Ashok Girimallappa Koti @ Koti Ashok v. Smt Mangala Madhusudhan Katke
Case brief
What is this about?
Karnataka HC (Dharwad), RFA 100182/2017 c/w RFA.CROB 100009/2024, decided 02-06-2025 by Hanchate Sanjeevkumar J. Key themes: oral family partition dated 12.11.1990 proved through memorandum of partition Ex.D.18 and mutation extract Ex.D.16 (ME.No.914) as public documents; Vineeta Sharma v. Rakesh Sharma (MANU/SC/0582/2020) para 129(v) applied to accept an oral partition supported by public documents; proviso to Section 6 Hindu Succession Act (Act 39/2005) saves pre-20.12.2004 partitions; Karnataka Act 23/1994 (Sections 6(a)-(c), w.e.f. 30.07.1994); bona fide purchaser under sale deed dt.28.04.1999; daughters granted equal 1/10th shares in all properties other than suit 'A' item No.1; rejection of notional partition; Section 8 HSA inapplicable after partition; suit found collusive/ill-motivated; trial decree in O.S.366/2014 (Hubballi) modified accordingly.
What did the court decide?
RFA 100182/2017 and RFA.CROB 100009/2024 allowed in part: judgment and decree dt.25.01.2017 in O.S.No.366/2014 set aside insofar as it decreed partition of suit schedule 'A' - item No.1 property, defendant No.1 being declared its bona fide purchaser; decree confirmed for the other properties except the quantum, granting 1/10th share each to plaintiff Nos.1-2, defendant Nos.2-4 and defendant Nos.10-13, and 1/10th together to defendant Nos.5-9 (heirs of late Devaraj); no order as to costs; decree to be drawn and TCR transmitted to the trial court.