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2017 DIGILAW 729 (KAR)

Kudure Thammanna, Since dead by LRs. v. K. C. Ramaiah, Since dead by LRs. R. Venkataramanappa

2017-04-10

ASHOK B.HINCHIGERI, K.S.MUDAGAL

body2017
JUDGMENT : 1. The above appeal is filed challenging the final decree drawn in F.D.P. No. 36/2002 dated 03.08.2016 by the II Addl. Senior Civil Judge, Kolar, Itinerating at Mulbagal. The appellants are defendant Nos. 1(a) to (e), the 1st respondent is plaintiff and respondent Nos. 2 to 4 are defendant Nos. 2(a), (b) and 3 respectively. Respondent Nos. 5 and 6 are defendant Nos. b(2) and b(3) before the trial Court. 2. The brief facts of the case are as follows: (i) K.C. Ramaiah filed O.S. No. 29/1994 before the II Addl. Senior Civil Judge, Kolar for partition and separate possession of his half share in the suit schedule properties. The trial Court by judgment dated 03.04.2002 decreed the suit in part. The trial Court granted half share to the plaintiff in suit schedule item Nos. 1 to 7, 13 to 17, 20, 24 and 26 to 30. (ii) Aggrieved by the said judgment, the plaintiff filed R.F.A. No. 735/2002 before this Court. In that matter the 1st defendant filed cross-objection No. 22/2002 and 23/2002. Apart from that the defendant No. 2 and 3 challenged the said preliminary decree in R.F.A. No. 802/2002 before this court. (iii) This Court by common judgment dated 03.11.2009 in the said appeals and cross objections, partly allowed the appeal of the plaintiff and decreed the suit of the plaintiff for partition and separate possession of his share in all the suit schedule properties except suit schedule item Nos. 19 and 20. (iv) The 2nd defendant challenged the said judgment and decree before the Apex Court in Civil Appeal No. 7622-7623/2011 but without any rate of success. Successful plaintiff filed F.D.P. No. 36/2002 before the trial Court seeking for final decree in terms of the judgment of this Court in the Regular First Appeal. In the said petition court appointed an advocate and Tahasildar as Commissioners to earmark the properties for division. The advocate Commissioner submitted the report on 26.05.2010. The Tahasildar submitted report on 20.07.2010. The plaintiff filed objections to the said Commissioner's report on 02.08.2010. The 1st defendant also filed objections to the Commissioner's report on 13.09.2010. The trial Court by overruling the objections vide order dated 09.09.2015 accepted the Commissioner's report. (v) After such acceptance of the Commissioner's report, on 23.09.2015 the 1st defendant filed I.A. No. 24 before the trial Court to summon the Court Commissioner for examination. The 1st defendant also filed objections to the Commissioner's report on 13.09.2010. The trial Court by overruling the objections vide order dated 09.09.2015 accepted the Commissioner's report. (v) After such acceptance of the Commissioner's report, on 23.09.2015 the 1st defendant filed I.A. No. 24 before the trial Court to summon the Court Commissioner for examination. The trial Court vide order dated 05.10.2015 dismissed the said application. Ultimately, on 03.08.2016, the trial Court has drawn the impugned final decree. 3. The appellants/the heirs of the 1st defendant challenge the said final decree in this appeal on the following grounds: (i) Court Commissioner has neither visited the suit schedule item No. 20, the house property nor verified the measurement, therefore the report and the consequential final decree is erroneous. (ii) Court Commissioner has committed error in his report in partitioning and allotting the suit schedule item No. 38 property and the measurements shown in the report are in correct. (iii) Suit schedule item No. 24 property is common burial ground of the family. The Court Commissioner without observing and proposing to reserve the same as common area for all shareholders/LRs partitioned the property, similarly the said property is an area reserved for rain water harvesting as a reservoir. The Commissioner has partitioned the said property which is incorrect. (iv) The suit schedule item No. 33 consists of an area of 2 acres of land reserved for public temple, the commissioner without observing that has proposed to partition the same which affects the public. (v) The trial Court wrongly rejected the application of the appellants to summon the Commissioner and overruled the objections to the reports. 4. This Court heard both sides on the admission of the matter. Sri Papi Reddy, learned counsel for the appellants reiterating the grounds of appeal contends that the trial Court has committed error in accepting the Commissioner's report and passing final decree based on such reports. He contends that the trial Court has erroneously overruled the objections of the parties on the Commissioner's report and rejected his application to summon the Commissioner, which has affected the rights of the appellants. 5. He contends that the trial Court has erroneously overruled the objections of the parties on the Commissioner's report and rejected his application to summon the Commissioner, which has affected the rights of the appellants. 5. Per contra, Sri V. Vijayashekara Gowda, learned counsel for respondent No. 1 contends that the preliminary decree passed by the trial Court, as modified by this Court in R.F.A. No. 735/2002, 805/2002 and Cross objection No. 22/2002 and 23/2002, is upheld by the Apex Court in Civil Appeal No. 7622-7623/2011 on 28.07.2016. He further contends that the litigation is around 25 years old and the defendants/appellants with the sole intention to deprive the decree holder of the final decree are in the habit of filing such applications and the appeal. He contends that the appellants, without challenging the Trial Court's order of acceptance of the Commissioner's report and rejection of their application for summoning the Commissioner, have filed this appeal reiterating the same grounds and that therefore this appeal itself is not maintainable. 6. At the time of admission of the appeal what is required to be considered is whether the appellants have an arguable case. Otherwise, the appeal is not fit for admission. 7. The records produced by the parties show that the suit for partition was decreed as prayed for except the suit schedule item Nos. 12, 18, 19, 21 to 22 and 25 properties. On the challenge by both the parties, this Court in R.F.A. No. 735/2002 and connected matters allowed the plaintiffs' appeal and decreed the suit of the plaintiffs as prayed for except suit schedule item No. 19 and 20 and modified the preliminary decree accordingly. 8. The records show that the Civil Appeal No. 7622-7623/2015 filed by the aggrieved defendants against the judgment of this Court in R.F.A. No. 735/2002 and connected matters came to be dismissed on 28.07.2016. Thereby, the judgment passed by this Court is confirmed. Therefore, the challenge of the defendants to the final decree on the ground of error in description of the suit properties in terms of the dimensions, etc., fails. 9. So far as, the correctness of the final decree under appeal is concerned, it is to be noted that the drawing of the final decree is only a ministerial act. Therefore, the challenge of the defendants to the final decree on the ground of error in description of the suit properties in terms of the dimensions, etc., fails. 9. So far as, the correctness of the final decree under appeal is concerned, it is to be noted that the drawing of the final decree is only a ministerial act. As submitted by the appellants themselves, the trial Court vide order dated 09.09.2015 has overruled the objections to the Commissioner's report and accepted the report. The appellants have not challenged the said order. After acceptance of the said report, the appellants filed application to summon the Commissioner for examination. The trial Court dismissed that application vide order dated 05.10.2015. The appellants have not challenged even that order. Therefore the orders dated 09.09.2015 accepting the Commissioner's report and 05.10.2015 rejecting the prayer of the appellants to summon the Commissioner have attained finality. 10. The order dated 09.09.2015, accepting the Commissioner's report is the parent order. The drawing the decree is only a consequential order. Therefore, without challenging the said orders, the appellants cannot maintain the appeal, simply to question the final decree drawn on 03.08.2016. The Court is satisfied that there is no arguable case for the appellants in the matter or to admit the appeal. Hence, the appeal is dismissed.