2018 INSC 0516
     NON­REPORTABLE
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION
CIVIL APPEAL No.561 OF 2008
P.K. Narayanan Raja  ….Appellant(s)
VERSUS
Ambika And Anr.        …Respondent(s)
J U D G M E N T
Abhay Manohar Sapre, J.
1) This   appeal   is   directed   against   the   final
judgment and order dated 23.12.2004 passed by the
Madras   High   Court   (Madurai   Bench)   in   Second
Appeal   No.19   of   1995   whereby   the   High   Court
allowed the second appeal and set aside the order of
the lower Appellate Court.
2) It  is  not  necessary  to   set  out   the  entire  facts of
the   case   in   detail   except   to   the   extent   necessary   for
the disposal of the appeal.
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3) The   appellant   is   the   plaintiff   and   the
respondents   are   the   defendants.   The   appellant   and
the   respondents   are   members   of   one   family   and   are
thus related to one another.
4) The suit out of which this appeal arises was for
a declaration and permanent injunction in relation to
certain   immovable   properties   as   specified   in   the
plaint, which are alleged to belong to members of the
family. The respondents contested the suit.
5) By   judgment/decree   dated   29.04.1991   in   O.S.
No.236   of   1989,   the   Trial   Court   dismissed   the
appellant's suit. The appellant felt aggrieved and filed
first   appeal   before   the   District   Judge.   By
judgment/decree   dated   07.03.1994,   the   first
Appellate   Court   allowed   the   plaintiff's   appeal   and
decreed   the   suit.   The   defendants   felt   aggrieved   and
filed   second   appeal   before   the   High   Court.   By
impugned   order,   the   High   Court   allowed   the   appeal
and   dismissed   the   suit   giving   rise   to   filing   of   the
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appeal   by   way   of   special   leave   before   this   Court   by
the plaintiff.
6) At the outset, learned counsel appearing for the
parties stated and brought to our notice that one civil
suit   being   OS   No.46/1986   is   pending   between   the
appellant   and   the   respondents   in   the   Court   of
Subordinate   Judge   of   Srivilliputur   (TN).     This   suit
i.e.,   O.S.No.46/1986   is   for   partition   of   several
properties   belonging   to   the   members   of   the   family,
who are also parties to the present appeal.
7) If that  be the  position then, in  our   opinion, the
property,   which   is   subject   matter   of   this   appeal,
should   also   necessarily   be   subjected   to   its
adjudication   in   OS   No.46/1986   along   with   other
properties.  In any event, in our view, it would be just
and proper that all properties belonging to or claim to
belonging   to   the   family   or/and   its   members   though
denied   by   the   parties   against   each   other   should   be
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made subject matter of one civil suit rather than two
civil suits.
8) It is for this reason, we do not consider it proper
to express any opinion on the rights of the parties so
far as the suit property in question is concerned and
grant   liberty   to   the   parties   of   this   appeal   to   amend
their   pleadings   in   OS   No.46/1986   in   relation   to   the
suit property in question in addition to the properties
which are already part of OS No. 46/1986 so that the
concerned Trial Court will be able to decide the rights
of   the   parties   in   relation   to   the   entire   properties
including the one in question in this appeal.
9) We,   therefore,   set   aside   all   the   three
judgments/decrees,   i.e.,   judgments/decrees   passed
by   Trial   Court,   First   Appellate   Court   and   Second
Appellate   Court   out   of   which   this   appeal   arises   and
grant  liberty  to  the  parties to  amend their   respective
pleadings   in   civil   suit   O.S.   No.46/1986   by   including
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the suit property of the present appeal in the pending
civil suit (O.S.No.46/1986). 
10) The   Trial   Court   will   then   proceed   to   decide   the
suit   (O.S.No.46/1986)   expeditiously   by   framing
additional   issues,   if   required,   in   relation   to   the
properties   in   question   on   the   basis   of   amended
pleadings   and   will   also   allow   the   parties   to   file
documents   and   lead   evidence   in   support   of   their
pleadings including amended pleadings. 
11) The   Trial   Court   will   decide   the   suit   strictly   in
accordance   with   law   uninfluenced   by   any   of   the
observations made by the Courts below in this case.
12) Let   the   trial   of   civil   suit   (OS   No.46/1986)   be
completed within one year.
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13) With   these   observations   and   directions,   the
appeal stands disposed of.     
                   
………...................................J.
   [ ABHAY MANOHAR SAPRE ]
                                    
… ...……..................................J.
         [ S. ABDUL NAZEER ]
New Delhi;
August 10, 2018 
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