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1963 Supreme(AP) 192

Andhra Pradesh High Court
Judges : ANANTA NARAYANA AYYAR, P.CHANDRA REDDY
Ollala Ambiah - Appellant
Versus
Avadhanula Mallanna - Respondent
Decided On : 10-17-63

Section 47 of the Hyderabad Tenancy and Agricultural Lands Act, 1950, prohibits the sale of agricultural lands in execution of decrees, including court sales.

Headnote:

HYDERABAD TENANCY AND AGRICULTURAL LANDS ACT, 1950 - SECTION 47 - ATTACHMENT OF AGRICULTURAL LANDS - INTERPRETATION - COURT SALES - WHETHER COVERED BY SECTION 47 - TRANSFER OF PROPERTY ACT, 1882 - SECTION 5 - APPLICABILITY - SCOPE OF SECTION 47 - NON-OBSTANTE CLAUSE - CONSTRUCTION.

Fact of the Case:

The appellant obtained a decree against the respondent and attached a cattle shed, a house, and agricultural lands belonging to the judgment-debtor. The judgment-debtor filed objections to the attachment, claiming exemption under Section 60 C.P.C. and Section 47 of the Hyderabad Tenancy and Agricultural Lands Act, 1950 (the Act). The trial court overruled the objections and directed the execution to proceed. On appeal, the High Court set aside the trial court's order, holding that the house was exempt from attachment under Section 60 C.P.C. and that the agricultural lands were exempt under Section 47 of the Act.

Finding of the Court:

The High Court held that the house in the village was exempt from attachment under Section 60 C.P.C. because it was occupied by the judgment-debtor and used for agricultural purposes. However, the house in Manthena was not exempt because it was located four miles away from the lands and could not be said to be occupied by the judgment-debtor for agricultural purposes. The High Court also held that Section 47 of the Act prohibited the sale of agricultural lands in execution of decrees, including court sales. The court interpreted the expression "no other transfer" in Section 47 broadly to include transfers by operation of law, such as court sales. The court reasoned that the purpose of the Act was to protect agriculturists and prevent fragmentation of agricultural holdings, and that excluding court sales from the purview of Section 47 would defeat this purpose.

Issues: 1. Whether the house in Manthena was exempt from attachment under Section 60 C.P.C.? 2. Whether Section 47 of the Hyderabad Tenancy and Agricultural Lands Act, 1950, prohibited the sale of agricultural lands in execution of decrees, including court sales?

Ratio Decidendi: 1. The High Court held that the house in Manthena was not exempt from attachment under Section 60 C.P.C. because it was located four miles away from the lands and could not be said to be occupied by the judgment-debtor for agricultural purposes. The court interpreted the proviso to Section 60 C.P.C. narrowly, holding that it applied only to houses that were occupied for the purpose of cultivating the lands in question. 2. The High Court held that Section 47 of the Act prohibited the sale of agricultural lands in execution of decrees, including court sales. The court interpreted the expression "no other transfer" in Section 47 broadly to include transfers by operation of law, such as court sales. The court reasoned that the purpose of the Act was to protect agriculturists and prevent fragmentation of agricultural holdings, and that excluding court sales from the purview of Section 47 would defeat this purpose.

Final Decision: The High Court varied the trial court's order, holding that the house in Manthena was not exempt from attachment and that the agricultural lands could not be sold in execution of the decree. The execution petition was remitted to the trial court for disposal according to law.

CHANDRA REDDY, C. J.

( 1 ) THIS is an appeal, under Clause 15 of the Letters Patent, against the judgment of Sanjeeva Row Nayudu J. , reversing that of the Subordinate Judge, Karimnagar, overruling the objections raised by the respondent to the attachment of a cattle shed, a house and some agricultural lands.

( 2 ) IN order to appreciate the contentions urged in this appeal, it is necessary to state a few material facts. The appellant obtained a decree against the respondent in O. S. No. 30/1 of 1953-54 and, in execution of that decree, attached a cattle shed in the village of Gummanur, a house situated in Manthena and agricultural lands (3 acres wet and 10 acres dry) belonging to the judgment-debtor and situated in the Gummanur village. The judgment-debtor filed objections to the attachment on the allegations that the shed and the house in question Tell within the exemption contemplated by Section 60 C. P. C. and that the agricultural lands could not be sold in execution of a decree of Civil Court by virtue of Section 47 of the Hyderabad Tenancy and Agricultural Lands Act, XXI of 1950 (hereinafter referred to as the Act ).

( 3 ) THE trial Court overfilled these objections and directed the execution to proceed.

( 4 ) ON appeal by the aggrieved judgment-debtor, Sanjeeva Row Nayudu J. set aside the order of the Subordinate Judge in the view that the house was occupied) by the judgment-debtor, that his cattle and agricultural implements were housed in it and, consequently, the building and the site appurtenant thereof were exempt from attachment by reason of Clause (c) of the proviso to Section 60 (1) C. P. C. and that the lands also were exempt from attachment, as they fell within the prohibition enacted in Section 47 of the Act. In the result, he accepted the appeal and directed the dismissal of the execution petition. It is this order of the learned Judge that is the subject-matter of this appeal.

( 5 ) IN this appeal, the conclusions of the learned Judge are assailed. It may be mentioned here that in execution of the decree, in addition to the lands and the thatched house in the village, a house at Manthena was also attached. The learned counsel for the. appellant did not press the appeal as regards the house in the village, as obviously it was being used for housing the agricultural implements etc. He contends that the house at Manthena falls outside the pale of Clause (c) of the proviso to Section 60 C. P. C. , since this property, situated four or five miles away from the lands, could not be said to he occupied by the judgment-debtor for agricultural purposes. It must be mentioned here that the learned Judge had proceeded on the assumption that what was attached was only a house in the village in which the agriculturist and his family were, in fact, living and his cattle and agricultural implements were housed in it. As we have pointed out above, besides this house, a house at Manthena belonging to the Judgment-debtor was also attached. In regard to this property, all that is proved is that the judgment-debtor, who owns agricultural lands, resides in it and stores grain in it. That, in our opinion, does not justify the application of Clause (c) of the proviso to Section 60 C. P. C. The intendment of Clauses (b) and (c) is that protection should be given to persons who are real tillers of the soil and depend on agriculture for their living. It is for that reason that all things necessary for the calling of agriculture such as those enumerated in Clauses (b) and (c) are exempt from attachment. It is, therefore, necessary that there should be a nexus between the agricultural implements etc. on the one hand and the house on the other in order to get the benefit of these clauses. It is only the articles used or may be used for agricultural purposes and the house occupied for carrying on cultivation that are within the scope of the proviso. Thus, exemption can be claimed only in regard to houses which are occupied for the purpos













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