Territorial jurisdiction over immovable property suits depends on the plaint as a whole, excluding Section 20 where Section 16 applies.

Territorial jurisdiction over a suit must be determined by reading the plaint as a whole to identify its real substance. Where the principal reliefs concern partition, declaration, accounts and challenge to alienation of immovable property situated outside Delhi, the suit falls within Section 16(b) and Section 16(d) of the Code of Civil Procedure. The proviso to Section 16 applies only when the entire relief can be obtained through the defendant's personal obedience, which was not the case here. Section 20 cannot override the limitations of Section 16, and the plaint was rightly returned for presentation to the proper court.

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Issues: Whether the suit, when read as a whole, was governed by Section 16 of the Code of Civil Procedure so that the Delhi court lacked territorial jurisdiction and the plaint was liable to be returned for presentation to the proper court.

Analysis: For deciding an objection under Order VII Rule 10, the plaint has to be read as a whole in a meaningful manner to ascertain the real nature and substance of the reliefs claimed. The principal reliefs were partition, declaration concerning immovable property, rendition of accounts and invalidation of alienation in respect of properties situated outside Delhi. The negative declaration regarding the alleged oral Will was held to be superfluous and could not alter the true character of the suit. A suit falling within Section 16 could not be sustained by invoking Section 20, which is subject to the earlier limitations. The proviso to Section 16 applies only where the relief can be entirely obtained through personal obedience of the defendant, which was not the position here.

Conclusion: The suit was held to fall within Section 16(b) and Section 16(d) of the Code of Civil Procedure, the Delhi court lacked jurisdiction, and the plaint was rightly returned for presentation to the proper court.

Ratio Decidendi: Territorial jurisdiction over a suit must be determined from the plaint read as a whole, and where the substantial relief concerns immovable property outside the forum's jurisdiction, Section 16 governs and excludes reliance on Section 20 unless the decree can be fully worked out by personal obedience.

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