High Court Of Calcutta
MALAY KUMAR BASU
BINOD KUMAR GUPTA - Appellant
Versus
RAJENDRA PROSAD SHUKLA - Respondent
C. O. 2184 Of 1996
Decided On : 09/03/2002
Thika Tenancy Act - Injunction - Order 39 Rule 3 C.P.C. - Ex parte injunction - Reasons for granting - Mandatory - Failure to record reasons - Effect on jurisdiction.
Fact of the Case:
The petitioners, claiming to be Thika tenants, challenged the grant of an ex parte ad interim injunction by the trial court restraining both parties from disturbing the status quo of the suit property till the disposal of the injunction petition under Order 39, C.P.C. The petitioners contended that the trial court's order was illegal and without jurisdiction as it was passed without assigning any reason and without complying with the mandatory provisions of Order 39, Rule 3, C.P.C.
Finding of the Court:
The court held that the failure of the trial court to record reasons for granting the ex parte injunction, though mandatory under Order 39, Rule 3, C.P.C., did not render the order without jurisdiction or exercised with material irregularity. The court relied on the fact that the trial court had expressed its satisfaction that there existed a prima facie case and the matter seemed to be an emergent one, which constituted substantial compliance with the requirements of Order 39, Rule 3.
Issues: 1. Whether the trial court's order granting an ex parte ad interim injunction without recording reasons was illegal and without jurisdiction? 2. Whether the failure to record reasons under Order 39, Rule 3, C.P.C. rendered the order void?
Ratio Decidendi: 1. The mandatory requirement of recording reasons under Order 39, Rule 3, C.P.C. for granting an ex parte injunction is not arbitrary in substance. 2. The failure to record reasons, though a mandatory provision, does not render the order void or without jurisdiction unless the order was passed without any reasons or where the jurisdiction has been exercised with material irregularity.
Final Decision: The court dismissed the revisional application, holding that the impugned order of the trial court granting the interim ex parte injunction was not totally unreasoned and did not suffer from lack of jurisdiction or material irregularity.
( 1 ) THIS revisional application is directed against the order dated 14th August, 1996 passed by the Ld. Additional District judge, 1st Court, Howrah in Misc. Appeal No. 44 of 1992. By that order that Court affirmed the order dated 3rd February, 1992 passed by the Ld. Munsif, 4th Court. Howrah in T. S. No. 26/1992 granting an ad interim injunction ex parte directing both the parties to the suit to maintain status quo of the suit property till the disposal of the injunction-petition under Order 39, C. P. C. The relevant facts were as follows. The suit No. T. S. 26/1992 was filed by the plaintiff-respondent praying for a decree for declaration of title and permanent injunction restraining the defendants from disturbing plaintiffs peaceful possession in the suit property and the plaintiffs also prayed for temporary injunction to the above effect till the final disposal of the suit. While passing the order for issuing notice upon the defendants to show cause why the temporary injunction as prayed for would not be granted the Ld. Munsif passed the impugned order granting the aforementioned interim injunction by directing the parties to maintain status quo till the hearing of the injunction petition. Being aggrieved by that order the defendants (the present petitioners) preferred the abovementioned Misc. Appeal before the Court of District Judge, Howrah and the same was transferred to the Court of 1st Additional District Judge, Howrah for hearing and disposal and after hearing arguments of both sides the Ld. Additional district Judge passed the impugned order affirming the order of the Ld. Munsif in question.
( 2 ) BEING again dissatisfied with that order the defendants have preferred the present revisional application under Section 115 of the Civjl Procedure Code challenging the impugned order as illegal, erroneous and liable to be set aside. The case of the defendants-petitioners is that the suit holding is a Thika property and the petitioners are thika-tenants therein and as per the provisions of the Thika tenancy (Acquisition and regulation) Act, 1981, the suit holding being a Thika property is not transferrable and the petitioners applied before the Thika Controller, Howrah in prescribed form praying for an order accepting them as a Thika-tenants and the Ld. Controller after being satisfied accepted them as Thika-tenants pro visionally and permitted them to deposit the monthly rents provisionally with effect from 18th January, 1982. Accordingly, the petitioners having mutated their names in the records of Howrah Municipal Corporation and have been deposited the tax before the municipal Authority and they have also submitted building plan before the said Corporation for sanction for the propose of raising construction on the said Thika property. Under such circumstances the plaintiff- o. P. s were not entitled to purchase the property or to have exercised any right of ownership and the order of the Ld. Munsif granting them interim injunction was erroneous and illegal. Being emboldened by the ad interim order of status quo they were trying to put a padlock on the gate of the door of the shop-cum-godown belonging to the petitioners situated on the suit property and were trying to dispossess the petitioners from there. It has also been averred in the petition that the petitioners had filed a Title suit being T. S. No. 83/1992 in the Court of 4th Munsif, Howrah for declaration that they were Thika-tenants in respect of the suit property having possessory right and the o. Ps. had no manner of right, title or interest therein and for permanent injunction restraining them from interfering with the peaceful possession of the petitioners in the suit property and they also have filed a petition for temporary injunction in that suit and the Court also after being satisfied granted an ad interim order of injunction restraining the O. Ps. from interfering with the physical possession of the petitioners therein till the
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