IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
KHATIM REZA, J.
First Appeal No.83 of 2019
(13.3.2024)
Chairman, NJMC Ltd. & Anr. ... Appellants
vs.
Umesh Kumar Chamaria & Ors. ... Respondents
Civil Procedure Code, 1908 – Section 96 – Industries (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951 – Section 18AA – The Jute Companies (Nationalization) Act, 1980 – Section 3, 4, 9 and 30 – Appeal from original decree – Plaintiffs filed title suit for declaration of title and confirmation of position of the suit land and also for decree of permanent injunction for restraining the defendants from interfering into the peaceful possession of the plaintiffs over the suit lands – Trial Court declared that the plaintiffs are having a perfect and valid right title and interest over the suit land – Husband of the plaintiff purchased 15 acres of land through registered sale deed dated 04.08.1954 in his name and came in possession of entire 15 acres of land and enjoyed usufructs of the land by way of its cultivation – Without giving any notice a wrong municipal survey record was made with respect to the suit land on wrong notion that whatever property held by belonged to RBHM Jute Mills – Claim of the plaintiffs is that the suit land is inherited by the plaintiffs and they are continuing in possession thereof – Further, defendants/appellants threatened the plaintiffs to dispossess the plaintiffs from the suit land, then the plaintiffs filed the suit – Appellants contention that management of RBHM Jute Mills was taken over by the Central Government under the Act of 1951 and later on, the acquisition and transfer of the undertakings of the Jute Mill was vested in the Central Government by the Act of 1980 – Appellants failed to prove that the sale deed was purchased by the company/Mill – No balance sheet of the company was produced or adduced before the Trial Court to demonstrate that the said purchase was made by the Company – Government Valuer Report does not disclose the land in-question in its report – Therefore, no question of vesting of the suit land under the Act of 1951 – Suit property could not presume to be vested Suo motu only mentioning the name of husband of plaintiff profession as mill owner – Registered sale deed was prepared in personal capacity and not under the management of undertakings under the Act of 1951 – Claim of the defendants/appellants is based upon the entry in the Municipal Survey Khatiyan – Revisional or Municipal Survey entry neither creates nor extinguishes title and as such, they have no documents of title rather they are claiming title – Municipal holding tax, revenue receipts produced and exhibited pertained to the year 2013 i.e. after filing of the suit in the year 2011 – Further, appellants took a plea of adverse possession – Plea of adverse possession and title cannot be taken simultaneously – Also, contents that suit of plaintiff is barred by limitation – Material to show that the plaintiffs are in actual physical possession since the date of purchase – Plaintiffs succeeded in establishing their title very much before as well as after the publication of Municipal Survey khatiyan – Therefore, suit is not barred by limitation – Court below rightly decided the issue involved in the suit – Judgment and decree passed by the Court below affirmed – First Appeal dismissed. (Paras 46, 54 to 62)
Khatim Reza, J. – Heard Mr. Shekhar Singh, learned counsel for the appellants, Mr. Chitranjan Sinha, learned senior counsel for respondent nos.1 to 4 and Mr. Pradeep Kumar, learned counsel for respondent no. 5 – Union of India.
2. The present appeal has been preferred against the judgment and decreed dated 30.4.2019, passed by learned Sub- Judge-VI, Katihar in Title Suit No. 158 of 2011, whereby the learned Trial Court has decreed the suit on contest but without cost, and declared that the plaintiffs are having a perfect and valid right title and interest over the suit land, and the defendants and their employees, servants, assignee were restrained permanently from interfering the peaceful possession of the plaintiffs over the suit land.
3. Defendants No. 2 and 3 are the appellants, and Plaintiffs are respondent nos. 1 to 4. Defendant No. 3 is the respondent no 5.
4. The plaintiffs filed the aforesaid Title Suit for declaration of title and confirmation of position of the suit land and also for decree of permanent injunction for restraining the defendants from interfering into the peaceful possession of the plaintiffs over the suit lands.
5. As per the case of the plaintiffs, the suit land is inherited by the plaintiffs and they are continuing in possession thereof. The husband of the plaintiff no. 1 (Sheela Devi Chamaria), namely, Motilal Chamaria, purchased 15 acres of land through registered sale deed dated 04.08.1954 in his name and came in possession of entire 15 acres of land and enjoyed usufructs of the said land by way of its cultivation. Babu Motilal Chamaria was also a mill owner of Rai Bahadur Hurdutroy Motilal Jute Mills Private Limited, commonly known as RBHM Jute Mills, Katihar having its own identity. The further case of the plaintiffs is that the suit lands were never the part and parcel of the said jute mill property since Motilal Chamaria acquired suit land for other purpose. In the course of time, RBHM Jute Mills became sick as such nationalization of the said jute mill took effect under the Jute Companies Nationalization Act, 1980, Act 62 of 1980. Schedule 1 of the said Act, RBHM Jute Mill Private Limited, Katihar and vested in Union of India and became the unit of Central Government and the management of the undertakings of the said Jute Mills was taken over by the Central Government under Industries (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951 (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Act of 1951), but the suit land continued to be the personal property of Motilal Chamaria. The assets, liabilities, properties, duly recorded and listed by RBHM Jute Mills was found in occupation of an area of 17 Bighas and 4 Kathas and over the said land, mill plant and other appurtenance of RBHM Mills is in existence which has nothing to do with the aforesaid 15 acres of land, which is the personal acquired land of Motilal Chamaria. A separate Jamabandi of Motilal Chamaria was running in his name in personal capacity which was created from Jamabandi No. 900 and a separate Jamabandi no. 76 was created in the name of Motilal Chamaria with respect to the suit land and he used to pay rent to the Government. However, without giving any notice to the Motilal Chamaria, a wrong municipal survey record was made with respect to the suit land on wrong notion that whatever property held by Motilal Chamaria belonged to RBHM Jute Mills, Katihar. It was wrongly recorded in municipal survey operation in the name of RBHM Jute Mills, Katihar. The said land continued in khas possession of Motilal Chamaria, which was wrongly and illegally recorded in the name of RBHM Jute Mills Katihar for an area of 14 acres 17 decimals 8 kari of land in place of Motilal Chamaria, but the later was in khas possession over his acquired land at the time of survey operation which is more or less to the extent of his acquisition. Motilal Chamaria used to reside in Calcutta whi
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Civil Suit - Additional Evidence - Wherever additional evidence is allowed the court shall record reason for its admission.
In a suit for declaration of title, the plaintiff must prove ownership; failure to seek possession forfeits claims against an adverse possessor.
A suit for declaration of title without seeking possession is not maintainable under the Specific Relief Act.
Revenue records do not confer title; ownership must be established through valid documentation and historical possession.
Point of law: Considerations in terms of Section 100 CPC arise only when there is substantial question of law and not mere such questions of law or one based on facts. The learned counsel for the res....
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