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1991 Supreme(Pat) 444

PATNA HIGH COURT
Satyeshwar Roy, B.N.Agrawal and N.Pandey JJ.
Gobardhan Lal Soneja
Versus
Binod Kumar Sinha
Civil Revision No. 144 of 1990 ;
Decided On : OCTOBER 31, 1991

Headnote:Bengal, Agra & Assam Chit Courts (Bihar Amendment) Act, 1987 Sections 19(1), 19(2) & 21-Bihar Amendment raising the pecuniary jurisdiction of the Courts of Munsifs and District Judge-amending Act coming into force from 8.8.87-suit filed in the year 1985 before the coming into force of the Act-effect of -Language of sec. 19 is not such as to interpret it that the Munsif and Additional Munsif were given Jurisdiction to hear suits of higher value which were filed after the amendment of the section-application of sec.19 will be retrospective-the crucial test for deciding whether the court had the pecuniary jurisdiction to hear a suit is to see whether on the date hearing of the suit is taken up, it has the pecuniary jurisdiction to entertain such suit or not - AIR 1976 SC 237 rel. on, 1991 BBCJ 459 (impliedly approved), 1988 BBCJ 767 not approved. (Paras 5, 7, & 8)

Judgment

Satyeshwar Roy, J.

1. The plaintiff filed Title Suit No. 31 of 1985 in the court of Subordinate Judge, Begusarai for declaration of his title, confirmation of possession and permanent injunction with regard to the suit property The value of the suit Rs. 10,025. Opposite parties No. 1 to 7 filed their written statement contesting the suit. Opposite parties No. 8 to 10 filed an application under Order I, Rule 10 of the Code of Civil of Procedure for adding them as parties in that suit. That was allowed. The order was challenged by the petitioner in Civil Revision No. 151 of 1987 which was disposed of on 31-10-1987 with the direction that the suit be disposed of within three months from the date of receipt of the order. The suit was pending in the court of Munsif. Second, Begusarai, from 30-10-1987. It was ordered that the Title Suit No. 219 of 1985 filed by the opposite parties No 8 to 10 should be heard analogous with the Title Suit No. 31 of 1985.

2. By order of the District Judge, the Court of Munsif received on transfer the Title Suit No. 31 of 1985, as his pecuniary jurisdiction was raised to Rs. 30,000 by an amendment in the Begal, Agra, Assam Civil Courts Act, 1887 (hereinafter referred to as the 1887 Act) with effect from 8-8-1987. In the court of the Munsif, the suit was re-numbered as title suit No. 120 of 1985. The Munsif took up hearing of the suit and the parties closed their evidence. At that stage, the suit was transferred to the court of the Subordinate Judge-I. On 31-8-989, the opposite party No. 1 filed a petition in that Court that as the Munsif had no pecuniary jurisdiction to try the suit when it was filed, the evidence recorded by him was without jurisdiction and all orders passed by him were void. The petitioner filed rejoinder. The court below by order dated 4-1-1990 relying on Kartik Nath Jha V/s. Seela Thakur 1988 BBCJ 767 : 1987 PLJR. 1126, held that as 1987 Act was amended with effect from 8-8-1987 and as the Munsif had than the pecuniary jurisdiction to entertain the suit valued at Rs. 5,000 all actions taken by the Munsif were void, This order has been challenged by the petitioner in this civil revision application. The case was listed for admission before a learned single Judge. He was of the opinion that the case be heard by a Division Bench, The learned single Judge also observed that the record, be placed before the Hon ble the Chief Justice, who, if thinks fit, may constitute a larger Bench. The Chief Justice ordered for listing of this case before a special Bench of three judges and this is how the case has been listed before this Bench.

3. The admitted facts are that the suit valued at Rs. 10,025 was filed in the court of the Sub-Judge in 1985. The suit was filed before a court having pecuniary jurisdiction. In 1985, the pecuniary jurisdiction of the Munsif was Rs. 5.000. With effect from 8-8-1987, the pecuniary jurisdiction of the Munsif was raised to Rs. 50000 by Bihar Amendment of 1887 Act. On 16-9-1987, the District Judge ordered for transfer of the case to the court of the Munsif. When the order was passed by the District Judge, the pecuniary jurisdiction of the Munsif was Rs. 30,000. None of the parties filed any application before the Munsif that he had no jurisdiction to hear the suit. The hearing of the suit was taken up by the Munsif, The parties closed their evidence before that court. This suit was thereafter transferred to the court of Subordinate Judge. In the court of the Subordinate Judge, opposite party No. 1 took an objection that as in 1985, the Munsif had no pecuniary jurisdiction to entertain a suit valued at Rs. 10,000, the hearing of the suit by him, even if it was after 8-8-1987. was without jurisdiction. As noticed above, the court below accepted the contention of the opposite party No. 1 relying on Kartik Nath Jha, (supra) and held that all action taken by the Munsif was void.

4. A number of points were framed by the learned single Judge. The point involved i














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