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2013 Supreme(AP) 332

HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH
L. NARASIMHA REDDY & S.V. BHATT, JJ.

Nagabhairava Medhini Devi & Others
Versus
Perumalla Kasi Rao & Another
A.S.M.P.Nos.83, 287, 782, 783 & 854, 856 784 & 855 of 2013 in A.S.No.82. 84 of 2013, C.M.A.M.P.No.2311, 2358 of 2012
Decided on: 29-04-2013

Advocates:
Advocate Appeared:
For the Petitioners:Addepalli Suryanarayana, Advocate. For the Respondents:M.V.S. Suresh Kumar, Advocate.

Headnote:Civil Procedure Code 1908-Order 7 Rule 11, Section 2(2)-Rejection of Plaint- C.P.C. provides for the facility of rejection of plaint in contradistinction to return thereof. On the limited grounds that are mentioned in Rule 11 of Order VII C.P.C., trial Court can reject the plaint. Section 2(2) C.P.C., defines a decree as the one including an order of rejection of plaint also. As and when an application for rejection of plaint is ordered, the plaint stands rejected.

Judgement Key Points

Key Points: - The Court held that an appeal filed against an order rejecting the plaint is maintainable and that the decree for rejection of plaint is a form of decree within the meaning of Section 2(2) CPC. (!) - It distinguished between decrees in a suit and decrees arising from rejection of plaint, determining that subject-matter value for court fee in such appeals is not the same as that in the original suit and allowed deficit court fees to be paid. (!) (!) - The Full Bench (Kumarika Subarna Rekha Mani Devi) held that the subject-matter of an appeal against an order of rejection of plaint has no value in terms of money and that Section 47 of the Act does not govern such appeals; court fee is payable as for miscellaneous appeals. (!) (!) - The appeals against orders under Rule 11 can be disposed of on merits or on the grounds of the rejection; the court considered whether the grounds in Rule 11(b) or (c) vs. (a) or (d) affect the fee payable. (!) (!) - The court rejected the applications for rejection of the appeals but allowed the applicant to pay the deficit Court fee; the appeals were not liable to be rejected on mere non- payment of proper fee. (!) (!) - Interim protection was granted: respondents cannot transfer or create third-party rights in the suit schedule property during pendency of the appeals without Court permission. (!)

Question 1?

What is the proper Court fee to be paid on an appeal challenging an order of rejection of plaint under Rule 11 of Order VII CPC?

Question 2?

What are the grounds on which a plaint can be rejected under Rule 11, and how does that affect the maintainability of appeals?

Question 3?

What protective or interim measures can be granted during pendency of appeals against an order of rejection of plaint to prevent prejudice to parties?


ORDER

L. Narasimha Reddy, J.

A.S.Nos.82, 83 and 84 of 2013 are filed by the sole plaintiff in O.S.No.43 of 2011 in the Court of VI Additional District and Sessions Judge, Markapur, for the relief of specific performance of an agreement of sale, against nine defendants. Three applications, being I.A.Nos.362, 363 and 364 of 2011, were filed by defendants 2 and 4, defendant No.1 and defendant Nos.5 to 9, respectively, under Rule 11 of Order VII C.P.C., with a prayer to reject the plaint. Through a common order, dated 15.02.2012, the trial Court allowed the applications, and thereby, rejected the plaint. Hence, three appeals came to be filed before this Court by the plaintiff.

Raising an objection as to the adequacy of the Court fee paid by the appellant, the respondents filed A.S.M.P.Nos.782, 783 and 784 of 2013, with a prayer to reject the appeals. The appellant, on the other hand, filed a set of applications with a prayer to permit him to pay the deficit Court fee. He has also filed A.S.M.P.No.287 of 2013 with a prayer to restrain the respondents from alienating the suit schedule property.

Since the appeals are against an order of rejection of plaint, we proposed to hear the appeals themselves. However, learned counsel for the respondents insisted that the miscellaneous applications alone be heard. Hence, we propose to dispose of the applications.

Sri Addepalli Suryanarayana, learned counsel for the respondents, submits that the Court fee of just Rs.10/- was paid on each appeal and the same is totally untenable. He contends that once the decree is passed by the trial Court dismissing the suit, the same Court fee as was paid in the suit, ought to have been paid in the appeals also. He places reliance upon Section 47 of the A.P. Court Fees and Suits Valuation Act, 1956 (for short ‘the Act’) and certain precedents. He further contends that the appeals were directed only against the orders passed in the applications filed under Rule 11 of Order VII C.P.C., and no appeal, as such, was filed against the decree that was separately drawn in the suit. With these and other reasons, he prays for rejection of the appeals.

Learned counsel also opposes the application filed for temporary injunction to restrain the respondents from alienating the suit schedule property. He submits that the appellant has undertaken a speculative litigation, and that there was no order of temporary injunction during the pendency of the suit. He contends that, if an order is passed at this stage, it will lead to several problems, apart from causing hardship to the respondents.

Sri M.V.S.Suresh Kumar, learned counsel for the appellant, on the other hand, submits that the rejection of plaint, though entails in a decree, the amount of Court fee to be paid in the appeal would depend upon the ground, on which the plaint was rejected. He contends that it is only when the rejection is on the grounds mentioned in clauses (b) and (c) of Rule 11 of Order VII C.P.C., that the Court fee quantified by the trial Court, needs to be paid and not when the rejection is under clauses (a) and (d) thereof. He has placed reliance upon the judgment of a Full Bench of this Court in Kumarika Subarna Rekha Mani Devi v. Ramakrishna Deoand (AIR 1968 AP 239). He further submits that the law does not contemplate a separate exercise, in the context of an order passed in an application filed under Rule 11 of Order VII C.P.C., and consequential dismissal of the suit. He contends that it is a compendious exercise and drawing of a decree in the suit, based on an order in an application filed under Rule 11 of Order VII C.P.C., is only a ministerial act.

On the application filed under Order XXXIX Rules 1 and 2 C.P.C., learned counsel for the appellant, submits that the valuable property is involved and if it is sold or any third party rights are created, even when the appeals are pending, several complications would arise. He contends that the relief of temporary injunction was not sought, when the













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