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1963 Supreme(Cal) 67

HIGH COURT OF CALCUTTA
H. K. Bose, G. K. Mitter
PANKAJ KUMAR PAKHIRA - Appellant
Versus
NANIBALA PAKHIRA - Respondent
Supreme Court Appeal 66  Of  1961
Decided On : APRIL 2, 1963

Advocates Appeared:
A.D.MUKHERJI, HEM CHANDRA DHAR, PADMABINDU CHATTERJI, PRAVASH CHANDRA BASU

A decree for future maintenance is not a declaratory decree and a fresh suit is not necessary to enforce the charge created by such a decree.

Headnote:

EXECUTION OF DECREE - DECREE FOR FUTURE MAINTENANCE - WHETHER A DECLARATORY DECREE - WHETHER A FRESH SUIT NECESSARY TO ENFORCE THE CHARGE - CODE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE (ACT V OF 1908), ORDER 34, RULES 13, 14.

Fact of the Case:

The respondent obtained a decree against her husband for maintenance, declaration of charge, and other reliefs. During the pendency of the suit, the husband sold some of his properties to the petitioner subject to certain conditions imposing pecuniary liabilities. The petitioner was added as a party defendant to the suit. Subsequently, the wife and the husband settled the suit and filed a petition of compromise. The decree passed recorded the compromise, declaring a charge on certain properties for the payment of the decretal amount and future maintenance. The petitioner objected to the execution of the decree, contending that the decree for future maintenance was merely a declaratory decree and that a fresh suit was necessary to enforce the charge. The lower courts rejected the petitioner's objections. The petitioner filed an appeal to the Supreme Court.

Finding of the Court:

The court held that the preliminary objection raised by the respondent was one of substance and the proposed appeal to the Supreme Court was incompetent. The court further held that the decision of the Division Bench was not a final order within the meaning of Article 133 (1) of the Constitution and that the proposed appeal to the Supreme Court was therefore incompetent.

Issues: 1. Whether the decree for future maintenance was a declaratory decree? 2. Whether a fresh suit was necessary to enforce the charge?

Ratio Decidendi: 1. The court held that the decree for future maintenance was not a declaratory decree. The court relied on the decision of the Division Bench, which had held that the decree was effective with regard to both the arrears of maintenance and the future maintenance. 2. The court held that a fresh suit was not necessary to enforce the charge. The court relied on the decision of the Division Bench, which had held that the decree-holder was entitled to put the decree into execution without recourse to a fresh suit to enforce the charge.

Final Decision: The court dismissed the petition for a certificate under Article 133 (1) of the Constitution and refused to grant the certificate.

BOSE, C. J.

( 1 ) THIS is an application for a certificate under Article 133 (1) of the Constitution and the relevant provisions of the Code of Civil Procedure, in respect of a decision of a Division Bench of this Court dated the 10th August, 1960 which affirmed the order of the Court below made in an execution proceeding. The facts giving rise to this application are shortly as follows:

( 2 ) ON 15th June 1949 the respondent Nanibala Pakhira instituted a suit being Title Suit No. 36 of 1949 in the First Court of the Subordinate Judge at Howrah against her husband Jitendra Nith Pakhira (since deceased) for maintenance, declaration of charge and other reliefs. During the pendency of the said suit Jitendra sold some of his properties to the petitioner Pankaj Kumar Pakhira on 9tn July 1950 for a sum of Rs. 15,000/- subject to certain conditions imposing pecuniary liabilities. After this sale the petitioner was added as a party defendant No. 5 to the said suit. Subsequently the wife and the husband settled the suit and filed a petition of compromise and a decree was passed, the relevant portion whereof was as follows:"in the result let the solenama entered into between defendant No. 1 and the plaintiff be recorded excepting the last sentence of paragraph 3 and the 5th paragrapn, the suit be decreed on contest with costs against defendant No. 1 and the defendant No. 5 and ex parte against the rest. The plaintiff is held entitled to get Rs. 40/- as maintenance per month and her arrears of maintenance should be decreed to the extent of Rs. 1440/- and the property described in the schedule 'ka' to the plaint shall remain a cnarge for the payment of this decretal amount and for future maintenance at the same rate. "

( 3 ) THE petitioner objected to the recording of this compromise but his objection was overruled and an appeal preferred by the petitioner against the said order was dismissed. No appeal was however preferred against the decree that was passed in the said suit. The respondent thereafter made an application for execution of the said decree by attachment and sale of the properties upon which a cnarge was created for the maintenance by the said decree and this case was registered as Execution Case No. 6 of 1953 of the Third Court of the Subordinate Judge at Howrah. The attachment included the properties which had been purchased by the petitioner. The petitioner filed an objection to tne said execution proceeding inter alia to the effect that the decree for future maintenance was merely a declaratory decree and the only effective decree passed was with regard to arrears of Rs. 1440/- and with regard to costs, and it was contended that the decree-holder could realise by execution of the decree the sum of Rs. 1440/. and costs but she was required to file a suit and get a fresh decree in respect of future maintenance. The learned Subordinate Judge gave effect to this contention and upheld the objection of the petitioner. Thereupon an appeal was taken to this Court by the decree-holder Nanibala and this appeal came up for hearing before a Division Bench of this court consisting of S. R. Das Gupta and N. K. Sen JJ. and the learned Judges allowed the appeal inter alia observing as follows:"on a proper consideration of the matter, I cannot but come to the conclusion that effective decree was passed both with regard to Rs. 40/- per month and Rs. 1440/- and the decree with respect to Rs. 40/- per month was not a declaratory decree. . . . . On a proper consideration of the matter I am of opinion that the view taken by the learned Judge was wrong and the order appealed against should be set aside. "in the ordering portion the Division Bench further observed: "there will, therefore, be an order setting aside the order of the Subordinate Judge dated the 23rd November 1953 and directing the execution to proceed. "

( 4 ) AFTER the matter went back to the Court below the petitioner filed another application both under Section 47 of the Code











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