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1995 Supreme(AP) 610

Andhra Pradesh High Court
Judges : C.V.N.SASTRY
Divisional Forest Officer, Chittoor - Appellant
Versus
Principal Subordinate Judge, Tirupati - Respondent
C.R.P. No. 2662/95
Decided On : 09-22-95
Advocates Appeared :
M/s. E. Manohar, P. Kamalakar

Headnote:CODE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE Or 39, Rule 3 proviso petition for grant of interm injuction in a suit filed by plaintiff in 1989 restraining defendants from interfering with his leasehold rights in a quarry - Defendent holding lease even after expiry of lease 1984 without renewal - Order of injunction in 1989 without recording any reasons by trail court when kept it pending for more than six years - Not legal

       HELD: The inpugned order dt19-5-1989 granting interim injunction is illegal and void and it should not be allowed to stand It does not contain any reason whatsoever and appears to have been passed mechanically without application of mind It does not comply with the mandatory requirements of Rule 3 of Order 39 CPC Though notice was ordered to the respondents before passing the said order, the fact remains that notices to respondents 1 and 2 were not yet reserved and fresh notices were ordered to them: It was, 1herefore, incumbent on the lower court to record the reasons for granting the interim injunction as mandated by the proviso to Rule 3 Failure to record the reasons vitiates the order and renders it void

       There is no justification what so ever for not disposing of the petition so far and to keep it pending for more than six years Even if one or the other party had been seeking time repeatedly, the lower court was not at all justified in keeping the IA pending for such a long time Admittedly, the lease expired long ago in the year 1984 itself and even the renewal period has run out by now Under the guise of interim orders the second respondent has been successfully carrying on the quarry operations all these years without even a prima facie adjudication of his right for the grant of renewal

C. V. N. SASTRY, J.

( 1 ) IN this revision under Article 227 of the Constitution the order dt. 19-5-1989 passed by the lower Court granting an interim injunction and the subsequent delay and inaction on the part of the lower Court in not disposing of the petition for temporary injunction on merits are assailed. The facts leading to this revision petition may be stated briefly: the second respondent herein was granted a quarry lease for road metal and building stone in the year 1979 for a period of five years which expired in the year 1994. Before the expiry of the lease period, the second respondent is stated to have applied for renewal of the lease. As the concerned authorities did not pass orders thereon, the second respondent filed a writ petition W. P. No. 14310 of 1984 in this Court for directing the authorities to renew the lease in his favour. In the said writ petition he obtained interim orders in W. P. M. P. No. 18847 of 1984 permitting him to carry on the quarrying operations pending disposal of the writ petition. The said writ petition was finally disposed of on 15-7-1988 with certain directions according to which the second respondent was required to make a representation to the Government and the Forest Department officials were required to make a personal inspection and submit a report to the government who will thereupon pass appropriate orders on the renewal application filed by the second respondent after referring the matter to the central Government also as required under the rules. Pursuant to the said directions of this Court, it appears that the quarry was inspected by the forest officials concerned in March and April, 1989 and necessary proposals were submitted to the Chief Conservator of Forests for consideration. As no final orders were passed by the concerned and in the mean time attempts were made to prevent the second respondent from operating the quarry, the second respondent filed O. S. No. 5 of 1989 before the Vacation Civil Judge, Chittoor, for a declaration mat he is entitled for the lease-hold rights in respect of the said quarry and for a permanent injunction restraining the defendants from interfering with his right to operate the said quarry. Along with the said suit, the second respondent filed LA. No. 18 of 1989 for a temporary injunction restraining the defendants and their staff from in any way obstructing the quarry operations and transport of the metal stones by the petitioner from the quarry pending disposal of the suit. The said application initially came up for orders before the Vacation Civil Judge on 4-5-1989. On that day the Vacation civil Judge ordered urgentnotice to be issued to the respondents and posted the petition to 10-5-1989 for counter and disposal. As notices were not issued for want of service postage stamps, on 10-5-1989, the Vacation Civil Judge ordered issue of fresh notices to respeondents urgently through Court and by R. P. and posted the LA. to 19-5-1989. Meanwhile status quo was ordered to be maintained. On 19-5-1989 it appears that the Assistant Government Pleader filed memo of appearance for R. 3 i. e. , the Divisional Forest Officer, East division, Chittoor who also appeared in person in Court on that day. Notices of R. 1 and R. 2 i. e. , Assistant Director of Mines and Geology and the Deputy director of Mines and Geology, Cuddapah, were not returned. The Vacation Civil judge thereupon passed the following order on 19-5-1989: "heard the petitioner s advocate. Issue interim injunction en. to R. 1 and R2 and counter, if any, of R. 3 by 13-6-89. "

( 2 ) IT appears that a counter-affidavit was immediately filed by the third respondent therein (petition herein) opposing the grant of temporary injunction and requesting to vacate the interim injunction. But so far the petition for injunction has not been taken up for hearing or disposed of on merits by the principal Sub-Judge, Tirupati where the suit and the said I. A. are now pending. The petitioner complains that









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