IN THE HIGH COURT AT CALCUTTA
Tapabrata Chakraborty, Partha Sarathi Chatterjee, JJ.
Kalyan Kumar Bera - Appellant
Versus
Milan Kumar Khutia & Ors. - Respondents
FAT No. 451 of 2016
Decided On : 06-12-2022
non-joinder of necessary party - Property Dispute - S. 34 of the Specific Relief Act, Order 1 Rule 8 of the Code of Civil Procedure, Order 41 Rule 23 of CPC
Fact of the Case:
Plaintiff filed a suit for recovery of khas possession and mandatory injunction after being dispossessed by the defendants who trespassed into the suit property. Defendants contested the suit, claiming the property was used as the party office of AITC. The court below dismissed the suit on the grounds of non-joinder of necessary party without framing an issue on that score.
Finding of the Court:
The court found that the plaintiff failed to prove his case beyond preponderance of probability and dismissed the suit on the ground of non-joinder of necessary party.
Issues: The issues included the maintainability of the suit, cause of action, estoppel, waiver, acquiescence, limitation, right, title, and interest in the suit property, and entitlement to the decree as prayed for.
Ratio Decidendi: The court held that non-joinder of a necessary party is a ground to reverse or vary a decree in appeal and ordered a remand to afford an opportunity to the plaintiff to implead the necessary party.
Final Decision: The judgment and decree were set aside, and the suit was re-admitted for the plaintiff to implead the necessary party. The court directed the lower court to decide specific issues after the necessary party is impleaded.
JUDGMENT
Partha Sarathi Chatterjee, J. - Judgment and decree dated 27th April, 2016 passed by the learned Civil Judge, Senior Division, First Court at Contai, Purba Medinipur, whereby the suit was dismissed, has been impugned in this instant appeal.
2. Capsulated form of the facts leading to filing this appeal is that plaintiff filed one suit for recovery of khas possession after evicting the trespassers as well as for mandatory injunction.
3. Facts projected in the plaint are that one Bhanu Charan Jana happened to be the owner and possessor of the suit property. Mr. Jana transferred the suit property to the plaintiff by virtue of a registered deed of sale being no. 6589 which was executed and registered on 14.9.2010 & 15.9.2010 respectively. The suit property was recorded in his name in L.R.R-O-R under khatian no.1251 and the L.R.R-O-R was finally published. It was claimed that the defendants, who belonged to a political party, illegally and forcibly trespassed into the suit property and illegally constructed one room having asbestos shed thereon on 10.4.2014 and thereby dispossessed the plaintiff from that property and now, they are denying the title of the plaintiff over the suit property and hence, this suit.
4. Record speaks that the defendants contested the suit by filing written statement denying all the allegations contained in the plaint. It was specifically contended that the suit is barred by mis-joinder of cause of action and the suit is also barred by the provisions of Order 1 Rule 8 of the Code of Civil Procedure (hereinafter referred to as CPC) since all the members of All India Trinamul Congress, Sahapur East Branch had not been made parties. It was also contended that Mr. Jana, the erstwhile owner, was unmarried and he was an active member of All India Trinamul Congress (in short, AITC) and since the date of formation of that party, i.e., from 01.1.1998, he was living in a room having a tin shed standing on the southern part of the suit property and all the political activities of that party were carried out from that room and hence, that property was not personal property of Mr. Jana but was used as the property of the party office of AITC. It was also pleaded that said Mr. Jana was bed-ridden for a pretty long time and he had no sound and disposing state of mind and the deed which the plaintiff had claimed to have been executed and registered in his favour is a forged and manufactured document. It was also alleged that on 18.02.2010, by virtue of one registered deed being no.1199, plaintiff purchased .01 decimal from the northern part of suit property and the plaintiff sold out that portion of the suit property to one Premanand Shaw on 5.8.2010 and property which has been recorded under khatian no.1251, is the subject matter of the deed being no. 1199 executed and registered on 14.09.2014. It was also stated that in connection with an application under Section 144(2) the Code of Criminal Procedure (hereinafter referred to as Cr.P.C.) filed by the plaintiff on 8.3.2014, Office-in-Charge of the concerned P.S. and concerned R.I. have filed reports wherein it was stated that plaintiff was not in possession of the suit property and lastly, prayer was made for dismissal of the suit.
5. Upon pleadings of the respective parties, the learned Court below framed as many as nine issues which are as follows :
1. Whether the suit is maintainable in its present from and prayer ?
2. Whether the plaintiff has any cause of action to institute this suit ?
3. Whether the suit is barred by the principles of estoppel, waiver and acquiescence?
4. Whether the suit is barred by limitation?
5. Whether the suit is barred by S. 34 of the Specific Relief Act ?
6. Whether the plaintiff has right, title and interest in the suit property?
7. Whether the defendants are trespasser in the suit property ?
8. Whether the plaintiff is entitled to get the decree as prayed for ?
9. To what other relief, if any, is the plaintiff entitled to ?
6. Record further s
AI
Non-joinder of a necessary party is a ground to reverse or vary a decree in appeal, and the court may order a remand to afford an opportunity to implead the necessary party.
Object and purpose of pleadings and issues is to ensure that litigants come to trial with all issues clearly defined and to prevent cases being expanded or grounds being shifted during trial.
The court affirmed that a suit for declaration does not necessitate all co-owners as parties if their interests don't impede the plaintiff's claims.
The main legal point established in the judgment is the importance of joining necessary parties for a complete and final decision on the matter in dispute, as well as the discretion of the court to o....
Addition of the proposed defendant would result into causing serious prejudice to the plaintiff and the substitution or the addition of a new cause of action would only widen the issue which requires....
A partition suit is non-maintainable if necessary parties, such as co-sharers, are not included, as effective decrees cannot be passed without their presence.
A co-owner can maintain a suit for possession against a tenant without joining other co-owners, affirming that non-joinder does not render the suit bad in law.
Non-joinder of necessary parties constitutes grounds for reversing or modifying a decree, requiring the trial court to provide opportunity for amendment before final judgment.
A suit cannot be defeated by reason of the non-joinder of a necessary party, but if the parties who are not joined are not only proper but also necessary parties to it, the infirmity in the suit is b....
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