SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
Municipal Board, Kishangarh
Versus
Chand Mal and Company
Decided on : FEBRUARY 11, 1999
Land Dispute - Municipal Board v. Respondent - The court considered the dispute over land sanctioned for allotment by the State Govt. and the subsequent events of cancellation of lease and inclusion of the land in the Municipal limits. The court emphasized the importance of considering subsequent events in the execution of a decree and remanded the case to the Executing Court for further consideration.
Fact of the Case:
The respondent obtained a decree for permanent injunction against the appellant for a piece of land sanctioned for allotment by the State Govt. The appellant claimed the land to have vested in it and prevented the respondent from raising constructions.
Finding of the Court:
The High Court dismissed the appeal and directed the Executing Court to dispose of the execution petition expeditiously. The court emphasized the importance of considering subsequent events in the execution of a decree and remanded the case to the Executing Court for further consideration.
Issues: Dispute over land ownership, cancellation of lease, inclusion of land in Municipal limits, and execution of decree.
Ratio Decidendi: The court emphasized the importance of considering subsequent events in the execution of a decree and remanded the case to the Executing Court for further consideration.
Final Decision: The appeal was allowed, and the case was remanded to the Executing Court for further consideration.
( 1 ) THE land in question (area 4500 sq. yards), in respect of which the respondent had obtained a decree for permanent injunction against the appellant, was sanctioned for allotment by the State Govt. on 28-11-1964 and in pursuance thereof the Collector, Ajmer, executed a ninety nine years lease in favour of respondent on 16-12-1964. The appellant, namely, Municipal Board, Kishangarh, claimed the land to have vested in it as it was not cultivated since 1944. The Board claimed to be in possession over the land over which a cattle fair was held every year for one week beginning from the day succeeding Deepawali. The respondent wanted to raise construction on that land, but the Collector restrained him from raising the constructions whereupon the respondent filed Writ Petition No. 763 of 1966 in the High Court which was allowed on 11-11-1966 and it was held that the Collector could not, by a mere executive order, restrain the respondent from raising constructions. The High Court, however, made it clear that it would be open to the Municipal Board to proceed according to law if the constructions were raised in contravention of the provisions of the Rajasthan Municipalities Act, 1959.
( 2 ) WHEN the respondent made another attempt to raise constructions, the Municipal Board intervened and prevented the respondent from raising those constructions whereupon the respondent filed a suit for permanent injunction in the Court of Munsif, Ajmer. The suit was decreed on 12-11-1968. The appeal filed by the appellant before the District Judge was dismissed and the decree passed by the Munsif was upheld, but it was observed that if constructions were raised in contravention of the provisions of S. 170 of the Rajasthan Municipalities Act, it would be open to the Board to stop the constructions.
( 3 ) SECOND Appeal filed by the appellant-Board in the High Court was dismissed on 8-1-1973. The observations of the District Judge with regard to the effect of S. 170 of the Act were not disturbed by the High Court. Consequently, when the respondent started raising constructions on the suit land without obtaining the permission from the Board under S. 170 of the Act, the Board again intervened in the matter. It was at this stage that the respondent put the decree for injunction to execution which was resisted by the appellant who filed objections under S. 47, CPC claiming, inter alia, that the respondent was not entitled to raise any constructions on the land in question without the permission of the Municipal Board, but the objections were dismissed and the order was upheld in appeal by the High Court.
( 4 ) DURING the pendency of the appeal in the High Court, an application under Order 41, Rule 27 was moved on behalf of the appellant in which it was pointed out that the lease in favour of the respondent had since been cancelled by the State Government by its order dated 1-11-76. It was also stated that by a Notification dated 22-1-76, the whole area including the area where the land in question was situated, had been included in the Municipal limits and, therefore, the respondent could not raise any constructions without the permission of the appellant. On the basis of these documents it was contended before the High Court that the decree passed in favour of the respondent could not be executed.
( 5 ) WHEN this application was filed, the High Court on 8-2-77 passed the following order :-"heard learned counsel for the parties. An application under Order 41, Rule 27, CPC shall be heard and decided along with the appeal. THE learned counsel for the respondent states that the appellant is not maintaining status quo of the property. Arguments were heard. It appears expedient and necessary in the interests of justice that the parties be directed to maintain status quo till the disposal of the appeal. THE appeal shall be listed for hearing on 29/03/1977. "
( 6 ) THE appeal was ultimately decided by the High Court by the impugned judgment on 23-7-86. The Hi
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