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2013 Supreme(AP) 146

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE, ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD
SAMUDRALA GOVINDARAJULU, J.
Kondepati Tejo Ananthalakshmi and another
Vs
Kondepati Manikyam and others
SAMP No.853 of 2011 in SA No.173 of 2010 and CRP No.4505 of 2011
Decided on : 1st March, 2013

Advocates Appeared:
Venkateswara Rao Gudapati, Counsel for the Petitioners in all the cases;
(Mrs.) N. (P) Anjana Devi, Counsel for the Respondents in all the cases.

Headnote:A) Civil Procedure Code 1908 - Order 21 Rule 35:- Where the Additional District Judge is directed to give a report on the possession of Decree holder, he is not expected to proceed on administrative side on examining the report of the process servers and report, but to make enquiry on judicial side after examining evidences on both sides. [Para 3]

       B) Civil Procedure Code 1908 - Order 21 Rule 35:- Civil Procedure Code 1908 - Order 21 Rule 35 – Where the bailiff effected the decree and also announced the same in the village by the way of tom-tom though JDrs were not present at the time, it was held by the court that all these procedure indicates that there is a valid and physical delivery of properties to DHrs. [Para 5]

       C) Civil Procedure Code 1908 - Order 21 Rules 35 and 22 – It was also held by the court that O.21 does not contemplates prior giving of notice to JDrs for delivery but it is only under R.22 of O.21 if the execution proceedings are instituted beyond two years of passing of decree. [Para 6]

ORDER

The petitioners/appellants in SAMP No.853 of 2011 seek direction to the respondents not to dispossess the petitioners from the plaint schedule property pending disposal of the second appeal. After admission of the second appeal on substantial questions of law, this Court on 6.7.2010 in SAMP No.371 of 2010 ordered status quo until further orders. This status quo order was obtained by the appellants without disclosing delivery proceedings on 8.1.2010 in the execution proceedings in the executing Court and also the appellants' own petition filed therein on 25.2.2010 by way of EA SR No.1479 of 2010 in EP No.184 of 2009 to declare the delivery effected on 8.1.2010 as null and void and not to record the delivery. Subsequently when the said fact was brought to the notice of this Court in SAMP No.119 of 2011 requesting to vacate the status quo order, this Court by order dated 7.2.2011 vacated the status quo order. But while vacating the status quo order, this Court permitted the appellants to file another application for renewing the status quo order in the event of the statement of delivery of possession on 8.1.2010 is incorrect. Thereupon, the appellants become emboldened to file the present petition for giving directions to the respondents on the ground that there was no physical delivery of possession on 8.1.2010.

2. While so, the executing Court on 29.4.2011 after hearing all the Counsel, passed order in EA SR No.1479 of 2010 in EP No.184 of 2009 dismissing the same finding that the delivery is effected according to law on 8.1.2009 (mistake for 2010). Questioning the same, the judgment debtors who are the appellants in the second appeal filed CRP No.4505 of 2011. On 8.12.2011 this Court in CRP directed the Additional District Judge, Kovvur to send report as to whether physical possession of the schedule property has been delivered to the decree holder or not, in order to find out whether physical possession of the property was delivered to the decree holder or not. The Additional District Judge, Kovvur after recording the statements of deponents sent report to this Court to the effect that there are discrepancies in the statements of deponents and found as follows:

"The inconsistencies above discussed with regard to the contents of the delivery receipt and the manner in which the alleged delivery was effected probablies the fact that delivery was not effected under the delivery receipt dated 8.1.2010 and the delivery receipt was prepared by obtaining the signatures of the alleged mediators and witnesses, which includes the 1st JDr."

3. The said enquiry report is invalid as it was a unilateral report by the Additional District Judge. It is not as if the Additional District Judge was making an enquiry on administrative side to record statements of deponents and to give one-sided report. The Additional District Judge was directed to give report on judicial side in judicial proceedings. Therefore, he should have recorded the statements of witnesses in the presence of all the parties and giving due opportunity to the opponents to cross-examine the said deponents. Since it was not done in this case, the said report of the Additional District Judge has no value in the eye of law. In any event, natural and minor discrepancies do occur when several persons were giving statements. They cannot be sole basis for reporting that there was no physical delivery.

4. This is not a case where the Field Assistant/bailiff of the Court prepared the delivery receipt by sitting in the Court compound without going to the suit village at all. Though some of the mediators and witnesses in the delivery warrant including the 1st judgment debtor speak as if their signatures were obtained in the village, they could not explain as to what made them to sign in such manner when the delivery mentioned in the delivery receipt did not allegedly take place in their presence.

5. The Field Assistant/bailiff, decree holder and mediators/witnesses went to the fields out





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