Andhra Pradesh High Court
Judges : N.KUMARAYYA, P.SATYANARAYANA RAJU
Sidramappa - Appellant
Versus
Sangappa - Respondent
Decided On : 09-11-64
JURISDICTION - DISTRICT MUNSIF - COURT FEES AND SUITS VALUATION ACT, 1956 - SECTION 50(1) - VALUE OF SUBJECT MATTER FOR DETERMINING JURISDICTION - SAME AS VALUE FOR COMPUTING COURT FEES.
Fact of the Case:
A suit was filed in the District Munsif's Court for possession of five items of land and past mesne profits. The plaintiff valued the lands at Rs. 2,500, but the court found that their market value was Rs. 5,560. The plaintiff was directed to make good the deficiency in court fees. The question arose whether the suit was within the pecuniary jurisdiction of the District Munsif.
Finding of the Court:
The court held that the suit was within the pecuniary jurisdiction of the District Munsif. It held that Section 50(1) of the Andhra Pradesh Court-Fees and Suits Valuation Act, 1956, provides that the value of the subject matter for determining jurisdiction is the same as the value for computing court fees. The court found that the value of the subject matter, as assessed for computing court fees, was Rs. 5,560, which was within the pecuniary jurisdiction of the District Munsif.
Issues: Whether the District Munsif had pecuniary jurisdiction to entertain the suit.
Ratio Decidendi: The court held that Section 50(1) of the Andhra Pradesh Court-Fees and Suits Valuation Act, 1956, provides that the value of the subject matter for determining jurisdiction is the same as the value for computing court fees. The court found that the value of the subject matter, as assessed for computing court fees, was Rs. 5,560, which was within the pecuniary jurisdiction of the District Munsif.
Final Decision: The court dismissed the revision petition and upheld the order of the District Munsif.
( 1 ) THIS Civil Revision Petition raises essentially a question of jurisdiction. The point for determination is, whether the District Munsif, Zaheerabad did not have pecuniary jurisdiction to entertain the suit. The suit as brought, it may be noted, is for possession of five items of land bearing S. Nos. 33, 40/2, 78/1, 78/2 and 78/3 and also for past mesne profits in a sum of Rs. 600. The value of the lands as assessed by the plaintiff in his plaint was only Rs. 2,500. On the objection raised by the defendant, the learned District Munsif after due enquiry found that having regard to their location and fertility their market value must be assessed at Rs. 5,560 at the rate of Rs. 400 per acre. Accordingly he directed the plaintiff to make good the deficiency in Court-fee, payable under Section 29 of the Andhra Pradesh Court-fees and Suits Valuation Act 1956 (hereinafter referred to as an Act ). As a result of the above finding, a further question that arose for determination was, whether, having regard to the said value and the extent of mesne profits claimed, the suit is within the pecuniary limits of jurisdiction of the District Munsif. The learned District Munsif held that it was well within his jurisdiction because the value of the suit for the purpose of determining the jurisdiction is the same as that for computing the court-fees as enjoined by Section 50 of the Act and that the value thus worked out does not exceed a sum of Rs. 5,000. This finding of the learned District Munsif is called in question in this proceeding by the defendant-petitioner. A further ground also was raised in the petition against the correctness of the market value assessed by the Court but no argument has been advanced in that behalf probably in view of the provisions of Section 11 (3) (a) of the Act. The whole controversy thus centred round the question of jurisdiction alone.
( 2 ) IT is urged that it is not the 3/4ths of the market value which is taken into account for purposes of court-fee in suits of this nature but only the full market-value of the subject-matter that would determine the jurisdiction of the Court. It is also urged that if Section 50 of the Act is capable of a different construction it must yield to the clear intendment to the above effect of the provision of Section 6 of the C. P. C. which is a Central Act.
( 3 ) WE may state at once that this argument is unsustainable as it proceeds on a fallacious basis that there is a conflict or inconsistency between Section 6 C. P. C. and Section 50 of the Act. Section 6 C. P. C. reads thus:"save in so far as is otherwise expressly provided, nothing herein contained shall operate to give any Court jurisdiction over suits the amount or value of the subject matter of which exceeds the pecuniary limits (if any) of its ordinary jurisdiction. "it is manifest that this section speaks of only the pecuniary jurisdiction and not of territorial nor even of jurisdiction of the Court with reference to the nature of the suit. All that it says is that nothing contained in the Code shall operate so as to give any court jurisdiction over suits the amount or value of the subject matter of which exceeds the pecuniary limits, if at all any, of its ordinary jurisdiction. This prohibition is subject to the saving provided in the opening clause of the section. Indeed Section 6 is not a self-contained or a complete provision by itself so that the prohibition contained therein may be capable of being enforced without reference to any other enactments. Even to ascertain the limits of pecuniary jurisdiction of a Court referred to in that section, a reference to Madras Civil Courts Act (Central Act III of 1873) is inevitable. Section 12 thereof reads thus:"the jurisdiction of a District Judge or a Subordinate Judge extends, subject to the rules contained in the Code of Civil Procedure, to all original suits and proceedings of a civil nature. The jurisdiction of a District Munsif extends to all like
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