under a deed of settlement dated August 18, 1937, the
respondent's father settled certain properties on the widow
of his son with life interest and upon her death those
properties were to revert to the Settlor or his heirs. After
the widow's death, the respondent claimed the properties
under the aforesaid deed of settlement. However, the appel-
lant, brother of the widow set up title thereto under a Will
executed by the widow on May 14, 1964.
The question that arose for consideration in the courts
below was whether the life-estate created in favour of the
widow under the Settlement Deed had been transformed into
full ownership under section 14(1) of the Hindu Succession
Act of 1956 and all the three courts held that the fife-
estate carved out under the 1937 Settlement did not get
transformed into title in favour of the widow and she did
not acquire any alienable interest in the properties to
bequeath in favour of her brother.
Dismissing the appeal by the appellant,
HELD: 1. Subs.2 of s. 14 of the Hindu Succession Act
1956 is an exception to subs. 1 thereof and if the situation
is covered by subs. 2, transformation provided for in subs.
1 would not take place. [360F]
The settlement deed in the instant case, is an instru-
ment contemplated under subs.2 and admittedly it created a
restricted estate in favour of the widow. Therefore subs. 1
of s. 14 would not be attracted. [360G]
JUDGMENT:
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Civil Appeal No. 2726 of 1972 From the Judgment and Order dated 4.8.1971 of,the Andhra Pradesh nigh Court in L.P.A. No. 48 of 1969 A.S. Nambiar, G.N. Rao and Attar Singh for the Appellant.
360G.S. Ramaiah, and B. Parthasarthi for the Respondents. The Judgment of the Court was delivered by RANGANATH MISRA, J. This appeal by the defendant is by Special Leave and challenge is to the decision of a division bench of the Andhra Pradesh High Court in a Letters Patent appeal.
Plaintiff asked for a decree for possession after evic- tion of the defendants and claimed mesne profits both past and future. Plaintiff and Veeraraju happened to be sons of Ramamurty. The two brothers had amicably partitioned their properties in 1909. Veeraraju died in 1927 leaving behind his widow. As Ramamurty sold certain properties from Veera- raju's share in 1928, the widow raised dispute and mediators brought about a settlement leading to the execution of a Deed of Settlement dated August 18, 1937, whereunder Rama- murty settled certain properties on the widow with life interest and upon her death, those properties were to revert to Ramamurty or his heirs. After the widow's death, the plaintiff who is son of Ramamurty claimed the properties but defendant No. 1 who is the brother of the widow set up title thereto under a Will dated May 14, 1962 of the widow. The main question that arose for consideration in the courts below was whether the life-estate created in favour of Veeraraju's widow under the Settlement Deed had been transformed into full ownership under section 14(1) of the Hindu Succession Act of 1956. All the three courts have held that the life estate carved out under the 1937 settlement did not get transformed into title in favour of the widow and she did not acquire any alienable interest in the properties to bequeath in favour of her brother. The only question which has been canvassed at the hear- ing is whether in the facts of the ease, sub-section (1) or sub-section (2) of section 14 of the Act is applicable. It is not disputed that sub-section (2) of section 14 is an exception to sub-section (1) thereof and if the situation is covered by sub-section (2), the transformation provided for in sub-section (1) would not take place.
The Settlement Deed is an instrument contemplated under sub-section (2) and admittedly it created a restricted estate in favour of the widow. Therefore, sub-section (1) of section 14 would not be attracted. The submission of the appellant's learned counsel that the Settlement deed brought the properties covered by it in exchange or in lieu of properties unauthorisedly alienated by Ramamurty and as the widow had full title in the alienated 361 property, title must be held to have accrued in favour of the widow in the properties covered by the settlement cannot be accepted.
The appeal fails and is dismissed.
Parties are directed to bear their own costs in this Court.
M.L.A. Appeal
dismissed.
362