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

1964 Supreme(Bom) 49

IN THE HIGH COURT OF BOMBAY
( Raghubar Dayal, J. R. Mudholkar and S. M. Sikri JJ.)
DEOCHAND and another - Petitioners
V.
SHlV RAM and others - Rupondents
Advocates Appeared
For petitioners - Naunit Lal.

The Court does not have the power to demand security from the decree-holders for the due performance of the decree after the decree has been executed, or to restrain the decree-holders from transferring the property in dispute pending the decision of the appeal.

Headnote:

CIVIL PROCEDURE CODE - O. XLV, R. 13 - EXECUTION OF DECREE - SECURITY FOR DUE PERFORMANCE OF DECREE - POWER OF COURT TO DEMAND SECURITY AFTER EXECUTION OF DECREE - INHERENT POWERS OF COURT - LIS PENDENS.

Fact of the Case:

The petitioners, who were judgment debtors, filed an application under O. XLV, rules 2 and 5 of the Supreme Court Rules, seeking directions to the decree-holders to furnish security for delivering possession of the lands in dispute and for payment of mesne profits and costs, and to restrain the decree-holders from transferring the lands in dispute or creating any charge on the said lands pending the decision of the appeal in the Supreme Court.

Finding of the Court:

The Court held that the decree-holders had executed their decree and were in possession of the property in suit, and that the petitioners had not taken any action under O. XLV, rule 13 (2), Civil Procedure Code, at the time the decree-holders applied for execution. The Court further held that there was no provision in the Code of Civil Procedure or the Supreme Court Rules empowering the Court to demand security from the decree-holders or to restrain them from transferring any property over which they had obtained possession in execution of their decree after the decree had been executed.

Issues: 1. Whether the Court has the power to demand security from the decree-holders for the due performance of the decree after the decree has been executed? 2. Whether the Court has the power to restrain the decree-holders from transferring the property in dispute pending the decision of the appeal?

Ratio Decidendi: 1. The Court held that O. XLV, rule 13 of the Civil Procedure Code empowers the Court to give directions with respect to the subject-matter of the suit, including the execution of the decree, only when the Court is dealing with the question whether the execution of the decree be allowed or be stayed. The rule does not empower the Court to give such a direction subsequent to the execution of the decree. 2. The Court held that there is no provision in the Code of Civil Procedure or the Supreme Court Rules which empowers the Court to restrain the decree-holders from transferring the property in dispute pending the decision of the appeal.

Final Decision: The Court rejected the application with respect to the reliefs mentioned in clauses (i) and (ii) of para. 11 of the application, which sought to demand security from the decree-holders and to restrain them from transferring the property in dispute.

ORDER

RAGHUBAR DAYAL J. -This application purports to be one under O. XLV. rules 2 and 5 of the Supreme Court Rules and contains the following prayers:

"(i) to direct the respondents to furnish security for delivering possession of the lands in dispute and for payment of mesne profits and costs which the petitioners might get in appeal;

Iii) to restrain the respondents from transferring the lands in dispute or creating any charge on the said lands pending the decision of the appeal in this Honble Court;

(iii) to send for the record of the case and get the record printed under the supervision of this Honble Court;

(iv) to order an early hearing of the case."

Prayers Nos. (i) and (ii) appear to have been made in view of rule 5 which provides that nothing in the rules shall be deemed to limit or otherwise affect the inherent powers of the Court to make such orders as may be necessary for the ends of justice or to prevent abuse of the process of the Court.

2. The respondents -decree -holders have obtained possession over the land in suit in execution of the decree in their favour. ~he petitioners did not take any action under O. XLV. rule 13 (2), Civil Procedure Code, at the time the respondents -decree -holders applied for execution. If they had applied to the High Court for the stay of execution, the High Court could have either allowed execution on taking security from the respondents for the due performance of any order which this Court might have made on the appeal or might have stayed the execution of the decree on taking security from the petitioners appellants for the due performance of the decree appealed from or of any decree or order which this Court might make on the appeal. The question arises whether, after the decree has been executed and the decree holders have been put in possession by the Court, this Court can put the respondents -decree -holders to terms and direct them to furnish security for their delivering possession of the land in dispute and for payment of mesne profits, if the appeal succeeds and whether the Court can restrain the respondents -decree -holders from transferring the lands in dispute, pending the decision of the appeal in this Court.

3. A notice of this petition was served on the respondents -decree -holders, but they did not put in appearance.

4. Mr. Naunit Lal, for the petitioners, has referred us to some cases and to the provisions of the Code of Civil Procedure in this connection. Reliance is chiefly placed on the case of M st. Fariut -ool -Butool V. Mst. Hoseinee Begum (1) which was followed by the Madras High Court in Narayanan Chetti V. Arunachellam Chetti (2), and by the Bombay High Court in Khushaldas Gokuldas V. Chimanlal Kalidas (3), in a case which came before it after the enactment of the Code in 1908. In the Privy Council case, the Privy Council expressed the opinion that the Sadar Dewani Adalat was competent to require the decree -holder to furnish the security or otherwise to provide for the protection and security of the property in question pending the appeal, notwithstanding that execution had issued before the appeal was allowed. Their Lordships of the Privy Council did not express themselves with respect to the reasons for the view and simply stated that they had felt some difficulty in dealing with the case, but on examining the Regulations and considering the nature of the case, they were of opinion that an order might be made upon the application. The Regulations referred to in the submissions before their Lordships were thp. Bengal Regulation XVI of 1797, Bengal Regulation XIII of 1808, section II, clause (3) and Bengal Regulation V of 1798, sections V and VI. Section II of the Bengal Regulation XVI of 1797 provided for persons desirous of appealing from a judgment of Sadar Dewani Adalat to the King -in -Council to present their petition of appeal to the Court of Sadar Dewani Adalat which was empowered to admit the appeal and proceed upon it as direct





















Click Here to Read the rest of this document
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
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