SupremeToday Landscape Ad
Back
Next
Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation
Listen Audio Icon Pause Audio Icon
judgment-img

2002 Supreme(Cal) 305

High Court Of Calcutta
Pratap Kumar Ray
DAMODAR NARYAN SINGH - Appellant
Versus
SARDAR HIRA SINGH - Respondent
C. O.  1264  Of  2001
Decided On : 05/06/2002

Advocates Appeared:
BIJOY ADHIKARY, D.N.CHATTERJI, M.L.SARKAR, MITA BISVAS, R.K.DAS, Sujit Bhattacharya

The relationship between father and son is not that of licensor and licensee, and the Small Causes Court has no jurisdiction to decide the question of title raised by the son.

Headnote:

PRESIDENCIES SMALL CAUSES COURTS ACT, 1882 - SECTION 41 - LEAVE AND LICENSE - FAMILY RELATIONSHIP - JURISDICTION - TITLE DISPUTE - FATHER-SON RELATIONSHIP - INTERPRETATION - MORALITY AND ETHICS - APPLICABILITY OF SECTION 41 - JURISDICTIONAL ERROR - BENAMI TRANSACTION (PROVISION) ACT - TITLE OF PROPERTY - JURISDICTION OF SMALL CAUSES COURT - REVISION APPLICATION - SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTE - BLESSINGS OF PARENTS - RES JUDICATA

Fact of the Case:

Plaintiff father filed a suit for eviction of his son from the suit premises, claiming that the son was a mere licensee and the license was revoked by a letter. The son contested the suit, denying the allegations and claiming independent title over the property.

Finding of the Court:

The court held that the relationship between father and son is not that of licensor and licensee, and that the son cannot be deemed as a licensee in respect of the residential house of the father. The court further held that the Small Causes Court had no jurisdiction to decide the question of title raised by the son.

Issues: 1. Whether the relationship between father and son can be construed as licensor and licensee? 2. Whether the Small Causes Court has jurisdiction to decide the question of title raised by the son?

Ratio Decidendi: 1. The court held that the relationship between father and son is not that of licensor and licensee, as the son is an integral part of the family and his stay in the family house is not based on any legal right or status. 2. The court held that the Small Causes Court has no jurisdiction to decide the question of title raised by the son, as the jurisdiction of the court is limited to cases where the annual value of the immovable property does not exceed two thousand rupees.

Final Decision: The court allowed the revision application, set aside the impugned order, and directed the Small Causes Court to return the plaint to the plaintiff.

P. K. RAY, J.

( 1 ) THIS application under section 115 of the Code of Civil Procedure has been filed by defendant son, as petitioner, challenging the order dated 31st March, 2002 passed by learned Judge, Fourth Bench of the Court of the small causes at Calcutta in SCC No. 113/96 whereby and whereunder with reference to the application under section 41 of the Presidencies Small Causes Courts Act, 1882, the defendant son was directed to vacate the suit premises and to deliver the possession of suit premises to the plaintiff, the father, within two months from date of the order upon decreeing the suit for khas possession of the suit premises on eviction of the defendant son therefrom in favour of the plaintiff father.

( 2 ) IN the application under section 41 of Presidency Small Causes Act, 1882 hereinafter refer to as the said Act, the plaintiff, which is the father of the defendant of the said application prayed for recovery of possession of suit room by eviction of the defendant son therefrom on the ground that the defendant son was a mere licensee in the suit premises and such license was revoked by the letter dated 13th April, 1996 through learned advocate. The defendant son for non-compliance of such revocation notice became liable for eviction from the suit premises and the plaintiff father was entitled to have the recovery of possession. From the plaint and the evidence on record it is an admitted position that the property was purchased in the name of plaintiff father in the year 1980 when the plaintiff's family was consisting of five sons and daughters. All the sons at the material time of purchase of the property were unmarried and they resided with the plaintiff in joint mess. Even after marriage of the defendant in the year 1993 who is third son of the plaintiff, they were leaving in the joint mess with the plaintiff. It is further in evidence of the plaintiff that in the year 1995 sometime in the month of the January or February, defendant was made separated from the plaintiff's joint mess and defendant along with his wife was allowed to reside in the suit room as licensee when the earlier tenant Tapan Kr. Mitra vacated the said room. It is also admitted in evidence that plaintiff gave the marriage of defendant son when defendant was unemployed aged about 20 years and allowed the defendant and his wife to stay in one room of the house on condition to obey the plaintiff father and to follow him being a member of a joint family. It was further alleged that since the defendant son was not in the speaking term with the family members and even started to cause disturbance of family peace by different ways including assault to the parents, taking away the ornaments of sisters etc. , the plaintiff under painful circumstances issued the notice revoking the leave and license as was granted. The defendant son appeared in the said suit and by filling written statement denied the allegations as made by the plaintiff father. Defendant son had set up a case of independent title over the property by contending, inter alia, that he contributed Rs. 12,000/- while the property was purchased in the year 1980 and his another brother contributed Rs. 40,000/ -. It is alleged in the written statement that at the material time of purchase and even thereafter plaintiff father had no income. Plaintiff father was residing in a 'gurewara' and accordingly he had no means to purchase a property. It is contended further that defendant brother who contributed major amount of Rs. 40,000/- allowed the defendant to stay in the suit room with the family members. From the evidence on records and the deposition of the witnesses concerned it appears that the defendant son is leaving in the suit room with his family members namely wife and a minor son. It is revealed in evidence that the plaintiff father accepted dowry money on giving marriage of the defendant with one Smt. Gouri Kour. From the deposition of Gouri Kour it appears that she was tortured b












Click Here to Read the rest of this document

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
SupremeToday Portrait Ad
supreme today icon
logo-black

An indispensable Tool for Legal Professionals, Endorsed by Various High Court and Judicial Officers

Please visit our Training & Support
Center or Contact Us for assistance

qr

Scan Me!

India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!

For Daily Legal Updates, Join us on :

whatsapp-icon Back to top