Smt.Ratnawwa W/O. Late Kallappa Dalawai v. Parawwa W/O. Late Adiveppa Dalawai
Partition – Hindu Undivided Family of propositus Ningappa
Case brief
What is this about?
Partition and separate possession suit (O.S.No.77/2015, III Addl. Senior Civil Judge, Hubballi) among heirs of Kallappa Dalawai; RFA under S.96 CPC by defendants 1, 8, 9 (Sunanda, Rekha, Chandru) and cross-objection under Order 41 Rule 22 CPC by defendants 2, 5-7 (Ratnawwa, Raju, Bharat, Vaishnavi). Held: item 2(H) bought via registered sale deed Ex.P-9 in Ratnawwa's name is her absolute property under S.14(1) Hindu Succession Act 1956 (no joint family nucleus proved; not partitionable during her lifetime); Marriage Certificate Ex.D-2 (17.04.2001) and Birth Certificates Exs.D-3 to D-5 prove Ratnawwa is Kallappa's legally wedded wife and mother of defendants 5-7; trial Court's finding that Sunanda was the first wife is perverse - Sunanda is the second wife; children of the second wife (defendants 8, 9) take a share in Kallappa's estate per S.16(3) Hindu Marriage Act with Revanasiddappa v. Mallikarjun (2023) 10 SCC 1; shares refixed - defendants 2, 5-7: 13/42; defendants 8, 9: 1/42 each; appeal dismissed, cross-objection allowed, preliminary decree modified. Keywords: Hindu undivided family partition; ancestral property; self-acquired property; female Hindu absolute ownership; joint family nucleus; second wife; legitimacy/share of children; notional partition; RFA cross-objection; Dharwad Bench.