SupremeToday Landscape Ad
Back
Next
Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation
Listen Audio Icon Pause Audio Icon
judgment-img

1994 Supreme(Kar) 169

Karnataka High Court
B.V.SUBBACHARI - Appellant
Versus
B.K.JOYAPPA - Respondent
Decided On : 07-21-94
C.R.P. : 5934 of 1988

Advocates:
D.S.JOSHI, M.B.PRABHAKAR, R.V.Nayak

The main legal point established in the judgment is the limited applicability of Section 133 of the Karnataka Land Reforms Act to cases where the defendants are not claiming tenancy under the plaintiffs, but under a third party. The judgment also emphasizes the exclusive jurisdiction of the land tribunal over certain matters, including the question of tenancy.

Headnote:

tenancy - Karnataka Land Reforms Act - Section 133 - [Section 44, Section 48-A, Section 132, Section 133] - The court discussed the applicability of Section 133 of the Karnataka Land Reforms Act to a suit for permanent injunction and concluded that the provision is not applicable when the defendants are not claiming tenancy under the plaintiffs, but under a third party. The court also highlighted the exclusive jurisdiction of the land tribunal over certain matters, including the question of tenancy, and the limitations on the civil court's jurisdiction in such cases.

Fact of the Case:

The suit was filed for a permanent injunction restraining the defendants from interfering with the possession of the plaintiffs over certain lands. The defendants claimed tenancy rights under the Karnataka Land Reforms Act, and the question arose whether the civil court had jurisdiction to pass an order of injunction or if the matter should be referred to the land tribunal.

Finding of the Court:

The court found that the defendants were not claiming tenancy under the plaintiffs, but under a third party, and therefore, Section 133 of the Karnataka Land Reforms Act was not applicable to the case. The court also upheld the lower courts' findings that the plaintiffs had established their prima facie case of possession.

Issues: The main issue was the applicability of Section 133 of the Karnataka Land Reforms Act to the suit for permanent injunction and the jurisdiction of the civil court in deciding the question of tenancy.

Ratio Decidendi: The court held that when the defendants are not claiming tenancy under the plaintiffs, but under a third party, no question of tenancy arises between the plaintiffs and defendants, and accordingly, Section 133 of the Karnataka Land Reforms Act is inapplicable. The court also emphasized the exclusive jurisdiction of the land tribunal over certain matters, including the question of tenancy.

Final Decision: The revision petition was dismissed as the court found no error of jurisdiction warranting interference with the findings of fact entered by the lower courts.

P. KRISHNA MOORTHY, J.

( 1 ) THE revision petitioners are the defendants in the suit. The suit is filed for a permanent injunction restraining the defendants from interfering with the possession of the plaintiffs over the plaint schedule properties which is 3. 45 acres in Sy. No. 194 of Bemblur village. The allegation in the plaint is, that the plaintiffs are the absolute owners in possession of the above lands and that it was purchased under a sale deed dated 23-5-1986 from one T. K. Doddappa and T. K. Thammaiah who are the children of late Komari Gowda, who died in 1980. The defendants attempted to trespass on the plaint schedule property on 22-7-1987 and accordingly, a suit was instituted for permanent injunction. Along with the suit, the plaintiffs also filed an application for temporary injunction under Order 39, rules 1 and 2 restraining the defendants from interfering with the plaintiffs possession.

( 2 ) THE defendants filed a written statement denying the plaintiffs title and possession. According to them, the first defendant and his predecessor-in-title were cultivating about 1 acre of land which belongs to a temple known as 'benathamma and Kalle Devaru Temple' for more than 150 years as tenants. Accordingly, the claim of the defendants is, that they are in possession of 1 acre of land of the temple as a tenant. The defendants obtained occupancy rights under the Karnataka land Reforms Act, in respect of this land, on 22-10-1975 but the survey number was wrongly mentioned as Sy. No. 195. Accordingly, they filed an application for correction before the land tribunal in 1987. It was rejected on 27-11-1987 and confirmed by the appellate authority on 31-1-1988. Against these orders, the petitioners filed a Writ Petition No. 1965 of 1988 challenging the orders. It was contended that, in the light of the fact that the defendants are claiming tenancy rights over the property, the civil court has no jurisdiction to pass an order of injunction and that the matter should be referred to the land tribunal before deciding the question of tenancy under Section 133 of the Karnataka Land Reforms Act.

( 3 ) THE trial court after consideration of the entire matter, over ruled the contention of the defendants and granted a temporary injunction as prayed for in favour of the plaintiffs. The lower appellate court also confirmed the order of temporary injunction after holding that it is not necessary to refer the question of tenancy to the land tribunal in this case.

( 4 ) WHILE this civil revision petition was pending before this Court, Writ Petition No. 1965 of 1988 filed against the refusal of the land tribunal to correct the survey number came up for consideration and by an order dated 3-1-1994, the orders of the land tribunal as also the appellate authority were set aside and the tribunal was directed to reconsider the matter regarding correct survey number in regard to the claim made by the defendants.

( 5 ) IN the light of the above order, the learned counsel for the revision petitioners contended that the question of tenancy claimed by the defendants being the subject-matter of a proceeding before the land tribunal, the civil court has no jurisdiction to deal with that question. He also contended that, at any rate, under Section 133 of the Karnataka Land Reforms act, the question of tenancy should have been referred to the land tribunal and in the meanwhile, the civil court has no jurisdiction to pass an order of temporary injunction. Learned counsel- for the revision petitioners also contended that, even otherwise, no prima facie case has been made out by the plaintiffs for the grant of temporary injunction. Learned counsel for the respondents contended that the suit being for permanent injunction, the question of tenancy never arises as the court is concerned primarily only with the plaintiffs possession and accordingly, the suit need not be referred to the land tribunal and the civil court retains its jurisdiction. It was furthe













Click Here to Read the rest of this document

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Judicial Analysis

AI

SupremeToday Portrait Ad
supreme today icon
logo-black

An indispensable Tool for Legal Professionals, Endorsed by Various High Court and Judicial Officers

Please visit our Training & Support
Center or Contact Us for assistance

qr

Scan Me!

India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!

For Daily Legal Updates, Join us on :

whatsapp-icon Back to top