IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
ARUN KUMAR JHA, J.
Civil Misc. Jur. No.380 of 2021
(19.1.2024)
Anand Prasad Sharma & Anr. ... Petitioners
vs.
Sri. Nagendra Singh & Ors. ... Respondents
Civil Procedure Code, 1908 – Order XXXIX, Rule 1 & 2 – Temporary Injunctions – Claim for injunction by plaintiffs/petitioners was rejected by both the court below on the ground that plaintiffs failed to show any prima facie case and Appellate Court has also observed that plaintiffs have not shown any 'balance of convenience' – Plaintiffs/petitioners put a case that they got executed sale deed in their favour in 1982 for 37 decimals of land but sale deed did not mention the measurement of land and its plot number, but the boundary has been correctly mentioned – But, when sale deed of plaintiffs is silent on measurement and plot number and there has been no dispute till year 2010 over suit property, it would not be prudent to say plaintiffs have got no case and the prima facie case is in favour of defendant/respondent-1st set since three sets of sale deeds are on record – The plaintiffs/petitioners are under apprehension that defendant/respondent-1st set would cut trees from suit land and want injunction in order to preserve the same and to maintain physical feature of the land with standing trees – On other hand, claim of defendant/respondent-1st set is on the basis of sale deed – Balance of convenience would lie in favour of person who wants preservation of suit property compared to other side who wants to cut trees and change the nature of suit property without showing any urgent need, if both parties are put on same pedestal--On these two ingredients, plaintiffs/petitioners made out case for grant of injunction for exercising of discretionary remedy of Court – Orders passed by learned courts not sustainable – Hence, orders are set aside--Civil Misc. petition allowed – Parties are directed to maintain status quo – Learned trial court would make all efforts to conclude the trial within six months of receipt/production of this order. (Paras 7 to 10)
Arun Kumar Jha, J. – The petitioners have filed the present petition seeking following relief(s): –
i. Setting aside the order dated 06th July, 2021 passed by Learned Additional District & Sessions Judge-I, Barh in Miscellaneous Appeal No. 43/2018; Tr. No. 02/2019 whereby the appeal has been dismissed, affirming the order dated 22nd February 2018 passed by Learned Sub Judge-III, Barh in Title Suit No. 149/2015 by which injunction application dated 10th October 2017 filed by the Plaintiffs/Appellants/Petitioners has been rejected.
ii. Setting aside the order dated 22nd February 2018 passed by Learned Sub Judge- III, Barh in Title Suit No. 149/ 2015 by which injunction application dated 10th October, 2017 filed by the Plaintiffs/Appellants/Petitioners has been rejected.
iii. Issuance of direction to the Defendant 1st Set/Respondent 1st Set/Respondent 1st Set to maintain status quo over the suit land during the pendency of the instant application.”
2. The petitioners are plaintiffs before the learned trial court and they filed Title Suit No. 149 of 2015 for declaration of right and title of the plaintiffs over the suit land and further for declaration that the sale deed dated 13th September, 2010 executed by the defendant no. 2 in favour of defendant no. 1/respondent-1st set with respect to the suit land is void ab initio.
3. The case of the plaintiffs is that the land in questions of Plot No. 2552 along with further 27 decimals of land out of Survey Plot No. 2551 belonged to one Mahendra Sharma, i.e., defendant no. 2, who sold the total 37 decimals of land to plaintiff no. 2 through registered sale deed dated 05.03.1982, but by mistake, total area was mentioned as 27 decimals in place of 37 decimals although the boundary was correct and plaintiff no. 2 was put in possession after execution of the sale deed in 1982 and she has been coming in peaceful possession over the land in question besides other land. The plaintiff no. 2 after purchase of the suit land as well as other lands amalgamated two plots, i.e., Plot No. 2551 and Plot No. 2552 and planted several tress of Mangoes, Teak and Jack fruit. The plaintiffs further claimed that due to mistake of the scribe, the suit land was left to be mentioned in the sale deed dated 05.03.1982 and plaintiffs asked defendants-2nd set in the month of June, 2010 for correction in the sale deed who created an agreement for sale on 30.06.2010 with regard to suit property. Thereafter, on plaintiffs’ further request, the defendants-2nd set corrected the mistake and the defendants-2nd set executed a deed of sale dated 29.01.2015 in favour of the plaintiff no. 1 admitting the previous sale. However, in the first week of January, 2015, the plaintiffs came to know about purported sale deed dated 13.09.2010 executed by the defendant no. 2 in favour of defendant no. 1, when defendant no. 1 threatened the plaintiffs to cut the old planted trees of the suit land. Thereafter, on 20.01.2015, defendant-1st set gave an application before the Sarpanch of Gram Kachahri, Berhna for recovery of possession of the suit land from husband of the plaintiff no. 2 and Gram Kachahri Case No. 01 of 2015 was registered by the Sarpanch.
4. On the other hand the plaintiffs/petitioners filed Title Suit No. 149 of 2015 for declaration of his title over the suit land and also for declaration of sale deed dated 13.09.2010 to be void-ab-initio with respect to suit property. After filing of the suit, the defendants appeared and filed their written statement. The defendant- 1st set contended that he has in possession over the suit land after getting his name mutated in the Government record. It was further contended that sale deed dated 05.03.1982 was executed by the defendant no. 2 in favour of plaintiff no. 2, that too, only with respect of 27 decimals of land appertaining to Plot No. 2551. However, wrong fact has been mentioned in the sale deed and no sale deed was executed with respect to Survey Plot No. 2552. It was further conten
The court clarified that a prima facie case requires a fair question giving rise to a triable issue, warranting injunction to prevent property alienation during litigation.
The court emphasized the importance of establishing a prima facie case, balance of convenience, and irreparable loss when considering the grant of injunction in property disputes.
The plaintiff, having lost the case on title dispute, was not entitled to permanent injunction against the true owner.
(1) Injunction is a consequential relief – In a suit for declaration with a consequential relief of injunction, it is not a suit for declaration simpliciter, it is a suit for declaration with a furth....
In a suit for permanent injunction, if the plaintiff establishes title, a reasonable presumption of lawful possession can be drawn. The defendant's challenge to the title must be examined to determin....
An injunction cannot be granted without a substantive challenge to the title or rights of the parties, and the principles of balance of convenience and irreparable harm must be considered.
Appellate courts should not interfere with a trial court's discretionary order for a mandatory injunction unless the order is perverse, arbitrary, or illegal. Mandatory injunctions are appropriate to....
Merely having prima-facie case would not entitle an applicant to an injunction. The applicant has to satisfy all the three ingredients.
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