Man wages legal battle against kin for Rs 10 and wins

"This Court has no reasons to disbelieve the testimony led on behalf of the plaintiff. Accordingly it is concluded that the plaintiff is entitled to receive one-third rent in respect of the suit property (tin-shed shop)," held Additional Senior Civil Judge (ASCJ) Gautam Manan, pronouncing his verdict.

The legal battle was launched by Central Delhi resident Raunak Singh in March 2007 against his two brothers Balwant Singh and Shiv Charan as well as tenant Bhajan Singh, whom his father Narian Singh had rented out his tin shed shop at Ranjit Nagar in West Delhi on a monthly rental of Rs 30.

For recovery of his one-third share of the rent from the shop, Raunak filed the civit suit in 2007, 35 years after death of his father in 1982. In his suit, he alleged that tenant Bhajan Singh had been paying the entire rent to his brother Balwant Singh, but he never received his monthly share of Rs 10 out of the rent from the property since 2004.

Incidentally, during the pendency of the suit in the court, Raunak's elder brother Balwant died. This led Raunak to make all the members of his late brother's family, including his wife, two sons and two daughters, party to the suit, lest no one later raises questions over his share in the property.

Interestingly, despite repeated court summons, neither the tenant nor any of his brothers, nor even the family members of his late brother, appeared before the court, which eventually gave the verdict in favour of Raunak, believing all his depositions and testimonies. "The evidence led on behalf of the plaintiff has gone unrebutted and unchallenged," said the court early this week after four years of Raunak's relentless legal battle during which he managed to gather several evidence in his favour.