SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
AJAY RASTOGI, ABHAY S. OKA, JJ.
Himalaya Vintrade Pvt. Ltd. - Appellant
Versus
Md. Zahid & Anr. - Respondents
Civil Appeal No. 5779 of 2021 (Arising out of SLP(C) No.5730 of 2021)
Decided On : 16-09-2021
Civil Procedure Code, 1908 – Order VII Rule 11 – Appellant-defendant – Property case – Right of ownership – Permanent injunction restraining defendant – Declaration that plaintiff is a lawful occupier as caretaker/servant of sole owner of A schedule property and occupier and adverse possessor of B Schedule property – Permanent injunction restraining defendant to disturb or evict peaceful possession of plaintiff otherwise then due course of law – Held, Trial Judge dismissed application on premise that these are subject matter of disputes which can be examined only after written statement being filed at behest of present appellant-defendant and is not within scope of Order VII Rule 11, CPC and order of Trial Judge came to be confirmed by High Court by impugned order assailed in present proceedings – After Court heard counsel for parties and taking into consideration material on record, in our considered view, Trail Court has committed a manifest error in appreciating pleadings on record from plaint filed at instance of respondent no.1-plaintiff who as a caretaker/servant can never acquire interest in property irrespective of his long possession and caretaker/servant has to give possession forthwith on demand and so far as plea of adverse possession is concerned as it lacks material particulars and the plaint does not discloses cause of action for institution of suit – In our considered view, order of Ld. Trial Judge which has been confirmed by High Court impugned in instant proceeding is not sustainable on first principles of law – Appeal allowed.
ORDER :
1. Leave granted.
2. The appellant-defendant has approached to this Court assailing the order passed by Ld. Trial Judge and confirmed by the High Court on the application filed at his instance under Order VII Rule 11, Civil Procedure Code, 1908.
3. The facts on record are not in dispute. The appellant-defendant initially entered into an agreement to sell of the subject property in question on 23.02.2018 and after a formal deed of conveyance finally a sale deed was executed on 30.09.2019 and his right of ownership over the subject property in question became absolute.
4. The respondent no.1-plaintiff filed a suit with the following prayer:
(b) for the permanent injunction restraining defendant to disturb or evict the peaceful possession of the plaintiff otherwise then the due course of law.
Schedule A of property
All that an area of land admeasuring 16 kh. 3 ch. 4 sq.ft. be the same and a little more or less with three storied residential building have each floor are 5000 Sq.ft. more or less and some vacant possession lying and situated at premises no.217, Lower Circular Road and now known as 217 A.J.C. Bose Road, Kolkata-700017 P.S. Beniapukur, Dist-South 24 pargans
Schedule B property
All that three rooms and one godown along with some vacant land at premises no.217, Lower Circular Road and now known as 217 A.J.C. Bose Road, Kolkata-700017 P.S. Beniapukur.
5. It was a specific case of the respondent no.1-plaintiff that he was in possession of the subject property as a caretaker/servant. Para nos.2, 4 and 6 of the plaint are reproduced hereunder:
4. That on all a sudden the defendants and their men and agents with other antisocial elements trying to take or enter into the plaintiff’s rooms i.e. B schedule Property with an ulterior motive they trying to dispossess the plaintiff from his lawful occupation as servant/caretaker with a view to grab the occupation/residence but the defendant is not success to fulfill their ill desired, for the intervention of the local people and their strong support the defendants could not succeed there to oust and dispossess the plaintiff.
6. That the right title interested possession of the plaintiff in the suit property as well as lawful right of servant and caretaker and claiming as adverse possessor of the B schedule property even thus been clouded for unlawful act of the defendants so the plaintiff is compelled instituted the instant suit against the defendant for declaration that the defendant be not ousted from the B schedule property i.e. suit property other than due process of law and for permanent injunction against the defendant not to disturb the peaceful possession of the suit property and also not disturb or the egress and ingress of the suit property.
6. After the notice was served. The application under Order VII Rule 11, CPC came to be filed at the behest of the present appellant-defendant with an objection that the suit proceedings at the instance of the respondent no.1-plaintiff who had pleaded himself to be a caretaker/servant, acquires no interest in the subject property irrespective of his long possession, is not maintainable under the law and as regards the plea of adverse possession is concerned, it lacks material particulars.
7. The Trial Judge dismissed
The cause of action is a bundle of facts and cannot be decided at the preliminary stage of the suit.
A permanent lease does not confer ownership rights, and the distinction between leasehold rights and ownership must be carefully evaluated in legal disputes concerning property.
The main legal point established is that adverse possession requires open and hostile assertion of ownership, and mere long possession is insufficient to sustain a claim. Additionally, the importance....
A plaint can be rejected under Order VII Rule 11 if it fails to disclose a valid cause of action, particularly when previous court decisions negate the claims made.
A plaintiff with lawful possession can seek an injunction against interference, and if ownership is disputed, they may need to prove title in a suit for declaration alongside injunction.
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