PARTAP Vs. PUNIYA BAI

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THIS is a revision petition under Section 115 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

(2.) NON-APPLICANT No. 1 filed a suit for declaration of her title over the land in suit and for confirmation of possession thereof. She paid court-fees of Rs. 30/on the relief of declaration and of Rs. 55/-on the relief of confirmation of possession on the basis of half of 20 times of the land revenue of the land as she claimed only half share therein. The defendant-applicant raised an objection that the suit was not properly valued for court-fees. This objection was disallowed by the trial Court. Being aggrieved thereby the applicant has filed this revision petition.

(3.) THE case of the plaintiff as laid in the plaint is as follows. She is an old illiterate village woman residing in the interior of Chhindwara district having no knowledge or experience of the working of Courts and offices. She owns half share in the land in suit. The other half is held by her sisters-in-law. Defendant no. 1 who is her uterine brother resides in a nereby village and the plaintiff seeks his advice from time to time. Thus he wielded considerable influence on her and gained her confidence. In or about 1971, some of the relations of plaintiff's husband interfered with her possession over the lands. Plaintiff, therefore, approached defendant No. 1 for advice. Defendant No. 1 advised the plaintiff that it would be necessary to make an application to the Collector, chhindwara and this would entail on expenditure of Rs. 200/ -. This amount was accordingly paid by the plaintiff to defendant No. 1. On the aforesaid representation the defendant No. 1 took the plaintiff to Chhindwara and he managed to secure her thumb impression on some papers on the representation that she was merely making a petition to the Collector. Thereafter she was produced before an officer and she said 'yes' to every question put to her directly. Later on the plaintiff came to know that defendant no. 1' had fraudulently obtained her thumb impression on the sale-deed. She immediately sent for defendant No. 1 and accused him of cheating her and thereupon defendant No. 1 expressed regret and agreed to execute deeds of retransfer. As the defendant No. 1 did not do anything thereafter and on the other hand transferred the lands to defendants 2 to 5 on 1-4-1972, the plaintiff filed this suit.