PATNA HIGH COURT
N.L.Untwalia and S.K.Jha JJ.
Brij Bihari
Versus
Chandra Shekhar
Appeal From Original Order No. 254 of 1970 ;
Decided On : SEPTEMBER 11, 1974
The Plaintiff instituted a suit for partition of milkiat interest. A preliminary decree was passed on 28.2.1955. In the proceeding for preparation of final decree, the pleader commissioner submitted his report on 13.1.1956 which was confirmed on the same day. The High Court stayed signing of final decree. A final decree was however passed on 15.11.1965. Execution was thereafter levied which was objected to by the judgment debtors as not maintainable since the Estate had vested by virtue of the notification under sec. 3A, on 1st of Jan. 1956. The Executing Court held the execution case as not maintainable. On appeal the High Court.
Held, that the final decree for partition of the proprietory interest in an estate which has already vested in the State of Bihar has become infructuous. It is a different matter that the parties may be at liberty either to institute a fresh suit for partition in respect of the lands deemed to have settled with them under the provisions of sec. 6 of the Act or may choose to proceed for preparation of a fresh final decree. The estate having vested the subject matter of the partition suit which was merely the proprietory interest, was obliterated by force of statute and a decree in respect of such property which is non-est in the eye of law cannot be held to be in-executable. It is plain that the non executability of such a decree will not so attract the provision of section 47 C.P.C. as to stand as a bar to either of the two courses afore mentioned. (Para 5)
S.K.JHA, J.
1. This appeal is directed from the order of the learned Subordinate Judge, Sasaram, dated the 6th of July, 1970 in Miscellaneous Case 48 of 1969 arising out of Execution Case 47 of 1966 levied by the present appellant and his mother Most. Phul Kali Debi, the two decree-holders. The execution case has been held by the court below to be not maintainable in view of the provisions of the Bihar Land Reforms Act, 1950 (hereinafter called the Act). Against that order, one of the decree-holders being aggrieved has come up in appeal.
2. The facts relevant for the disposal of this appeal are not at all in controversy. A title (partition) suit numbered 37 of 1953 was instituted by Ganesh Dubey and his son Brij Bihari Dubey for partition of their five annas nine pies share in tauzi 7060 (7069?) in village Pakpurwa. The preliminary decree in the suit was passed on the 28th February, 1955. Proceedings for preparation of the final decree were started and the pleader commissioner submitted his reort on the 13th of January, 1956, which was confirmed by the trial Court on that very day. But, it seems, the signing of the final decree was stayed under orders of this Court during the pendency of certain matters here. Ultimately, however, the final decree was passed on the 15th of November, 1965. The subject-matter of the partition suit, as already stated above, was merely the proprietary interest of the erstwhile proprietors in the estate in question. On the 1st of January, 1956, i.e., during the pendency of the proceedings for preparation of the final decree the estate vested in the State of Bihar under Notification issued in pursuance of the provisions of Sec.3-A of the Act. After the final decree was passed, Execution Case 47 of 1966 was started by Phul Kali Debi, widow of Ganesh Debey since deceased, and their son Brij Bihari. The judgment-debtors objected to the maintainability of the execution case in Miscellaneous Case 48 of 1969 on the ground that the final decree in the partition suit, which covered only milkiat interest in the tauzi in question, had become infructuous in view of the estate having vested in the State of Bihar. The executing Court sustained the objection of the judgment-debtors respondents and held the execution case to be not maintainable. The short point for determination in this case is as to whether, in view of the provisions of the Act, the execution of the final partition decree should be held to be infructuous or not.
3. The scheme of the act has been considered by the Supreme Court in quite a number of decisions. I may refer to some of them. They are - Krishna Prasad V/s. Gouri Kumari Devi, AIR 1962 SC 1464; Raja Sailendra Narayan Bhanj Deo V/s. Kumar Jagat Kishore Prasad Narayan Singh, 1962 Supp 2 SCR 119 : (AIR 1962 SC 914); Suraj Ahir V/s. Prithinath Singh, AIR 1963 SC 454; Shivashankar Prasad Shah V/s. Baikunth Nath Singh, AIR 1969 SC 971; Sita Saran Singh V/s. Kedar Prasad Singh, (1971) 3 SCC 200 and Bhubneshwar Prasad Narain Singh V/s. Sidheshwar Mukherjee, AIR 1971 SC 2251. But even the earliest decision with regard to the scheme of the Act was based upon an earlier decision of the Supreme Court relating to the U. P. Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act, 1950 in the case of Rana Sheo Ambar Singh V/s. The Allahabad Bank Ltd., AIR 1961 SC 1790. In the case of Rana Sheo Ambar Singh, the Supreme Court had to consider the provisions of the U. P. Act in relation to the question whether a simple mortgagee of an estate, which had vested in the State, was entitled to proceed against the special Bhumidari rights conferred on the mortgagor or proprietor under that Act. It was held that the simple mortgagee had no such right as the provision of the U. P. Act had rendered it impossible for the mortgagee to follow the proprietary right after it had vested in the State. In the case of Raja Sailendra Narayan Bhanj Deo the Supreme Court held that, after a mortgagor had been divested of the mortgaged
Bhubneshwar Prasad Narain Singh V/s. Sidheshwar Mukherjee
Krishna Prasad V/s. Gouri Kumari Devi
Raj Kishore Prasad Narain Singh V/s. Ram Partap Pandey
Raja Sailendra Narayan Bhanj Deo V/s. Kumar Jagat Kishore Prasad Narayan Singh
Rana Sheo Ambar Singh V/s. The Allahabad Bank Ltd.
Shivashankar Prasad Shah V/s. Baikunth Nath Singh
SupremeToday
Login now and unlock free premium legal research
Login to SupremeToday AI and access free legal analysis, AI highlights, and smart tools.
Login
now!
India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!
Copyright © 2023 Vikas Info Solution Pvt Ltd. All Rights Reserved.