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2023 Supreme(Kar) 1417

IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA
B.M. Shyam Prasad, J.
Raja and Others – Petitioners
Versus
K. Narayana Shetty – Respondent
Writ Petition No. 8637 of 2017
Decided On : 28-08-2023

Advocates:
Advocate Appeared:
For the Petitioners: G. Krishna Murthy, Madhav Bhalaji Kashyap
For the Respondent: Cyril Prasad Pais

Headnote:(A) Execution of Decree - Jurisdiction of the executing Court - The executing Court must appoint a Commissioner to measure and demarcate property as directed in prior orders, ensuring due process including the opportunity to cross-examine the Commissioner - The impugned order was quashed due to non-compliance with legal standards in evidence acceptance. (Paras 5, 9, 11)

(B) Property Rights - Encroachment - The necessity to compare and verify property boundaries as per historical deeds and sketches is essential in adjudicating disputes affecting property ownership rights. (Paras 3, 10)

Facts of the case:
The petitioners, as Judgment Debtors in execution proceedings, challenged the executing Court's acceptance of a Commissioner's Report regarding the property in a long-running dispute over 28 cents of land, originally decreed to the respondent in 1981 but later contested through an RSA.

Findings of Court:
The executing Court's order accepting the Commissioner's Report was quashed, necessitating a fresh appointment of the Commissioner to ensure proper measurement and assessment based on the original deeds.

Issues: The key issue was whether the executing Court correctly accepted the Commissioner's Report without allowing petitioners to cross-examine the Commissioner.

Ratio Decidendi: The court determined that the proper legal procedure must be followed in accepting reports, which requires the opportunity for the parties to challenge the findings of the Commissioner before acceptance.

Result: Petition allowed; the executing Court's order dated 16.02.2017 was quashed.

Table of Content
1. introduction and case background. (Para 1 , 2)
2. details of prior court orders and submissions. (Para 3 , 4)
3. issues with the commissioner's report and execution. (Para 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9)
4. consideration of boundaries and sketches in determination. (Para 10)
5. court's decision and directions for re-examination. (Para 11 , 12)

ORDER :

1. This petition is by the Judgment Debtors in Execution No.244/1991 on the file of the II Additional Civil Judge and JMFC, Mangalore, Dakshina Kannada [for short, the 'executing Court']. The petitioners are aggrieved by the executing Court's order dated 16.02.2017, and the executing Court by this order has accepted the Court Commissioner's Report, which is filed along with plans, holding that the petitioners must hand over the property that is marked in color 'Pink' in Plan-2 annexed to the Report. Sri. G. Krishna Murthy, the learned Senior Counsel for the petitioners, and Sri. Cyril Prasad Pais, the learned counsel for the respondent, are heard for final disposal of the petition.

2. The undisputed facts are that the respondent's suit in O.S.No. 179/1977 is decreed on 24.11.1981, but this judgment and decree is revisited by this Court in RSA No.621/1989 at the instance of Sri. M. Madhava [the first defendant in the suit] and his wife Sunanda [the second defendant in the suit and the third petitioner herein]. Sri. M.Madhava has died, and he is represented by his children [the first and the second petitioners]. The dispute relates to the respondent's case that Sri. Madhava and the third petitioner, who assert title to 10 cents in Sy.No.4/3A1 of Kankanady village, Mangaluru Taluk, Dakshina Kannada under the sale deed dated 24.01.1975, have encroached upon an extent of 9 cents in the total extent of 28 cents purchased by him under the Mulgeni Chit dated 29.11.1973 [Ex.P5] and the sale deed dated 17.05.1974 [Ex.P1].

3. The culmination of this dispute is by this Court's order in RSA No.621/1989, and this Court's order is in the light of the submissions made on behalf of both the respondent and the petitioners. The submissions on behalf of Sri. M.Madhava and the third petitioner and this Court's consequential clarification and direction read as under:

    "(4) Sri. H.B.Datar, Senior counsel submits that the appellants-defendants have no objection whatsoever for the plaintiff getting totally 28 cents of land covered by the documents Exs. P-1 and P-5. The trial Court has decreed the suit of the plaintiff and has given a direction to demarcate 9 cents in extent regarding which possession is ordered to be delivered and the demarcation was to be done at the time of execution. The land bearing 4/3A1 totally measures 43 cents. Out of this land plaintiff has acquired 28 cents as stated above. The defendants have purchased 10 cents under Ex. 2-2 subsequent to Ex.P-1. Mr. Datar submits that defendants have no objection to demarcate 28 cents of land covered by Ex. P-1 and P-5 including 5 cents said to have been sold by plaintiff subsequently to one Jyothi Bai. It is only when any area is required to cover up 28 cents that may be demarcated in the land of the defendants and possession of it may be delivered to the plaintiff.

    (5) In view of these submissions, the trial Court on execution side is directed to appoint an advocate as commissioner to measure and demarcate 28 cents of land covered by Ex. P-5 and P-1 including 5 cents of land sold by plaintiff to one Jyothi bai and if any area is required to make up this 28 cents, it will be measured and demarcated on the land of defendants covered by Ex. P-2 so that possession of so much area can be delivered to the plaintiff. The advocate-commissioner shall take assistance of expert."

4. The respondent, after this Court's order as aforesaid on 12.11.1990, has filed the present execution petition, and the executing Court has appointed a Court Commissioner for the purposes of achieving the direction as aforesaid. A learned Member of the bar, who is appointed as th

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