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Bombay High Court

ATMARAM SHANKAR GHANGAONversusNAMDEO PANDURANG DANDGE THROUGH NEXT FRINED KRUSHNA PANDHARINATH DANDGE AND ANOTHER

Disposal
DISPOSED OFF

Holding

The appeal was dismissed in limine as no substantial question of law arose, affirming the lower courts' findings in favour of the plaintiffs.

Summary

The appellant, Atmaram Shankar Ghangaon, appealed against a decree that upheld the plaintiff's ownership and possession of a suit land. The appellant argued that the plaintiff, Krishna Pandharinath Dandge, lacked authority to sue on behalf of Namdeo Pandurang Dandge and that Namdeo was not mentally incapacitated. The defendant contended that a consent deed, allegedly executed by the plaintiff who was suffering from mental illness, permitted him to cultivate the land. The trial and appellate courts found that the plaintiff was the rightful owner and rejected the alleged consent deed, concluding that the defendant's defence was evasive. The High Court held that there was no substantial question of law and dismissed the appeal in limine, disposing of the related civil application.

Issues considered

  • What was the authority of Krishna Pandharinath Dandge to institute suit on behalf of Namdeo Pandurang Dandge?
  • Whether Namdeo Pandurang Dandge was mentally ill or legally incapable of managing his affairs?
  • Whether the alleged consent deed executed by the plaintiff was valid and could affect possession of the suit land?

Subjects

  • authority to sue
  • mental incapacity
  • consent deed
  • possession
  • civil appeal
  • appeal dismissed
  • high court

Judgment

2026:BHC-AUG:39048



                                                (1)                 974 sa 432.26

                         IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
                                    BENCH AT AURANGABAD

                              974 SECOND APPEAL NO. 432 OF 2026
                            WITH CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 9626 OF 2026

                                 ATMARAM SHANKAR GHANGAON
                                           VERSUS
                                  NAMDEO PANDURANG DANDGE

                                                 …..
                Advocate for Appellant : Mr. Ravi Raosaheb Bangar & Amol Ram Joshi
                                                 …..

                                          CORAM :     SANJAY A. DESHMUKH, J.
                                          DATE :      27.08.2026

           Per Court:-

           1.            The present appeal is preferred against the judgment and decree

           dated 25.07.2025 passed by the learned Principal District Judge, Aurangabad,

           in Regular Civil Appeal No. 97 of 2021, whereby the judgment and decree

           dated 13.08.2021 passed by the learned Trial Court in Regular Civil Suit No.

           52 of 2012 came to be challenged.


           2.            Learned advocate for the appellant took this Court through the

           pleadings, evidence on record, grounds raised in the appeal, and the reasons

           recorded in the impugned judgment. He submitted that the plaintiff, Krishna

           Pandharinath Dandge, had no authority to institute the suit on behalf of

           Namdeo Pandurang Dandge. He further submitted that it was not proved that

           Namdeo Pandurang Dandge was mentally ill or legally incapable of managing
                                      (2)                   974 sa 432.26

his affairs. He pointed out that the Courts below held that the plaintiffs are

the owners of the suit property and restrained the defendant from causing

obstruction to their peaceful possession thereof.


3.          Upon perusal of both the judgments, and particularly the stand

taken by the defendant in paragraph 2 of the written statement, it appears

that the defendant himself admitted that Krishna Pandharinath Dandge, who

had instituted the suit on behalf of the plaintiffs, had permitted the defendant

to cultivate the suit land and that a consent deed had been executed in that

regard. The defendant further contended that he had not fabricated any

document and that the names of the defendant were recorded by the Talathi

and the Tahsildar in the cultivation column. The defendant did not dispute the

title of the plaintiffs; rather, he disputed their possession and relied upon the

alleged consent deed.


4.          Upon perusal of the impugned judgments and the written

statement, it is evident that the defendant has taken an evasive defence based

upon the alleged consent deed said to have been executed by the plaintiff,

who, according to the defendant, was suffering from mental illness. There is a

clear and categorical finding recorded by both the Courts below against the

defendant in that regard.
                                     (3)                   974 sa 432.26

5.          In view of the concurrent findings of fact recorded by the Courts

below, no substantial question of law arises for consideration in the present

appeal. The appeal, therefore, deserves to be dismissed in limine.


6.          Hence, the appeal is dismissed in limine. Civil Application No.

9626 of 2026 stands disposed of accordingly.



                                                [SANJAY A. DESHMUKH, J.]




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