Supreme Court Of India
S.B. Sinha,P.Sathasivam
SUMESH SINGH
Versus
PHOOLAN DEVI
Decided On : 04/15/2009
(2008) 7 SCC 85 – Referred
(b) Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 – Order VI Rule 17, Proviso – Proviso appended to Order VI Rule 17 by amendment 2002 – Suit filed in 1999 – Proviso not applicable. (Para 12)
(2007) 1 SCC 765 – Relied upon
Facts of the case:
The original plaintiff Sh. Babu was the owner of the suit land. He executed a Power of Attorney in favour of one kartari Devi - Respondent No. 8. The 8th respondent executed a deed of sale on 3. 3. 1998 in favour of the original defendant No. 1 in the aforementioned capacity.
However on the premise that the said Power of Attorney was illegal and the same had been fraudulently obtained, original plaintiff filed a suit for declaration. Indisputably, relying on or on the basis of the said deed of sale, the appellant filed an application for partition before the Revenue Court of the Tehsildar which was decided in his favour. Possession of the land in question has been handed over to appellant.
The original plaintiff died during the pendency of the said suit. The respondent Nos. 1 to 7, being the legal heirs of the original plaintiff, filed an application for bringing on record the legal representatives which was allowed. In 2004, an application for amendment of the plaint was filed which was allowed. The 8th respondent also filed an application purported to be under Order VI Rule 17 of the Code of civil Procedure. The said application was allowed by the learned trial judge
APPELLANT filed a revision petition thereagainst before the High court which has been dismissed.
Finding of the Court:
No useful purpose would be served in interfering with the impugned judgment at this stage particularly having regard to the observations made by the High Court.
Result:
Appeal dismissed.
S. B. SINHA, J.
( 1 ) LEAVE granted.
( 2 ) THE defendant in a suit praying for a decree to set aside a deed of sale purported to have been executed by the 8th respondent (original defendant No. 2) as a Power of Attorney holder of the original plaintiff (her father), is before us aggrieved by and dissatisfied with a judgment and order dated 24. 10. 2007 passed by the High Court of Himachal pradesh at Shimla dismissing a revision application filed before it from an order dated 20. 12. 2005 of the learned trial judge allowing an application for amendment of the written statement filed by the 8th respondent.
( 3 ) THE following facts are not disputed : the original plaintiff Sh. Babu was the owner of the suit land. He executed a Power of Attorney on or about 13. 2. 1998 in favour of one kartari Devi - Respondent No. 8 (original defendant No. 2 ). The 8th respondent executed a deed of sale on 3. 3. 1998 in favour of the original defendant No. 1 in the aforementioned capacity. However, inter alia, on the premise that the said Power of Attorney was illegal and the same had been fraudulently obtained, original plaintiff filed a suit for declaration before the Subordinate Judge, First Flass, Amb, District Una in the State of Himachal Pradesh. Indisputably, relying on or on the basis of the said deed of sale, the appellant filed an application for partition before the Revenue Court of the Tehsildar which was decided in his favour. Possession of the land in question is said to have been handed over by the Revenue Officer. Appellant's name was also entered in the Revenue Records. On or about 3. 5. 2000, the 8th respondent filed a written statement raising various pleas that the suit of the plaintiff be dismissed. In her written statement, the 8th respondent stated as under :
"6. That after plaintiff waited the summons of partition case and enquired from the defendant No. 1 but the defendant No. 1 lingered on the matter and in the month of Jan 1999 started extended threats and proclaimed that the suit land has been sold to him by defendant no. 2. The plaintiff was astonished and approached the Halqua Patwari. The Patwari halqua who is also hand in glubs with the defendant No. 1 did not co-operated nor provided the particulars till June 99 and after obtaining the certified copies it has transpired that the defendant No. 1 got manufactured a power of attorney of plaintiff alleged to be executed on 13. 02. 98 Regd. No. 41, Sub-Registrar Amb in favour of defendant No. 2. At any rate even if any such power of attorney is proved to be bearing signatures of plaintiff, the plaintiff never give any power of attorney consciously to sell or alienate his property to defendant No. 2 and the power to the contrary in the alleged power of attorney was got entered as a result of fraud, mis-representation taking advantage of old age, sickness, illiteracy of plaintiff and defendant No. 2, physical and mental weakness and in breach of trust and confidence reposed in the defendants. Actually, the intention of defendant No. 1 in active connivance with Halqa Patwari Revenues officer and marginal witness was to pilfer away the property of plaintiff. The plaintiff did not sell any property or never agreed to execute sale deed qua the suit land to defendant No. 1 nor ever received any consideration. The allegedly sale deed No. 202 dated 03. 03. 1998 alleged to be executed by defendant No. 2 is contrary as attorney of plaintiff are and further entries got repeated by defendant No. 1 in his favour of back of plaintiffs are bogus, fabricated documents result of fraud, mis-representation, undue influence without consideration without delivery of possession, in breach of trust and confidence reposed in defendants. Moreover, the plaintiff had no necessity to sell the property and was incompetent to sell being landless person having meager holding. XXX XXX XXX 12. It is, therefore, prayed that decree for declaration to the effect that land measuring 0-07-14 Hects being half
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