IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS DATED:25.03.2011 Coram: THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE G.RAJASURIA S.A.No.246 of 2006 1. Sargunam @ Mahalakshmi 2. Vijaya @ Vijayalakshmi ... Appellants (Defendant) vs. 1. V.Narayanan @ Baby 2. V.Krishnamoorthy 3. V.Sivaraman 4. V.Seetharaman ... Respondents (Plaintiffs) This second appeal is filed against the judgement and decree dated 29.07.2005 passed by the learned Principal Subordinate Judge, Mayiladuthurai in A.S.No.165 of 2004 reversing the judgment and decree dated 22.09.2004 passed by the leaned District Munsif, Sirkazhi in O.S.No.112 of 1997. For Appellants : Mr.T.Sathiyamurthy For Respondents : Mr.A.Muthukumar JUDGMENT This second appeal is filed by the defendants inveighing the judgement and decree dated 29.07.2005 passed by the learned Principal Subordinate Judge, Mayiladuthurai in A.S.No.165 of 2004 reversing the judgment and decree dated 22.09.2004 passed by the learned District Munsif, Sirkazhi in O.S.No.112 of 1997. 2. The parties, for the sake of convenience, are referred to here under according to their litigative status and ranking before the trial Court. 3. A recapitulation and resume of the relevant facts, absolutely necessary and germane for the disposal of this second appeal would run thus: https://hcservices.ecourts.gov.in/hcservices/ a. The plaintiffs filed the suit seeking the following reliefs: - to pass a decree against the defendants for recovery of plaint B schedule property after removal of superstructure, for future profits and to award cost of the suit. (extracted as such) b. The defendants filed the written statement resisting the suit. c. Whereupon issues were framed and on the side of the plaintiffs, the third plaintiff Sivaraman, examined himself as PW1 and marked Exs.A1 to A12. On the defendants' side, D1 and D2 examined themselves as D.Ws.1 and 2 along with DW3 and marked Exs.B1 to B19 and the Court documents Exs.C1 to C7 were also marked. d. Ultimately, the trial court dismissed the suit. As against which, appeal was filed by the plaintiffs, whereupon, the appellate court reversed the judgment and decree of the trial court and decreed the suit. e. Challenging and impugning the judgment and decree of the first appellate court, the defendants have preferred this second appeal on various grounds and also suggesting the following substantial questions of law: 1. Whether the lower appellate court is right in decreeing the suit for a larger extent than that of the plaint prayer, whether such a decree is not perverse? 2. Whether the court below was right in decreeing the suit filed only for recovery of possession when the title is disputed by the appellants herein which is against the judgment of this court reported in 1998(1) CTC 501? 3. Whether the lower appellate court was right in shifting the burden of proof on the appellants/defendants to disprove the case of plaintiffs contrary to Section 101 of the Indian Evidence Act? 4. Whether the lower appellate court was right in holding that boundaries will prevail over the extent, when the respondents/plainitffs and their https://hcservices.ecourts.gov.in/hcservices/ ancestors, specifically expressed their intention vide Ex.A12 that they have right/title only to 100' North- South? (extracted as such) 4. My learned predecessor, while admitting the second appeal, virtually adapted the aforesaid substantial questions of law. 5. Heard both sides. 6. The indubitable and indisputable or at least the undeniable facts would run thus: One Josyam Swaminatha Iyer and his relatives owned property to the South of Patel road previously known as Agraharam street. They got the property partitioned into three shares and the linear measurements were set out to the effect that each sharer was entitled to 21' feet from East to West and 100' feet from North to South. But in Ex.A1 the Will dated 23.05.1941, the schedule of property, is found set out thus: "........................... iftpsh";nrhp fpuhkj;jpy; g[";ir rhP rh;nt 39 y; 1 V 1 br 44/48 y; 1 br 26 /; 105 y; 4 V 1 br 58 Mf e";ir g[";ir Vf;fh; 3/34 k; ic& fpuhkk; mf;fpufhuk; bjd;rufpy; bjUt[f;F bjw;F gs;sp thry; bjU tHp elg;g[f;F tlf;F m/bt';fpl;luhka;ah; tPl;Lf;F nkw;F bgUkhs; nfhapy; re;Jf;F fpHf;F ,jw;Fs;gl;l fy; fl;Lf;nfhg;g[ tPL njhl;lk; bfhy;iy thy; tPr;R Rth; glt[k; g{uh fpH epyk; fpzW khtil kutil cs;glt[k; fpH nky; $hjpao 63 cs;s tPl;oy; ehd; mahh;$pjkha; rk;ghjpj;J ehd; mDgtpj;J tUfpw ic& tPl;od; fPH;ghfk; //////////////////////////////////////////$hjpao 35 ic& Kg;gj;jp Ie;J moa [s;s tPl;ila[k; iv& e"; g["; Vf; 3 br 34 k; tPl;oYs;s ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////@ As per Ex.A12 dated 30.08.1958, there was some arrangement emerged among those three sharers and in that, the said oral partition of the property among them into three shares is found reflected and the schedule of property found therein would run thus: @A bc&l;a{y; jh;khk;ghs; mk;khs; tPLkid ehfg;gl;odk; hp$p!;l;lnuc&d; o!;l;hpf;l; rPh;fhHp rg;hp$[p!;l;liu nrh;e;j rPh;fhHp jhYf;fh 49 //// iftpsh";nrhp tl;lk; R.S.111/10 y; ek;kpy; S.bt';fl;uhka;ah; tPl;ow;F nkw;F iftpsh";nrhp mf;fpufhuj;jpw;F bjw;F https://hcservices.ecourts.gov.in/hcservices/ tlf;F Foahdj; bjUt[f;F tlf;F bgUkhs; nfhtpy; re;Jf; fpHf;F. , jw;Fs;gl;l 21 x 100 $hjpao cs;s kid mjpYs;s fl;olk; fpzh;.@ "B bc&l;a{y; S.bt';fl;uhka;ah; tPLkid S;/nfhghyfpUc&;zd; Iah; tPl;ow;F nkw;F jh;khk;ghs; mk;khs; tPl;ow;F fpHf;F iftpsh";nrhp mf;fpufhuj;jpw;F bjw;F tlf;F Foahdj; bjUt[f;F tlf;F. ,jw;Fs;gl;l 21 x 100 $hjpao cs;s kid mjpYs;s fl;olk;@ "C bc&l;a{y; S;/nfhghyfpUc&;zd; tPLkid A.bt';fl;uhk Iah; tPl;ow;F nkw;F iftpsh";nrhp mf;fpufhuj;jpw;F bjw;F tlf;F Foahdj; bjUt[f;F tlf;F. S.bt';fl;uhka;ah; tPl;ow;F fpHr;F ,jw;Fs;gl;l 21 x 100 $hjpao cs;s kid mjpYs;s fl;olKk; mth; mth;fs; kidapYs;s jiy//// cs;gl ////////@ At this juncture, it is just and necessary to refer to the schedule of properties as found set out in the plaint. "A" Schedule property (ABCD in plaint plan):- Mayiladuthurai Registration District, Sirkali Sub Registry, Sirkali Taluk, Sirkali Town, Kaivilancherry Vattam, Thenpathi R.S.No.111/10-natham Jari East West -21, North -South-100' About A.0-05 cents. Boundaries :- West of the houses of Gowri W/o Arul @ Vaithyanathan and Kaliyaperumal, East of 3rd Plaintiff's house in which the first plaintiff is residing in a portion, South of Patel Street and North of VOC North Street (previously North Kudiyana Street), with a house bearing Door No.39. "B Schedule property (A portion of "A" Schedule property) EFGH in the plaint plan) R.S.No.111/10, Natham Jari North-South 11' East-WEst 8 ½ (Thatched hut) Boundaries :- West of Kaliaperumal's House, East of 3rd plainitffs' house and site in which 1st plaintiff is residing in a portion. South of rest of the house and backyard of plaintiffs and North of VOC North Street (previously North Kudiyana Street)" The contention of the plaintiffs is that D1 was working as a maid servant in the said plaintiffs' house; consequently she was permitted to occupy the B scheduled property described in the plaint, abutting the Street, which was originally called as Palli https://hcservices.ecourts.gov.in/hcservices/ Vasal North street and subsequently referred to as Kudiyanavan street and thereafter as VOC street.; ten years anterior to the filing of the suit and thereafter, when the plaintiffs wanted them to get vacated from the suit property, they raised various pleas. 7. The learned counsel for the appellants/defendants would put forth and set forth his argument, which could tersely and briefly be set out thus: i] Without the back up of the pleadings , the first appellate court simply placed reliance on the boundaries and ordered eviction. ii] Any amount of evidence, without the back up of the pleadings should be eschewed. iii] The trial court correctly dismissed the suit on the ground that the plaintiffs did not prove their right over the B schedule property. iv] The suit also was bad for want of a prayer for declaration of title. v] The documents exhibited on the side of the defendants would torpedo and pulverise the plea of the plaintiffs to the effect that only ten years anterior to the filing of the suit, the defendants occupied the "B" Scheduled property. vi] The authentic tax receipts, which were issued by Sirkali Municipality, would exemplify and demonstrate, display and expatiate that at least from 1975, the defendants have been in occupation and enjoyment of the suit property as owners and in such a case, both the courts below were wrong in holding that the defendants did not acquire prescriptive title by adverse possession by virtue of their long enjoyment as owners. Vii] The application filed by the plaintiffs for getting the schedule of the property of the plaint amended was dismissed and as against that no CRP was filed and even no steps were taken to to get the plaint amended at the appellate stage and no opportunity was also given for the defendants to file additional written statement or adduce additional evidence, as against such contention of the plaintiffs. Only after the Commissioner having filed the report, the plaintiff have chosen to take step to get modified the plaint, which was also negatived by the trial court. https://hcservices.ecourts.gov.in/hcservices/ viii] The appellate court being the last court of fact, was not expected to apply its own ratiocination and simply decree the suit, when the plaint itself was niggard and bereft of pleadings. Accordingly, the learned counsel for the defendants would pray for setting aside the judgement and decree of the first appellate court and for restoring the judgement and decree of the trial court. 8. Alternis visibus, the learned counsel for the defendants would pray for adducing some more evidence and for that purpose, he would pray for remanding the matter to the first appellate court at least, so as to give an opportunity to the defendants to put forth their case by summoning the public officials. 9. Per contra, in a bid to torpedo and pulverise the arguments as put forth and set forth on the side of the defendants, the learned counsel for the plaintiffs would develop his argument placing reliance on the admission of D.Ws.1 and 2 and the factum of one Rajambal occupied as tenant the area of the plaintiff to the West of the "B" Scheduled Property. 10. All these points are taken together for discussion as they are inter-linked and inter-woven with one another. 11. The admissions made by DW1 and DW2 as under, @nkyz;il gf;fk; itj;jpyp';fk; Mrhhp kfs; uhrhk;ghs; , Ue;jhh;/ mth; ,we;J nghdhh;/ uhrhk;ghs; FoapUe;J ,we;J nghd , lk; mg;gona cs;sJ/ mJ ahUf;Fr; brhe;jkhdJ vd;W vdf;F bjhpahJ/ ehd; FoapUf;Fk; ,lj;jpw;F tltz;il gf;fk; ma;aUf;F brhe;jk;/ ma;aUf;F 100 mo ,lk; cs;sJ/ ma;ah; ,lj;jpw;Fk; , ilna K:';fpy; Fj;J ehd; tUtjw;F Kd;gpUe;nj me;j K:';fpy; Fj;J cs;sJ/ //////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// ,J tiu ma;ah; ,lk; vd;W bjhpahJ/ vdf;Fk; mtUf;Fk; , Jtiu rz;il te;jJk; fpilahJ/ vd; tPL t/c/rp/ tlf;F bjUit ghh;j;J cs;sJ/ me;j bjUthdJ Foahdj; bjU MFk;/ tPL. nkd; Tiou vdf;F brhe;jk; vd;gjhy; thjpfspd; ,e;j tHf;if js;Sgo bra;a ntz;Lk;/ @@ehd; ,e;j ,lj;jpy; te;J 26 tUl';fs; ,Uf;Fk uhrhk;ghs; ,lk; ma;ah; ,lk; cs;sJ/ ma;ah; vd;gJ thjp Mfk;/ https://hcservices.ecourts.gov.in/hcservices/ me;j ,lk; mth;fsJ ,lkhf ,Ue;jJ/@ /////////////////////............ v';fsJ tPl;ow;F nkyz;l gf;fk; buj;jpdk; Mrhhp kfs; uhrhk;ghs; ,Ue;jhh;/ ,g;nghJ me;j ,lk; fhypkidahf cs;sJ/ me;j mo kid ma;aUf;F brhe;jk;/ buj;jpdk; Mrhhpia ma;ah; jhd; Fo itj;jhh;/ me;j ,lj;jpw;F mLj;j fpHf;nf eh';fs; FoapUf;fpnwhk;/ mjw;F mLj;j fpHf;nf fypabgUkhs; vd;gth; FoapUf;fpwhh;@///////////////////////////////////// (DW2 would amply make the point pellucidly and palpably clear that they themselves have given a go by to the theory that they acquired prescriptive title as owners of the suit property by adverse possession. So far as the plea of adverse possession is concerned both the courts below gave concurrent findings, negativing the plea, warranting no interference in second appeal as there is no perversity or illegality involved in their findings under that count. For the same reasons, the suit cannot be held to be bad for want of a prayer for declaration of title. 12. The boundaries, they have to be seen in matters of this nature would prevail over the extent. No doubt, in the old documents referred to supra, the linear measurements from east to west is mentioned as 63 feet and from North to South as 100 feet, even though as found by the Commissioner correctly the exact extent from North to South is 162.5 feet. 13. In the ancient documents when there were no dispute at all of this nature, the boundaries were found specified correctly. In fact, the entire property, which belonged to the said Swaminatha Iyer and his relatives, was sandwiched by Agraharam street on the North and VOC street on the south and in such a case, all of a sudden, holus bolus, third parties like the defendants cannot claim title over the small moiety namely, the "B" scheduled property, which is almost on the south eastern corner of the land belonging to the plaintiffs, abutting VOC street and that too when to the West of the said defendants' hut, admittedly, one Rajammal who was the tenant as per Exs.B3 to B8 (house tax receipts) under the plaintiff, vacated it and ultimately, the said area, which was under the occupation of Rajammal as tenant, is now under the occupation of the plaintiffs. 14. The above narration of facts would pellucidly and palpably make the point clear that there was an error apparent in the specification of the linear measurements as 21 feet from east to west and 100 feet from North to South in describing the plaintiffs property. However, in the plaint schedule of property as well as in the ancient documents, referred to supra, the four https://hcservices.ecourts.gov.in/hcservices/ boundaries are found set out correctly. 15. I am fully aware of the fact that in all cases, blindly, it cannot be taken that boundaries will prevail over the extent and it all depends upon the facts and figures pertaining to a case. 16. At this juncture, I would like to cite the following decisions: 1. 1996(1) MLJ 542 [Mahalingam v. A.S.Narayanaswamy Iyer and others], certain excerpts from it would run thus: "5. My attention is drawn by the senior counsel for the appellant to the following passages in Halsbury's Laws of England, Fourth Edition, Vol.50. "455. False demonstratio non nocet: It is a rule of construction, which applies to all written instruments and not to Wills alone, that if, of various terms used to describe a subject matter (whether a person or property) some are sufficient to ascertain the subject matter with certainty but others add a description which is not true, these other terms are not allowed to vitiate the gift. The rule in full is false demonstratio non nocent cum de corpore constat and the second part of this maxim is an essential part of it. The false description must merely be added into that which is otherwise clear, although it need not come at the end of the sentence. The characteristic of cases within the rule is that the description so far as it is false applies to no subject at all and so far as it is true applies to one one. 457. Limits of the rule: The rule of false demonstratio is limited by a second rule of no less importance, namely that additional words are not rejected as a false description if they are capable of being read as accurate words of restriction. If, therefore, it is doubtful whether the words of the will import a false reference or description, or whether they are words of restriction that limit the generality of former https://hcservices.ecourts.gov.in/hcservices/ words, the court never presumes error or falsehood and the latter construction is preferred. Accordingly, where there exists some subject as to which all the descriptions are true, and some subject as to which part is true and part false, the words are considered to be words of true restriction, so that they refer to that subject only as to which all the descriptions are true." 6. Reference is made to the judgment in Anderson v. Berkley, (1902) 1 Ch.D.936 and the following passage therein. "It is not a rule, however, that, where the description is made up of more than one part, and one part is true but the other is false, then, if the part which is true describes the subject or object of the gift with sufficient certainty, the untrue part will be rejected, and will not vitiate the gifts." 7. A Division Bench of this Court in Krishnamurthy v. Venkataramanappa (1947) 2 MLJ 247 extracted the above passage from Halsbury and applied the doctrine of falsa demonstratio. 8. Reliance is also placed on a judgment of mine in Madhavan v. Kannammal, (1989)1 MLJ 136, wherein I have pointed out that it is not proper for the court to adopt a construction which would lead to a redundancy of certain words used by the testator, that any construction of a document must be in such a manner that it should give a meaning to all words used by the testator and that the entire document must be taken into consideration and the language used by the testator has to be considered before the interpretation is given. 11. A single Judge of this court relying upon the aforesaid judgment held in Siviseshamuthu v. Gopalakrishna, A.I.R.1963 Mad.147, that where the property sold is part of a definite survey number and in the sale deed the exact boundaries of the part sold are given and the area mentioned is only approximate, the description by boundaries should prevail in ascertaining the actual property https://hcservices.ecourts.gov.in/hcservices/ sold under the document. 12. Reliance is also place on the judgment of another single Judge in Church of South India v. Raja Ambrose, (1978) 2 MLJ 620. The learned Judge has however taken care to hold that the question depends upon the intention of the parties as expressed in the relevant conveyance deed." 2. (2002) 2 MLJ 612 [State of Tamil Nadu, rep. by its District Collector, Tirunelveli v. Mohamed Nagib and others], certain excerpts from it would run thus: "4.1. In my considered opinion, it is well settled in law that the boundaries will prevail over the extent alone, but, not the Survey Number also. That apart, the said principle is applicable only in a transaction agreed and entered between the parties, but not in a case of unilateral approach. 4.3. The principle that the boundaries prevail over the extent, in my considered opinion, shall not construe boundaries prevail over the Survey Number also, when the respondents/plaintiffs themselves have stated in the plaint that they had purchased the suit property, which is located only in T.S.No.230/1 and not otherwise. It may also be noted that the respondents/plaintiffs had not chosen to seek an amendment that they had purchased the suit property located in T.S.No.234 at all." 3. 1984(2) MLJ 306 [Dina Malar Publications, a Tamil daily, reptd., by its Partner, R.Krishnamoorthy v. The Tiruchirapalli Municipality, reptd., by its Executive Authority, the Commr., and others], an excerpt from it would run thus: "9. The property in question bears a subdivided town survey No.371/2, with an extent of 2,400 sq.ft. The property in question is not an unserveyed area or an area in respect of which the extent is in doubt. In laying down the principle that the boundaries should prevail over the extent, in the above decisions, the learned Judges have applied the following principles:- (1) in case of doubtful or varying extents in the documents of title relating to the property, boundaries should be preferred to the extent; (2) Only in the https://hcservices.ecourts.gov.in/hcservices/ absence of definite material to show the actual extent intended to be sold the boundaries should outweigh the doubtful extent mentioned in the document; (3) If the recitals in the documents and the circumstances of the case show that a lesser extent only was conveyed than the area covered by boundaries, and there is clear evidence as to the intention of the parties with reference to the extent conveyed, then the extent should prevail over the boundaries. Bearing in mind the abovesaid principles, we will have to examine the facts of this case." The fact remains that the boundaries have not been specified for the first time without having any backing of the documents relating to them. Even as early as in the year 1941 and subsequently, the four boundaries relating to the entire extent of the property are found correctly described, which are incontrovertible and ungainsayable. 17. No doubt, on the one hand, the plaintiffs would contend that only 10 years anterior to the filing of the suit, the defendants were allowed to occupy the suit property on the permission of the plaintiffs; but the exhibits marked on the side of the defendants so to say, the tax receipts would cover the period from 1984. However, the learned counsel for the plaintiffs would submit that the appellate court rejected some of those receipts on the ground that there were corrections and held that only at the most from 1987, the defendants could be presumed to be in occupation of the suit property. No doubt, there is one exhibit of the year 1975; but it has not been proved or established that the authorities issued it for any specific purpose like construction of the hut, etc. Even assuming that, for more than 10 years or as admitted by the plaintiff during cross examination that the defendants have been in occupation for about 15 years, still the core question arises as to whether the defendants could be taken as the ones having acquired prescriptive title. 18. As against the concurrent findings of fact, this court is not enjoined to decide to the contrary unless there is any perversity or illegality in rendering such findings. Notwithstanding the same, this court keeping in mind that the defendants are poor people and cutting across all the technicalities, probed into the matter further infra. https://hcservices.ecourts.gov.in/hcservices/ 19. I recollect the following decisions of the Hon'ble Apex Court in this regard. (i) (2011) 1 SCC 673 [Vijay Kumar Talwar v. Commissioner of Income Tax, Delhi], certain excerpts from it would run thus: "19. It is manifest from a bare reading of the section that an appeal to the High Court from a decision of the Tribunal lies only when a substantial question of law is involved, and where the High Court comes to the conclusion that a substantial question of law arises from the said order, it is mandatory that such question(s) must be formulated. The expression "substantial question of law" is not defined in the act. Nevertheless, it has acquired a definite connotation through various judicial pronouncements. 23. A finding of fact may give rise to a substantial question of law, inter alia, in the event the findings are based on no evidence and/or while arriving at the said finding, relevant admissible evidence has not been taken into consideration or inadmissible evidence has been taken into consideration or legal principles have not been applied in appreciating the evidence, or when the evidence has been misread." and the following principles are found enunciated in the decision reported in (2006) 5 Supreme Court Cases 545 – HERO VINOTH (MINOR) VS. SESHAMMAL 24. . . . (iii) The general rule is that High Court will not interfere with the concurrent findings of the Courts below. But it is not an absolute rule. Some of the well-recognised exceptions are where (i) the Courts below have ignored material evidence or acted on no evidence; (ii) the courts have drawn wrong inferences from proved facts by applying the law erroneously; or (iii) the courts have wrongly cast the burden of proof. When we refer to "decision based on no evidence", it not only refers to cases where there is a total dearth of evidence, but also refers to any case, where the evidence, taken as a whole, is not reasonably capable of supporting the finding." (ii) 2008(4) SCALE 300 – KASHMIR SINGH VS. HARNAM SINGH AND ANOTHER. https://hcservices.ecourts.gov.in/hcservices/ (iii) 2009-1-L.W.1 – STATE BANK OF INDIA & OTHERS vs. S.N.GOYAL It is therefore crystal clear from the mere poring over and perusal of the aforesaid precedents that unless there is any perversity or illegality in the rendering of the finding of facts by both the courts below, the question of interfering by the High Court under Section 100 of the Code of Civil Procedure would not arise. 20. I harp back to the following precedent of the Hon'ble Apex Court reported in (2007) 6 SCC 59 [P.T.Munichikkanna Reddy and others vs. Revamma and others]. An excerpt of it would run thus: "10. In that context it is relevant to refer to JA Pye (Oxford) Ltd. v. United Kingdom wherein the