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

2023 Supreme(Cal) 1538

IN THE HIGH COURT AT CALCUTTA
AJOY KUMAR MUKHERJEE, J.
Biman Kumar Nath and Others – Petitioners
Versus
Pankaj Saha – Respondent
CO No. 3748 of 2019
Decided On : 17-03-2023

Advocates:
Advocate Appeared:
For the Petitioners: Dyutiman Banerjee, Arnab Sinha, Amartya Basu
For the Respondents: Debabrata Roy, Rishabh Ahmad Khan

Headnote:(A) Constitution of India - Article 227 - Correction of decree - The petitioners sought to amend a decree to include property details and correct typographical errors after an execution proceeding post-judgment. The trial court found the application premature and lacking specificity, which the High Court overruled. (Paras 6, 9, 18)

(B) Legal principles of execution and amendment - The court clarified that amendments due to accidental omissions can be made to uphold the original intent of the judgment. (Paras 18, 19)

Facts of the case:
The petitioners sought eviction and claimed damages from the defendant for failure to pay license fees and vacate after the termination of their license. The trial court partially decreed the suit, which was not executed as the decree lacked specific property details.

Findings of Court:
The original omission regarding the property address was an accidental slip, allowing for correction under Section 152 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

Issues: Primarily, whether the correction of the judgment and decree regarding property details was warranted following accidental omission.

Ratio Decidendi: The court reasoned that corrections can be made to reflect omissions that do not affect the substantive merits, ensuring that the decree’s intent remains enforceable.

Result: Petition allowed; the previous order was set aside and necessary corrections ordered to be made.

Table of Content
1. petitioners filed for eviction and damages. (Para 2 , 3 , 4 , 5)
2. court rejected application for address amendment. (Para 6 , 9 , 10 , 11)
3. petitioners argued for decree correction. (Para 7 , 8)
4. dispute on nature of defendant's occupancy. (Para 12 , 13 , 14 , 15)
5. description errors deemed accidental omissions. (Para 16 , 18 , 19)
6. application allowed; corrections mandated. (Para 20 , 21 , 22 , 23)

JUDGMENT :

AJOY KUMAR MUKHERJEE, J.

1. Affidavit of service filed by the petitioners be kept with the record.

2. Being aggrieved and dissatisfied with the order dated 16.4.2019 passed by the learned Civil Judge (Senior Division), 10th Court, Alipore in Title Execution No. 29 of 2018, arising out of Title Suit No. 58 of 2010, present application under Article 227 of the Constitution of India has been preferred.

3. The petitioners contended that the petitioners as plaintiffs filed the said suit for eviction, arrear license fee and damage against the opposite party herein.

4. In the said suit, the plaintiffs made out a case that one Biman Kumar Nath and Tapan Kumar Nath were the joint owners of the suit property and they granted license to the defendant for a period of three years. The agreement for license was never constituted as agreement of lease and defendant has neglected to pay the licence fee from July 2007 and therefore, the plaintiffs have asked the defendant to quit and vacate the suit property after revoking license by sending a notice. As defendant in spite of receipt of notice failed to vacate the suit property, the plaintiffs filed the abovementioned suit. The opposite party/defendant contested the suit by filing written statement and denied all material allegations. The trial court vide its judgment and decree dated 28.02.2018 decreed the suit in part on contest against the defendant and directed the defendant to quit and vacate the suit property within a period of 90 days. As defendant failed to vacate the suit property, the petitioners put the decree in execution, which was registered as Title Execution Case No. 29 of 2018.

5. In the said execution proceeding, the plaintiffs/decree-holders filed an application on 13.7.2018 under Section 151 , 152 and 153 read with Order XX Rule 6 and 9 of the Code of Civil Procedure for incorporation of the address of the suit property including the boundary of the suit property in the decree and making correction of suit number and date in the cause title of judgment.

6. Learned court below vide its impugned order dated 16.4.2019 was pleased to reject the said application holding that said address is not included in the plaint and that the application has been filed at a pre-mature stage and it is not specific which part of the provision is not in the decree, the provisions of Order XX Rule 6 does not apply in the present case.

7. Learned counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioners submits that the learned court below acted illegally in rejecting the application of the petitioners without considering that if the schedule of the decree is not corrected at this stage, then the decree may become inexecutable. Learned court below failed to appreciate that without the premises number of the suit property in the decree, baliff may not be able to deliver possession in favour of the decree-holder. Accordingly, he has prayed for setting aside the order and for direction to make necessary correction in the judgment and decree.

8. In support of his contention, he has relied upon Muni Lal vs. The Oriental Fire & General Insurance Company Ltd. & Ors. AIR 1996 SC 642.

9. Learned counsel appearing on behalf of the opposite party submits that Order XX Rule 9 says, where the subject matter of the suit is immovable property, the decree shall contain a description of such property sufficiently to identify the same and the decree shall satisfy such boundaries or numbers where such property can be identified by boundaries or by numbers. But in the present case, plaintiffs having been fai

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