IN THE HIGH COURT OF BOMBAY
F.M. Reis, J.
Central Bank of India - Petitioner
Versus
Cirilo Vales & Anr. - Respondent
W.P.No.277 of 2011
Decided On : 20-10-2011
Attachment - Civil Procedure Code - The court quashed and set aside the impugned order and directed the lower court to decide the application under Order 21 Rule 58 and 59 of the C.P.C. filed by the petitioner afresh after hearing both the parties and holding an inquiry in accordance with law.
Fact of the Case:
The petition challenges the order rejecting an application filed by the petitioner under Order 21 Rule 58 of the C.P.C, claiming that the suit flat was attached after a mortgage executed in favor of the petitioner.
Finding of the Court:
The court found that the learned Judge erred in dismissing the application filed by the petitioner on untenanted grounds and directed the lower court to decide the application afresh after holding an inquiry and allowing the parties to lead evidence.
Issues: The issues revolved around the wrongful assumption by the learned Judge regarding the attachment of the suit flat and the need for an inquiry with regard to the respective claim put forward by the parties.
Ratio Decidendi: The court held that the application filed by the petitioner was maintainable in law and that the learned Judge wrongly assumed the order passed in the suit as an order of attachment, which was not the case.
Final Decision: The impugned order was quashed and set aside, and the lower court was directed to decide the application afresh after holding an inquiry in accordance with law.
F.M. Reis, J.
Learned Counsel for the petitioner seeks leave to delete respondent No/2. Leave granted, at the risk of the petitioner. Amendment to he carried out forthwith.
2. Heard Shri Sudin M.S. Usgaonkar. learned Counsel appearing for the petitioner and Shri C.A. Coutinho, learned Counsel appearing for respondent No.1.
3. Rule. Heard forthwith with the consent of the learned Counsel. Learned Counsel appearing for the respondent waives service on rule.
4. The above petition challenges the order dated 18.03.2011 passed by the learned Civil Judge, Senior Division Margao whereby an application filed by the petitioner under Order 21 Rule 58 of the C.P.C came to be rejected.
5. Shri Usgaonkar, learned Counsel appearing for the petitioner has assailed the impugned order and pointed out that the learned Judge has proceeded on a wrong assumption that the suit flat was attached pursuant to an order passed in Special Civil Suit No.34/(W dated 21.04.2005. The learned Counsel has taken me through the said order and pointed that no such document was referred to by the learned Judge while passing the impugned order. The learned Counsel further pointed out that the attachment carried out in the execution proceedings was after the mortgage executed in favour of the petitioner and, as such, in any event such attachment cannot affect the right of the petitioner over the suit flat. Learned Counsel further pointed out that the learned Judge ought to have held an inquiry with regard to the claim put forward by the petitioner before deciding the application filed by the petitioner under Order 21 Rule 58 of C.P.C. Learned Counsel has taken me through the impugned order and pointed out that the learned Judge has totally misdirected itself in refusing the application filed by the petitioner and as such the impugned order deserves to he quashed and set aside.
6. On the other hand, Shri C.A. Coutinho, learned Counsel appearing for the respondent has supported the impugned order. Learned Counsel pointed out that the original vendor to the mortgagor of the suit flat has purchased the property despite of an order restraining the judgment debtor from alienating or transferring the suit flat. Learned Counsel further pointed out that as such the petitioners have no interest at all over the suit flat, in view of the fact that there was a restrained order passed against the judgment debtor in the said suit. Learned Counsel further pointed out that considering the said aspect there is no infirmity committed by the learned Judge while passing the impugned order.
7. Having heard the learned Counsel and on perusal of the record, I find that the application filed by the petitioner was under Order 21 Rule 58 of the C.P.C. Order 21 Rule 58 of the C.P.C contemplates an adjudication when an objection to the attachment is raised by a party in the execution proceedings.
8. In the present case, considering the objections raised by the petitioner, it was incumbent upon the learned Judge to decide the application only after holding an inquiry with regard to the respective claim put forward by the parties herein. The learned Judge while passing the impugned order has wrongly assumed that the order passed in the suit dated 21.04.2005 was an order of attachment. On perusal of the said order, I find no order to that effect was passed on the said date. In fact, the application filed by the respondent for attachment before the judgment was still pending adjudication and, as such, the question of granting any such attachment before disposing the application would not arise at all. Besides, the C.P.C. expressly contemplates the manner in which the property has to be attached. In the present case, admittedly there is no material on record to come to the conclusion that any such attachment was carried out in respect of the suit flat. Apart from that Order 38 Rule 5 of the C.P.C. also provides a specific procedure to he followed for attachment before the judgment or otherwise such
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