10. Since it is the specific case of the plaintiff that he is only a partner in the two firms covered by suits, and since it is NOT his case that those businesses are being carried on by him and his brother Shiva Raj Reddy as members of the joint family or as a joint family businesses, and hence is entitled to a share therein as a co-parcener, the ratio in MUDI GOWDA (1 supra), APPALASWAMI (2 supra), NARAYANA RAJU (3 supra), LAKSHMI (4 supra), SAYED ABDUL MAJID (5 supra), NAN CHAND GANGARAM (6 supra), SHANMUKESWARA RAO (7 supra), SATCHIDANANDA SAMANTA (8 supra), KENCHE GOWDA (9 supra) and M.L.ARYA MURTHY (10 supra) does not apply to the facts of this case, and those decisions have little relevance for deciding these appeals and the question as to whether the joint family of the plaintiff, Shiva Raj Reddy and their brothers has any property or income fetching property and if suit for partition is a suit for partial partition are wholly irrelevant for deciding these appeals.
In Lakshmi v. Meenakshi , a Division Bench of this Court following the dictum of the Supreme Court in Srinivas Krishnarao v. Narayana Devji , has held that mere existence of ancestral property is not enough to conclude that the business carried on by a member was not joint family business. There must be proof that the ancestral property was sufficient and productive enough and the income from the property was utilized for the purpose of the business.
''18.....As per the finding given by the trial court
https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis 33
AS.No.643/2008 & CRP.No.1962/2013
there are no two opinions that Peerappa was the
main person who held various agricultural lands and
out of that certain business started. But the case of
Defendants 1 to 3 was that the properties acquired
by them were out of their own earnings and not out of
the joint family nucleus. The trial court has found
that no evidence has been produced by the
defendants to substantiate that Defendants 2 and 3
i.e. wife and son of Defendant 1 had individual
source to purchase the aforesaid properties.
Therefore, the learned trial Judge has held against
them. But the High Court has reversed that finding.
We fail to see any justifiable reason for the High
Court to have taken a contrary view in the matter.
The trial court in extensive manner dealt with each
subject and came to the conclusion that the
properties acquired by Defendants 1 to 3 were not
self-acquired properties as neither Defendant 2 nor
Defendant 3 i.e. the mother and son had any
independent source of income for purchasing these
properties.''
(30) In Lakshmi Ammal Vs. Meenakshi Ammal and Others , reported
in AIR 1974 Mad 294, a Division Bench of this Court has
https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis 34
AS.No.643/2008 & CRP.No.1962/2013
reiterated the same principle and held that there must be proof that
the ancestral property was sufficient and productive enough and the
income from the property was utilized for the purpose of the
business and also held that the property acquired or the business
acquired was ancestral property or business property.
In a recent decision in Lakshmi v. Meenakshi , a Division Bench of this Court to which I was a party has expressed the view that there is no presumption in Hindu Law that a business standing in the name of member of a Hindu family is joint family business even when that member is the manager or father and that unless it could be shown that the business in the hands of the co-parcener grew up with the assistance of the joint family or with the joint family funds, the business should be taken to be the separate property of the member who is carrying on the same.