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1960 Supreme(Pat) 14

PATNA HIGH COURT
N.L.Untwalia, J.
Bhondu Sao Ramdas
Versus
Doma Sao
A.F.A.O. No. 661 of 1958 ;
Decided On : JANUARY 25, 1960

An appeal does not lie to the lower appellate court under Section 47 of the Code of Civil Procedure against the executing court's order rejecting the application for stay of delivery of possession.

Headnote:

EXECUTION OF DECREE - SALE - DELIVERY OF POSSESSION - OBJECTION - APPEAL - MAINTAINABILITY - SECTION 47, CODE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE - IRREGULARITY IN PUBLICATION OF SALE OR CONDUCTING SALE - REMEDY - APPLICATION UNDER ORDER 21, RULE 90, CODE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE - LIMITATION - INHERENT POWERS OF COURT TO SET ASIDE SALE OBTAINED BY FRAUD - APPEAL AGAINST ORDER REFUSING TO RECALL PREVIOUS ORDER - MAINTAINABILITY - SECOND APPEAL - COMPETENCY - DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY SOLD - MISTAKE IN HOLDING OR PLOT NUMBERS - EFFECT - DELIVERY OF POSSESSION - RESISTANCE - PROCEDURE.

Fact of the Case:

The decree-holder had a money decree against the respondents, including respondent No. 1 who was judgment-debtor No. 1. The property was sold in execution of the decree and the sale was confirmed. When the decree-holder proceeded to have delivery of possession over the properties sold, an application was filed by respondent No. 1 under Sections 47 and 151 of the Code of Civil Procedure, objecting to the delivery of possession on the ground that the property sold was incorrectly described. The executing Court rejected the application, holding that such an application was not maintainable under Section 47 of the Code of Civil Procedure and that the decree-holder was entitled to get delivery of possession over the property sold according to the boundaries in the sale certificate. Respondent No. 1 filed an appeal against this order, which was allowed by the lower appellate court.

Finding of the Court:

The High Court held that the lower appellate court had erred in entertaining the appeal, as no appeal lay to the court below under Section 47 of the Code of Civil Procedure. The High Court also held that the executing court's order was correct, as the description of the property sold had to be gathered from the boundaries and any mistake in regard to holding numbers or plot numbers was of no consequence.

Issues: 1. Whether an appeal lay to the lower appellate court under Section 47 of the Code of Civil Procedure against the executing court's order rejecting the application for stay of delivery of possession? 2. Whether the executing court's order was correct in holding that the decree-holder was entitled to get delivery of possession over the property sold according to the boundaries in the sale certificate, despite the alleged incorrect description of the property?

Ratio Decidendi: 1. An appeal does not lie to the lower appellate court under Section 47 of the Code of Civil Procedure against the executing court's order rejecting the application for stay of delivery of possession. 2. The executing court's order was correct in holding that the decree-holder was entitled to get delivery of possession over the property sold according to the boundaries in the sale certificate, despite the alleged incorrect description of the property, as the description of the property sold had to be gathered from the boundaries and any mistake in regard to holding numbers or plot numbers was of no consequence.

Final Decision: The High Court allowed the second appeal, set aside the order of the lower appellate court, and restored the order of the executing court.

Judgment

N.L.Untwalia, J.

1. The decree-holder has filed this miscellaneous second appeal against the order of the Additional Subordinate Judge, VIth Court, at Patna, dated 21-8-1958 passed in Miscellaneous Appeal No. 16/12 of 1958. I must observe at the outset that this is a very peculiar order I have come across passed by an appellate Court in this fashion. The decree-holder-appellant had a money decree against the respondents, including respondent No. 1 who was judgment-debtor No. 1 and they had objected to the execution of the decree on several stages. Ultimately all their objections failed. The property was sold in execution of the decree on 17-9-1955 and the sale was confirmed on 17-11-1955. When the decree-holder proceeded to have delivery of possession over the properties sold, an application was filed by respondent No. 1 labelling it under Sections 47 and 151 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

This application was filed on 13-6-1957. The only ground taken in this application is that holding Nos. 8 and 50 are amalgamated together and the only holding which has been sold to the decree-holder is holding No. 8, but he wants to take delivery of possession over holding No. 50 because of the wrong and incorrect description of the boundaries. It was stated in the fourth paragraph that in view of this wrong description of the boundaries holding No. 8 ought not to have been sold at all and further that no order for delivery of possession can at all be passed in respect of any property. Curiously enough, a threat was also given in this petition in the fifth paragraph : "That in case the order for delivery of posses-sion is passed in favour of opposite party decree-holder and the writ of delivery of possession goes to the spot for execution it will simply create chaos and confusion and may cause even bloodshed as the holding in question has not a separate identity and that the description of the same is absolutely incorrect and wrong".

Ultimately, the prayer was made that the delivery of possession of the house in question be stayed, and the matter enquired into and decided according to law. The executing Court, on hearing the arguments only of the parties, decided that such an application under Sec. 47 of the Code of Civil Procedure was not maintainable and that the decree-holder was entitled to get delivery of possession over the property sold according to the boundaries in the sale certificate irrespective of the question whether the property sold within those boundaries comprised of one holding or two holdings. Respondent No. 1 filed Miscellaneous Appeal No. 16/12 of 1958 which came to be disposed of by the learned Additional Subordinate Judge.

2. The learned Subordinate Judge in the beginning of his judgment, after stating the objection taken by the first respondent in the executing Court, started by saying :

"Over and above this, it has further been urged that the auction sale should be treated as null and void because the fresh sale proclamation which was ordered to be issued on 6-6-1955 was not served at the spot at all".

I could not follow under what provision of law or rule or procedure, the learned Additional Subordinate Judge thought it fit to entertain for the first time in appeal an alleged illegality in the, service of the sale proclamation while hearing an appeal on an objection of respondent No. 1 in regard to the delivery of possession over the property sold. After having observed so, the Additional Subordinate, Judge unnecessarily took pains to ransack the entire records and to find out some alleged illegalities in the service of sale proclamation and to hold that because of the illegalities the sale was without jurisdiction. I am again constrained to observe that the learned Additional Subordinate Judge has betrayed complete ignorance of law in this regard also.

It is well settled that if a property is sold by committing an irregularity or illegality in publication of sale or in conducting the sale, the remedy by




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