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1970 Supreme(Pat) 64

PATNA HIGH COURT
S.N.P.Singh and S.Sarwar Ali JJ.
Shivdhari Gope
Versus
Anant Poddar
Civil Revision No. 168 of 1969 ;
Decided On : APRIL 18, 1970

An order passed under Rule 32 (1) of Order 21 of the Code of Civil Procedure is an order relating to the execution of the decree and is appealable under Section 47 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

Headnote:

CIVIL PROCEDURE CODE - ORDER 21 RULE 32 (1) - APPEALABILITY OF ORDER - ORDER PASSED UNDER RULE 32 (1) IS AN ORDER RELATING TO THE EXECUTION OF THE DECREE AND IS APPEALABLE UNDER SECTION 47 OF THE CODE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE.

Fact of the Case:

The judgment-debtors filed an appeal against an order passed by the Munsif under Order 21, Rule 32 (1) of the Code of Civil Procedure, directing the attachment of their movable properties for disobeying an order of permanent injunction. The Subordinate Judge dismissed the appeal summarily on the ground that it was not maintainable. The judgment-debtors then filed a civil revision in the High Court.

Finding of the Court:

The High Court held that the order passed by the Munsif was an order relating to the execution of the decree and was appealable under Section 47 of the Code of Civil Procedure. The Court observed that the provisions of Order 21, Rules 30 to 36 provide for different modes of execution for different types of decrees and that Rule 32 (1) provides for the enforcement of a decree for injunction by the detention of the judgment-debtor in civil prison or by the attachment of his property or by both. The Court further observed that the decree-holders had a remedy by way of a suit filed by them when an order of injunction had been violated, but that they could not get the same relief in a suit, viz., the enforcement of the decree, which they would get by filing an application under Order 21, Rule 32 (1).

Issues: Whether an order passed by a Court under Rule 32 (1) of Order 21 relates to execution and satisfaction of a decree between the parties to the suit and as such the provisions of Sec. 47 of the Code of Civil Procedure will be attracted and the order will be appealable.

Ratio Decidendi: The Court held that an order passed under Rule 32 (1) of Order 21 is an order relating to the execution of the decree and will come within the ambit of Sec. 47 of the Code of Civil Procedure. The Court observed that the provisions of Order 21, Rules 30 to 36 provide for different modes of execution for different types of decrees and that Rule 32 (1) provides for the enforcement of a decree for injunction by the detention of the judgment-debtor in civil prison or by the attachment of his property or by both. The Court further observed that the decree-holders had a remedy by way of a suit filed by them when an order of injunction had been violated, but that they could not get the same relief in a suit, viz., the enforcement of the decree, which they would get by filing an application under Order 21, Rule 32 (1).

Final Decision: The Court allowed the civil revision application, set aside the order of the Subordinate Judge, and sent back the case on remand to him for disposal of the appeal on merit in accordance with law.

Judgment

S.N.P.Singh, J.

1. This civil revision application has been filed by the judgment-debtors first party and it arises out of an order dated the 24th of August, 1968, passed by the learned Munsif, 2nd Court, Begusarai, in Execution Case Np. 12 of 1966.

2. The relevant facts may be briefly stated as follows. Badri Poddar, father of Anant Poddar and Dwarka Poddar (opposite parties 1 and 2 respectively), instituted Title Suit No. 95/27 of 1951/1952 in the Court of the Second Munsif, Begusarai, against Sitaram Gope, father of the petitioners, and Local Board, Begusarai, claiming declaration of title and confirmation of possession in respect of 15 dhurs of land out of Plot No. 3354. He also sought the relief of permanent injunction restraining the defendants from interfering with his possession. It appears that the original plaintiff and Sitaram Gope (defendant No. 2) died during the pendency of the suit and they were substituted by their legal heirs. The suit was decreed by the trial Court and the possession of the plaintiffs was confirmed. The defendants were restrained perpetually from interfering with the possession of the plaintiffs over the suit land. The decree passed by the trial Court was ultimately affirmed by this Court in Second Appeal No. 84 of 1961.

On the 12th of March, 1966, the decree-holders opposite party filed an application under Order 21, Rule 32 (1) of the Code of Civil Procedure which was numbered as Execution Case No. 12 of 1966. In that application they alleged that after the passing of the decree the judgment-debtors interfered with the possession of the decree-holders and they put certain structures on plot No. 3354 and thereby disobeyed the order of permanent injunction. Accordingly a prayer was made for arrest and detention of the judgment-debtors in Civil prison and for attachment of certain moveable properties specified in Schedule I of the petition. As it appears from the order of the learned Munsif, the judgment-debtors took the plea of limitation and maintainability of the application filed by the decree-holders. The learned Munsif decided the question of limitation separately by some previous order.

In his order dated the 24th of August, 1968, he decided the question of maintainability and considered the merit of the application. He held that the application was maintainable and the judgment-debtors were guilty of civil contempt. Accordingly he passed an order directing the attachment of the movable properties mentioned in Schedule I of the application filed by the decree-holders on failure of the petitioners to remove the structures within three months of the date of the order. The learned Munsif passed the above order under Sub-clause (1) of Order 21, Rule 32 of the Code of Civil Procedure. Being aggrieved by this order the petitioners filed an appeal in the court of the Subordinate Judge at Begusarai and the same was numbered as Miscellaneous Appeal No. 33 of 1968. On the 5th of December, 1968, the learned Subordinate Judge dismissed the appeal summarily oh the ground that it was not maintainable. The petitioners then filed this civil revision in this Court.

3. The only point which has been canvassed in this Court is the question whether an appeal was maintainable against the order passed by the Munsif. Mr. Kailash Roy, learned Counsel appearing for the petitioners, in the first instance, urged that an appeal is maintainable under Sec.104 (1) (h) of the Code of Civil Procedure. There does not appear to be any substance in this contention. As provided under Sub-clause (h) of Sec.104 (1), an appeal lies from an order under any of the provisions of the Code imposing a fine or directing the arrest or detention in the civil prison of any person except where such arrest or detention is in execution of a decree. In the instant case the learned Munsif did not pass an order directing the arrest or detention of the petitioners in civil prison although a prayer for the same had been made by the decr












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