TOTAPPA VIRBHADRAPPA JOLAD Vs. SHARANBASAPPA SANGANBASAPPA JOLAD

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THIS appeal arises out of a suit for partition filed by the plaintiff against his uncle Totappa, defendant No.1, and his step-brother Basawaneppa, defendant No.2. The plaintiff's mother Basawa was impleaded as defendant No.3, and in her written statement she asked for the separation, of her share also. Defendants Nos. 1 and 2 contended that the plaintiff was an idiot by birth and as such was not entitled to any share in the joint family property. The lower Court held that the plaintiff was not an idiot, and ordered a partition and declared that the plaintiff and defendants Nos. 2 and 3 were each entitled to one-sixth share in the joint family property, and defendant No. l to a half share, and ordered that the property assessed to Government be partitioned through the Collector and the rest of the property be partitioned by a Commissioner appointed by the Court, that each sharer be put in possession of the property allotted, and that defendants Nos. 1, 2 and 3 do pay the necessary court-fees in respect of the shares allotted to them at the time of execution.

(2.) DEFENDANTS Nos. 1 and 2 have appealed, contending that the plaintiff should not have been given a share as he is an idiot by birth, and assuming, that he is entitled to a share, defendant No.3 is not entitled to a separate share as defendants Nos, 1 and 2 want to continue joint. There is no evidence on which the plaintiff can be held to be an idiot. Defendant No.1 vaguely asserts that the plaintiff can understand nothing and is therefore an idiot from his birth. On behalf of defendants Nos. 1 and 2 two other witnesses were examined. Both the witnesses were members of the managing committee of the Co-operative Society of which defendant No. 1 was the Chairman and are, therefore, interested in him. Even they do not appear to have any reason for knowing whether the plaintiff is an idiot or not, and all that they say is that the plaintiff cannot understand properly and does not speak coherently. But the plaintiff entered the witness box and searching: questions were put to him by the learned trial Judge. He said that he was studying in Kannada 3rd Standard, that he was attending school for the last three or four years, and that he had no personal knowledge about the extent of the family property. When he was questioned regarding the multiplication tables and several other details, he gave correct and rational answers, and the learned Judge has made a special note at the end of his deposition that the plaintiff did not appear to be an idiot. The plaintiff had never any treatment for idiocy and no expert witness is examined to prove that he is an idiot. The burden of proof lay on defendants Nos. 1 and 2 to prove that the plaintiff is an idiot, and on the evidence the lower Court held rightly that the idiocy of the plaintiff was not proved.