PATNA HIGH COURT
Hari Lal Agrawal, J.
Abdul Razak
Versus
Abdul Halim
A.F.A.O. No. 166 of 1969 ;
Decided On : JULY 27, 1973
EXECUTION OF DECREE - Stay of proceedings - Effect of stay order - Order of stay passed by appellate court - When becomes effective - Knowledge of the court concerned necessary.
Fact of the Case:
A stay order was passed by the District Judge in an execution case. However, the executing court was not aware of the stay order and dismissed the execution case on the ground that the decree was unexecutable. Subsequently, the successor-in-office of the executing court restored the execution case under Section 151 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
Finding of the Court:
The court held that the stay order passed by the appellate court did not become effective until it was communicated to the executing court. Therefore, the order passed by the executing court dismissing the execution case was valid. The court further held that the successor-in-office of the executing court could not recall the order dismissing the execution case under Section 151 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
Issues: 1. Whether the stay order passed by the appellate court became effective from the time of its passing or from the time it was communicated to the executing court? 2. Whether the successor-in-office of the executing court could recall the order dismissing the execution case under Section 151 of the Code of Civil Procedure?
Ratio Decidendi: 1. A stay order passed by an appellate court does not become effective from the time of its passing. It becomes effective only when it is communicated to the court concerned. 2. The successor-in-office of the executing court cannot recall an order passed by his predecessor under Section 151 of the Code of Civil Procedure, unless the order was passed without jurisdiction.
Final Decision: The appeal was dismissed.
H.L.Agrawal, J.
1. This miscellaneous appeal has been filed on behalf of the judgment-debtor and arises out of an execution proceeding going on in the Court of the Additional Munsif-Jamshedpur. for delivery of certain properties.
2. On 21-8-1963the Nazir went to effect the delivery of possession, but as it appears from the report, the delivery of possession could not be effected, as the lands were not identifiable On an appli- cation by the decree-holder, on 14-10-1963 a pleader commissioner was appointed to identify the lands, but he also submitted a report, dated 27-1-1964 to the same effect. The pleader commissioners report was accepted after dismissing the objection of the decree-holder by the executing court.
3. On 22-2-1964, the decree-holder applied to the District Judge for transfer of the execution case from the court of the Additional Munsif and the same was admitted and an order of stay of the further proceedings in the execution case No. 18 of 1963 was passed on the same day. It appears that there was some delay in communicating the order of stay and the executing court in the meantime by order dated 24-2-1964 in view of the reports of the Nazir and the pleader commissioner dismissed the execution case on the ground that the decree was unexecutable. Soon after passing of the above order, the stay order was communicated to the learned Munsif. but he merelv recorded an order to the effect that as he had already disposed of the execution case, he had nothing to do in the matter any further and directed for transmission of the record of the case to the court of the District Judge. It further appears that the court of this Additional Munsif was abolished and the matter was ultimately put up after the disposal of the transfer case, which had become infructuous and accordinely dismissed, before another Munsif. The decree-holder made an application under Sec.151 of the Code of Civil Procedure for restoration of the execution case. Such a prayer was not made by him before the original Court when the stay order was received by that court. This application has been allowed by an order, dated the 19th March, 1968, by the successor-in-office under the impression that the stay order" would be effective from the moment it was passed and therefore, the order passed by his predecessor on 24-2-1064 had to be taken to be an order passed without jurisdiction and as such, was not operative in the eye of law. He went further and said that as a matter of fact, the said order was not passed in the sense it ought to have been passed mainly due to inadvertence, because had the order of the District Judge been before the Court the execution case could not have been dismissed. Taking this view, the learned Munsif purporting to act under Sec.151 of the Code recalled the order, dated 24-2-1964.
4. After the restoration of the execution case, the judgment-debtor filed an application under Sec. 47 of the Code and one of the grounds taken was that the execution was not maintainable as alreadv held by the order, dated 24-2- 1964. This plea of the judgment debtor was negatived by the executing Court. In answering this question in paragraph No. 4 the executing court has said that inasmuch as no revision was filed by the judgment debtor against the order, dated 19-3-1968, that order became final and could not be questioned before him. After rejecting this plea, he has considered the merits of the objection petition regarding the executability of the decree and overruled this objection also. An appeal was taken against the said order by the judgment-debtor and the learned Subordinate Judge has upheld the view of the executing court. With respect to the dismissal of the execution case on 24-2-1964 the appellate court has also held that the said order was passed in ignorance of the stay order and when this fact was brought to the notice of the Execution Munsif, he had the authority to recall the same. He dismissed the appeal and therefore, the ju
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