# 13& KUCHIYAN GOVINDA SW AMI v. KALLIANI AMMA LEKSHMI AMMA AND ORS

- **Citation:** [1966] Supp. 1 S.C.R. 135
- **Court:** Supreme Court of India
- **Decided:** 1966-03-31
- **Case number:** Civil Appeal No. 225 of 1964
- **Bench:** M. Hidayatullah, J. R. Mudholkar, R. S. Bachawat, J. M. Shelat
- **Source:** https://unisonlegal.in/judgment/supreme-court-of-india/13-kuchiyan-govinda-sw-ami-v-kalliani-amma-lekshmi-amma-and-ors-3791
- **Pages:** 4

## Headnote

Ke•ala Land Reform' Act, 1963 (Ker. 1of1964), ss. 2(28), 2(26)
-"Kuzhikanam" and "Kudiyiruppu'-', meaning.
By a deed styled 'otti Kuzhikanam deed', the predecessor of the
respondent sold a building standing on a property to the predecessor
of the appellant and also transferred to him the right to possess and
enjoy the property for 12 years in Kuzhikanam right with liberty
to plant coconut trees thereon. The deed expressly reserved the right
for the respondent to enjoy the fruit bearing trees then standing on
the properties. and provided that after expiry of 12 y~ar~ the appellant would on demand demolish and take away the bmldmg and surrender possession of the land on receipt of a certain amount and he
agreed compensation for the coconut trees planted by him. The respondent instituted a suit for redemption of the property, which was
decreed. On appeals, the decree was affirmed by the District Court
and High Court. In appeal to this Court the appellant claimed fixity
of tenure and protection from eviction on the ground thd he was (i)
a Kuzhikanamdar under s. 2(57)(d) and s. 2(28), or alternatively,
(ii) the holder of a kudiyiruppu under s. 2(57) (hY and s. 2(26) of
the Kerala Land Reforms Act.
HELD: (i) The deed did not grant Kuzhikanam rights to the
appellant.
"Kuzhikanam" as defined in s. 2(28) means a transfer (1) of garden lands or of other lands or of both, (2) with the fruit bearing trees,
if any standing thereon at the time of the transfer, (3) for the enjoyment of those trees and (4) for the purpose of planting such fruit bearing trees thereon. It does not include a u~ufructuary mortgage as defined in the Transfer of Property Act, 1882 but it was not the case of
the respondent that the deed created such a usufructuary mortgage.
(137 E-FJ
A tranffi'cr of land without the fruit bearing trees then standing
on it and not carrying Vv·ith it the right to enjoy those trees was not a
kuzhikanam as defined ins. 2(28). The force of the words "if any" in
the definition of "kuzhikanam" in s. 2(28) is that if there are any
fruit bearing trees on the land at the time of the transfer, the trees
also must be transferred for their enjoyment by the transferee.
[137 H-138 BJ
.
(ii) The appellant was not the holder of Kudiyiruppu within th~
meaning of s. 2(26) cl the Act.
There was no material on the record to show that the building
on the land was a residential building. Moreover, it did not appear
that the land was necessary for the convenient enjoyment of the
building. [138 DJ

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13&
KUCHIYAN GOVINDA SW AMI
v.
KALLIANI AMMA LEKSHMI AMMA AND ORS.
March 31, 1966
[M. HIDAYATULLAH, J. R. MUDHOLKAR, R. S. BACHAWAT AND
J. M. SHELAT, JJ.J
Ke•ala Land Reform' Act, 1963 (Ker. 1of1964), ss. 2(28), 2(26)
-"Kuzhikanam" and "Kudiyiruppu'-', meaning.
By a deed styled 'otti Kuzhikanam deed', the predecessor of the
respondent sold a building standing on a property to the predecessor
of the appellant and also transferred to him the right to possess and
enjoy the property for 12 years in Kuzhikanam right with liberty
to plant coconut trees thereon. The deed expressly reserved the right
for the respondent to enjoy the fruit bearing trees then standing on
the properties. and provided that after expiry of 12 y~ar~ the appellant would on demand demolish and take away the bmldmg and surrender possession of the land on receipt of a certain amount and he
agreed compensation for the coconut trees planted by him. The respondent instituted a suit for redemption of the property, which was
decreed. On appeals, the decree was affirmed by the District Court
and High Court. In appeal to this Court the appellant claimed fixity
of tenure and protection from eviction on the ground thd he was (i)
a Kuzhikanamdar under s. 2(57)(d) and s. 2(28), or alternatively,
(ii) the holder of a kudiyiruppu under s. 2(57) (hY and s. 2(26) of
the Kerala Land Reforms Act.
HELD: (i) The deed did not grant Kuzhikanam rights to the
appellant.
"Kuzhikanam" as defined in s. 2(28) means a transfer (1) of garden lands or of other lands or of both, (2) with the fruit bearing trees,
if any standing thereon at the time of the transfer, (3) for the enjoyment of those trees and (4) for the purpose of planting such fruit bearing trees thereon. It does not include a u~ufructuary mortgage as defined in the Transfer of Property Act, 1882 but it was not the case of
the respondent that the deed created such a usufructuary mortgage.
(137 E-FJ
A tranffi'cr of land without the fruit bearing trees then standing
on it and not carrying Vv·ith it the right to enjoy those trees was not a
kuzhikanam as defined ins. 2(28). The force of the words "if any" in
the definition of "kuzhikanam" in s. 2(28) is that if there are any
fruit bearing trees on the land at the time of the transfer, the trees
also must be transferred for their enjoyment by the transferee.
[137 H-138 BJ
.
(ii) The appellant was not the holder of Kudiyiruppu within th~
meaning of s. 2(26) cl the Act.
There was no material on the record to show that the building
on the land was a residential building. Moreover, it did not appear
that the land was necessary for the convenient enjoyment of the
building. [138 DJ
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Civil Appeal No. 225 of
1964.
Appeal by special leave from the judgment and decree dated
Ju1y 25. 1961 of the Kerala High Court in S.A No. 852 Of 1957.
L/S5SCI-Jl
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~l'1'RElt.E COLRT RFPOR1'H
A. G. Pudi.uery, for the appellant.
M. R. K. Pillai, for the respondents.
[1966] 8!'.>P. ~.c n.
The Judgment of the Court was delivered by
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Bachawat, J. In 1921, the plantiff executed in favour of the deB
fendant an otti kuzhikanam deed in respect of the suit property.
By this deed, the plaintiff sold to the defendant the building standing on the property for 350 fanams and also transferred to him for
350 fanams the right to possess and enjoy the property for 12 years
in kuzhikanam right with liberty to plant coconut trees thereon,
expressly reserving for the plaintiff the right to enjoy the fruitbearing trees then standing on the property. The deed provided
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that after the expiry of 12 years the defendant would on demand
demolish and take away the building and surrender possession of
the land on receipt of 350 fanams and the agreed compensation for
the coconut trees planted by him. The plaintiff instituted a suit for
redemption of the property. During the pendency of the litigation,
the plaintiff and the defendant died, and their legal representatives
were substituted in their place. On May 31, 1951, the Principal
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District Munsif. Quilon decreed the suit. On appeal. the District
Court of Quilon aflirmed this decree. The present appellant, who
is one of the legal representatives of the original defendant, filed
a second appeal in 1 he High Court of Kerala. During the pendency
of this appeal, the Kerala Agrarian Relations Act. 1960 (Act IV
of 1961 I came into force. Before the High Court. the appellant
claimed fixity of tenure and protection from eviction on the ground
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that he was a ku1hikanamdar or alternatively, the holder of a
kudiyiruppu. and, therefore. a tenant within the meaning of s. 2(50l
(i)le) read with s. 2122) and s. 2(50)(illjl read with s. 2121) of Act
IV of 1961. The High Court negatived this contention, and dismissed the appeal. The appellant now appeals to this Court by
special leave. During the pendency of this appeal, Act IV of 1961
was repealed and the Kerala Land Reforms Act, 1963 <Act I of
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1964) came into force. The appellant now claims fixity of tenure
and protection from eviction on the ground that he is a kuzhikanamdar within the meaning of s. 2(57)(d) read with s. 2(28), or
alternatively. the hnlder of a kudiyiruppu within the meaning of
s. 2(57)(h) read with s. 2(26) of Act I of 1964. In the High Court,
the appellant also claimed protection from eviction on the ground
that he was a 'kudikidappukaran', but this contention was negaG
tived by the High Court and is no longer pressed.
Section 13 of Act I of 1964 gives to every tenant fixity of
tenure in respect of his holding. and forbids resumption of the
holding except as provided in ss. 14 to 22. Section 2(571 defines
'tenant'. By section' 2(57){d) and (h), a tenant includes a kuzhikaH
namdar and the holder of a kudiyiruppu. The appellant does not
contend that he is a tenant as defined in the main part of s. 2(57).
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GOVINDA SWAMI v. KALLIANI AMMA (Bachawat, J.)
137
He, however, contends that he is a tenant as defined in s. 2(57)(d)
and s. 2(57)(h).
The deed of 1921 was styled 'otti kuzhikanam deed'. In Malabar, the word "otti" in the context of the deed designates a possessory mortgage. According to Wilson's Glossary of Judicial and
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Revenue Terms, "kurikanam" means "compensation allowed for
the value of trees planted, or other improvements made by the
tenant or mortgagee on relinquishing possession; a lease or mortgage on such conditions." Under a kuzhikanam mortgage or lease
in Malabar, the grantee normally acquires the right to hold the
property for 12 years for the purpose of planting fruit-bearing
trees thereon and to claim compensation for the value of the trees
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planted on relinquishing possession. Had there been no special
definition of the expression "kuzhikanam" in Act I of 1964, we
would have been inclined to hold that the grantee under the deed
of 1921 was a kuzhikanamdar. But s. 2(28) of Act I of 1964 provides that in this Act unless the context otherwise requires, "kuzhikana'm" means and includes a transfer of garden lands or of other
lands or of both, with the fruit-bearing trees, if any, standing thereD
on at the time of the transfer, for the enjoyment of those trees and
for the purpose of planting such fruit-bearing trees thereon but
shall not include a usufructuary mortgage a<s defined in the Transfer of Property Act, 1882." This definition of kuzhikanam is both
inclusive and exhaustive. Unless the context requires otherwise,
the expression "kuzhikanam in the Act can have only the meaning
given in s. 2(28). There is nothing in the context of s. 2(57) and
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s. 13, which requires a different meaning for this expression.
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"Kuzhikanam" as defined in s. 2(28) means a transfer (!) of garden
lands or of other lands or of both, (2) with the fruit-bearing trees,
if any, standing thereon at the time of the transfer, (3) for the enjoyment of those trees and (4) for the purpose of planting such fruitbearing trees thereon. It does not include a usufructuary mortgage
as defined in the Transfer of Property Act, 1882, but it is not the
case of the plaintiff that the deed of 1921 created such a usufructuary mortgage. Now the deed of 1921, while effecting a transfer
of land for the purpose of planting coconut trees thereon, expressly
reserved for the grantor the right to enjoy the fruit-bearing trees
then standing on the land and did not transfer those trees to the
grantee. On behalf of the appellant, it was argued that the words
"with the fruit-bearing trees, if any, standing thereon at the time of
the transfer, for the enjoyment of those trees" are not essential
parts of the definition of 'kuzhikanam' in s. 2(28), and that we
should hold that a transfer of land for the purpose of planting
fruit-bearing trees thereon is kuzhikanam, though there is no transfer of the fruit-bearing trees stalllding on the land at the time of the
transfer and though the transfer is not for the en.ioyment of those
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trees. We are unable to accept this contention. We think that a
transfer of land without the fruit-bearing trees then standing on it
and not carrying with it the right to enjoy those trees is not a
L/S5SCI-ll(a)
138
8UPRF..llE C'OcRT REP0RT'!
(I 966] SUPP. R.C.H.
kuzhikanam as defined in s. 2(28). The force of the words "if any" A
in the definition is that if there are any fruit-bearing trees on the
land at the time of the transfer. the trees also must be transferred
for their enjoyment hy the transferee. The contention that the deed
of 1921 granted kuzhikanam rights as defined in s. 2(28) of Act I
of 1964 is rejected.
The appellant next contends that he is the holder of kudiyiruppu. Section 2(26) of Act I of 1964 which defines 'kudiyiruppu',
reads:
"kudiyiruppu" means a holding or part of a holding consisting of the site of any residential building. the site or sites of
other buildings appurtenant thereto. such other lands as are
necessary for the convenient enjoyment of such residential
building and easements attached thereto, but does not include
a kudikidappu."
J here is no material on the record to show that the building on the
land is a residential building. Moreover, it does not appear that
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the land is necessary for the convenient enjoyment of the building.
The contention that the appellant is the holder of kudiyiruppu is
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rejected.
The appeal fails and is dismissed. There will be no order as to
costs.
A ppea/ dismissed.
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