HIGH COURT OF CALCUTTA
R. P. Mookerjee, Guha
PROTAP KUMAR SEN - Appellant
Versus
NAGENDRA NATH MAZUMDAR - Respondent
Civil Revn 697 Of 1950
Decided On : APRIL 11, 1951
JURISDICTION - LEGAL PROCEEDINGS ORDER, 1947 - CLAUSE 4, SUB-CLAUSE (1) AND (3) - EFFECT - DECREE PASSED BY COURT IN PAKISTAN IN SUIT PENDING ON 15-8-1947 - EXECUTION IN INDIA - VALIDITY.
Fact of the Case:
A suit was filed in the Court of the Subordinate Judge at Jessore, then a part of undivided Bengal, on 30-5-1947. Certain properties belonging to the defendant situate within the district of 24 Pergannas were attached before judgment through the District Judge at Alipore on 28-6-1947. The suit was decreed ex parte on 9-12-1948. On 3-8-1949, the plaintiffs applied for a certificate of non-satisfaction under Order XXI, Rule 6, Civil P. C. The certificate was issued on 18-8-1949 and was received by the District Judge of Alipore. On 22-5-1950, the District Judge of Alipore directed the return of the certificate of non-satisfaction to the Court of the Subordinate Judge at Jessore as the decree passed by the Jessore Court was not capable of execution by the Alipore Court in another Dominion.
Finding of the Court:
The Court held that the transmission of the certificate of non-satisfaction by the Jessore Court to the Court of the District Judge at Alipore was legal and valid. The Court further held that the repeal of the Indian Independence Act by Article 395 of the Constitution did not affect the rights and liabilities already accrued under the Act and the Orders passed by the Governor-General thereunder.
Issues: Whether the transmission of the certificate of non-satisfaction by the Jessore Court to the Court of the District Judge at Alipore was legal and valid.
Ratio Decidendi: The Court held that under Clause 4, Sub-clause (1) of the Legal Proceedings Order, 1947, all proceedings pending immediately before the appointed day in any civil or criminal Court in the Province of Bengal shall be continued in that Court as if the Indian Independence Act, 1947 had not been passed and that Court shall continue to have for the purpose of the said proceedings all the jurisdiction and power which it had immediately before the appointed day. The Court further held that under Sub-clause (3) of the same clause, effect shall be given within the territories of either of the two Dominions to any judgment, decree order or sentence of any such Court in the said proceedings as if it had been passed by a Court of competent jurisdiction within that Dominion.
Final Decision: The Court made the Rule absolute, set aside the order passed by the District Judge of 24-Pergannas directing the return of the certificate of non-satisfaction to the Jessore Court, and directed that further proceedings in execution will proceed according to law.
( 1 ) ON 30-5-1947, the pltfs. petnrs. filed a suit in the Court of the Subordinate Judge at Jessore, then a part of undivided Bengal. In pursuance of an order passed by the Subordinate Judge certain properties, belonging to the deft. situate within the district of 24 Pergannas, were on 28-6-1947, attached before judgment through the Dist. J. at Alipore. When the suit was so pending in the Jessore Court under the Indian Independence Act, 1947 (10 and 11 Geo. VI, c. 30) two new Dominions came into existence with effect from 15-8-1947; and among others the then Province of Bengal was partitioned between the two said Dominions, India and Pakistan.
( 2 ) THE suit pending in the Jessore Court was decreed ex parte on 9-12-1948 On 3-8-1949, the pltfs. D. Hs. applied before the Subordinate Judge at Jessore, then situate within the Dominion of Pakistan, for a certificate of non-satisfaction under Order XXI, RULE 6, Civil P. C. The certificate of non-satisfaction was accordingly issued on 18-8-1949, and was received by the Dist. J. of Alipore, within the district of 24-Pergannas, West Bengal, situate within the Dominion of India. On 22-5-1950, the Dist. J. of Alipore directed the return of the certificate of non-satisfaction to the Court of the Sub-ordinate Judge at Jessore inasmuch as the decree passed by the Jessore Court was not capable of execution by the Alipore Court in another Dominion. It is against this order that the pltfs. have obtained this Rule.
( 3 ) IN spite of service of notice being effected on the J. D. opposite party on two occasions, no appearance has been entered in this Court on behalf of the opposite party. Notice having been issued on the Advocate General of West Bengal under Rule 1, Order XXVIIA, Civil P. C , we have had the advantage of hearing the Govt. Pleaders.
( 4 ) ALTHOUGH the learned Dist. J. has refd. to Dominion of India v. Hiralal, 53 C. W. N. 817 and Sushama Roy v. A. S. M. Osman, 54 C. W. N. 491, it need only be pointed out that in both those cases the decrees in question had been passed before 15-8-1947. In the present case, on the other hand, the suit was pending on 15-8 1947, and we are required to consider the effect of the provisions contained in the Legal Proceedings Order, 1947, issued by the Governor-General Under Section 9, Indian Independence Act, 1947. Under Clause 4, Legal Proceedings Order:"notwithstanding the creation of certain new provinces and the transfer of certain territories from the Province of Assam to the Province of East Bengal by the Indian Independence Act, 1947. (1) All proceedings pending immediately before the appointed ay in any civil or criminal Court (other than a H. C ) in the Province of Bengal, Punjab or Assam shall be continued in that Court as if the said Act had not been passed and that Court shall continue to have for the purpose of the said proceedings all the jurisdiction and power which it had immediately before the appointed day. * * * * *, and (3) effect shall be given within the territories of either of the two Dominions to any judgment, decree order or sentence of any such Court in the said proceedings as if it had been passed by a Court of competent jurisdiction within that Dominion. "
( 5 ) APPLYING these relevant provisions to the facts of the present case it must be held that the Jessore Court continued even after the appointed day to have, for the purposes of the proceedings which were pending before that Court immediately before that day, "all the jurisdiction and powers which it had immediately before the appointed day. " Before the said appointed day, the Jessore Court had jurisdiction to forward a certificate of non-satisfaction to any other Court within the then Province of Bengal. In respect of the suit which was pending on the appointed day in the Jessore Court the latter would be treated as if there had been no partition of Bengal and the district of Jessore had not become a part of a separate independent Dominion.
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