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1975 Supreme(Pat) 114

PATNA HIGH COURT
Hari Lal Agrawal, J.
Nawal Kishore Singh
Versus
Rajendra Prasad Singh
Civil Revision No. 1312 of 1972 ;
Decided On : MAY 9, 1975

The court has the discretion to order either arrest or attachment of property for disobedience or breach of an order of injunction. The property to be attached must be of the person guilty of disobeying the order of injunction.

Headnote:

ORDER 39 RULE 2(3) CPC - ATTACHMENT OF PROPERTY - DETENTION IN CIVIL PRISON - DISCRETION OF COURT - PROPERTY TO BE ATTACHED - PROPERTY OF PERSON GUILTY OF DISOBEDIENCE.

Fact of the Case:

Plaintiffs filed a title suit for declaration of title and possession with respect to certain properties. An order of ad interim injunction was granted against the defendants restraining them from making any change in the existing condition of the disputed properties. The defendants violated the order and made new constructions on the land. The trial court found the defendants guilty of disobedience and ordered their detention in civil prison for 15 days. The appellate court confirmed the finding of disobedience but set aside the order of detention and instead ordered attachment of the property in question.

Finding of the Court:

The court held that the punishment of attachment of property need not precede the other punishment, namely; detention in civil prison. The court is not obliged to order an attachment of the property in the first instance before passing the order of detention. The property to be attached must be of the person guilty of disobeying the order of injunction.

Issues: 1. Whether it is mandatory for the court to punish the defendants by detention in civil prison in view of the finding of disobedience of the order of ad interim injunction? 2. Whether the attachment of the property could be of the property in the suit itself?

Ratio Decidendi: 1. The court has the discretion to order either arrest or attachment of property for disobedience or breach of an order of injunction. 2. The property to be attached must be of the person guilty of disobeying the order of injunction.

Final Decision: The court dismissed the revision petition filed by the plaintiffs, but modified the order of the appellate court by directing that the property to be attached should be the property of the defendants who were found guilty of disobedience.

Judgment

1. This application in revision by the plaintiffs arises out of a proceeding under Order 39, Rule 2 (3) of the Code of Civil Procedure (hereinafter referred to as the Code) which was taken against the defendants opposite party in the following circumstances:-

The plaintiffs instituted a title suit in the court of the Subordinate Judge, Biharsharif, for declaration of title and possession with respect to certain properties described in the plaint. On the 6th February, 1968, they filed a petition for issue of a temporary injunction restraining the defendants from changing the status quo with respect to Schedule II properties in any way and simultaneously applied for appointment of a pleader commissioner for local inspection of the physical features of the properties in question as they then existed. The learned Subordinate Judge granted both the prayers of the plaintiffs. An order of ad interim injunction was granted against the defendants restraining them from making any change in the existing condition of the disputed properties. The pleader commissioner made local inspection and submitted his report regarding the existing conditions of Schedule II properties. On 19-12-1968, the plaintiffs filed a petition in the trial court alleging that the defendants first party had deliberately disobeyed the order of ad interim injunction and were making a new construction on the land in question. Another pleader commissioner was appointed to find out the correctness of the allegations and the pleader commissioner who was appointed, confirmed the allegations of the plaintiffs. It is not necessary to state all the other questions which were raised in the court below for answering the main question that has been raised before me for my decision. The trial court found on the materials in the inquiry that he held in the matter, that the defendants first party, five in number, had violated the order of ad interim injunction and were guilty of disobedience of the said order. It accordingly ordered them to be detained in civil prison for 15 days. The said defendants filed an appeal against the order of the trial court challenging the order on merits. Their plea was that the order of ad interim injunction was not served upon them. The learned Additional District Judge, however, confirmed the finding of the trial court against the defendants on merits and also came to the conclusion that some new construction, were made by these defendants first party on plot No. 719 after the order of ad interim injunction was served on them on 11-2-1968, and thereby, they disobeyed the courts order. He, however, set aside the order of the trial court in regard to the civil detention of the defendants concerned and instead, passed an order of attachment of the property in question, which, according to him, was sufficient to meet the ends of justice in the circumstances of the case. Simultaneously, he also directed the defendants to remove the new constructions within two months of the order failing which steps under Order 39, Rule 2 (4) of the Code was to be taken. It is against this part of the judgment of the learned Additional District judge that the plaintiffs have moved this court in revision.

2. Learned counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioners raised two questions (i) that it was mandatory for the court to punish the defendants by detention in civil prison in view of the finding of disobedience of the order of ad interim injunction and (ii) that the attachment of the property could not be of the property in the suit itself.

3. I shall take up first the contention raised first. Sub-rule (3) of Rule 2 of Order 39 of the Code which provides for taking of action against the person disobeying the order of injunction provides that "the court granting injunction may order the property of the person guilty of such disobedience or breach to be attached, and may also order such person to be detained in the civil prison" Reading the relevant provision of




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