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2010 Supreme(AP) 494

2010 (5) ALD 83
IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD
L.NARASIMHA REDDY

Batchu Narayana Rao ..... Petitioner
Versus
Batchu Venkata Narasimha Rao.....Respondent
CIVIL REVISION PETITION No.2965 of 2008
Decided On : 21.06.2010

Advocates Appeared:
for the Petitioner: Sri P.R.Prasad
for the respondent: Sri C.V.Bhaskar Reddy

Headnote:

Code Of Civil Procedure, 1908 – Civil Suit - Civil Appeal – Seeking for declaration of title and recovery of possession - Respondent filed O.S against petitioner in Court of Principal Junior Civil Judge, Avanigadda for relief of declaration of title and recovery of possession of Ac.1-41 cents in R.S of Modumudi Village - About six years thereafter, he filed I.A. under Order 26 Rule 9 C.P.C. with a prayer to appoint a Commissioner - (a) to identify the suit schedule property, (b) to fix the boundaries thereof with reference to FMB - Assistance of Mandal Surveyor, Avanigadda, (c) to measure land in his possession in R.S of that village and (d) to measure remaining land in possession of one of that village - Learned counsel for the petitioner, submits that scope of I.A itself was too wide in context of relief claimed in suit and Commissioner has submitted report without executing warrant in accordance with law - Submits that petitioner is left with no alternative except to seek the appointment of another Commissioner - Held, court says that a Commissioner cannot be appointed to gather evidence for and on behalf of any party - It is for party concerned, to establish its case and feasibility of appointing a Commissioner will be considered - if Court feels that inspection and further enquiry is necessary, having regard to the uncertainty, that came into existence, after the trial has progressed to certain extent - In the instant case, respondent not only wanted Commissioner to identify suit schedule property and fix boundaries thereof, but also to file a report, as to his possession over land in R.S.No.532/1 of that Village and one in possession of a person who is not a party to the suit - Revision is allowed.

ORDER:

1. The respondent filed O.S.No.224 of 2001 against the petitioner in the Court of the Principal Junior Civil Judge, Avanigadda for the relief of declaration of title and recovery of possession of Ac.1-41 cents in R.S.No.531/1 of Modumudi Village. About six years thereafter, he filed I.A.No.384 of 2007 under Order 26 Rule 9 C.P.C. with a prayer to appoint a Commissioner - (a) to identify the suit schedule property, (b) to fix the boundaries thereof with reference to FMB with the assistance of the Mandal Surveyor, Avanigadda, (c) to measure the land in his possession in R.S.No.532/1 of that village and (d) to measure the remaining land in possession of one Katikala Srinivasa Rao of that village.

2. It appears that the application was ordered on 02.08.2007. The petitioner states that the Commissioner, in pursuance of the said order, conducted the survey without issuing proper notice. He filed I.A.No.1194 of 2007 with a prayer to appoint another Advocate-Commissioner. The I.A. was dismissed on 26.02.2008.

3. The petitioner filed I.A.No.269 of 2008 almost with similar prayer by making reference to its earlier order in I.A.No.1194 of 2007, the trial Court dismissed I.A.No.269 of 2008 through its order, dated 09.06.2008. Hence, this Revision.

4. Sri P.R.Prasad, learned counsel for the petitioner, submits that the scope of I.A.No.384 of 2007 itself was too wide in the context of the relief claimed in the suit and the Commissioner has submitted report without executing the warrant in accordance with law. He submits that the petitioner is left with no alternative except to seek the appointment of another Commissioner.

5. Sri C.V.Bhaskar Reddy, learned counsel for the respondent, on the other hand submits that it is well settled principle of law that as long as the report submitted by a Commissioner remains intact, the question of appointing another Commissioner does not arise. He further submits that the petitioner can put forward his objections to the report and the trial Court, in turn, can be directed to consider the same as and when occasion arises.

6. The suit filed by the respondent is for the relief of declaration of title and recovery of possession in respect of Ac.1-41 cents of land in R.S.No.531/1 of Modumudi Village. The respondent was supposed to be aware of the specific boundaries of the property and its other details. Long after the suit was filed, he filed I.A.No.1194 of 2007 with a relief, which travels far beyond the scope of the suit itself. The reliefs claimed in the I.A. have already been set out in brief in the preceding paragraphs.

7. Time and again this Court held that a Commissioner cannot be appointed to gather evidence for and on behalf of any party. It is for the party concerned, to establish its case and the feasibility of appointing a Commissioner will be considered, if the Court feels that inspection and further enquiry is necessary, having regard to the uncertainty, that came into existence, after the trial has progressed to certain extent. In the instant case, the respondent not only wanted the Commissioner to identify the suit schedule property and fix the boundaries thereof, but also to file a report, as to his possession over the land in R.S.No.532/1 of that Village and the one in possession of a person who is not a party to the suit.

8. It needs to be noted that the report on those aspects, which would become part of the record, will have its own impact on the rights of other parties and in relation to property which is not the subject matter of the suit. Though the scope of present Revision Petition is very limited, this Court is constrained to make the observations vis-à-vis the order passed in I.A.No.1194 of 2007, lest there exists an occasion for miscarriage of justice. It is competent for this Court, under Article 227 of the Constitution of India, to set right the deviations, if any, that have taken place before the Courts subordinate to it.

9. The occasion for the petitioner to file successive ap


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