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2003 Supreme(Del) 154

High Court Of Delhi
ASHA BATRA - Appellant
Versus
DHARAM DEVI - Respondent
CRP 747 of 2001
Decided On : 02/11/2003

Advocates Appeared:
D.S.Patial, N.N.Anand

The suit for injunction comes to an end on the death of the Defendant, and the objection of the legal heirs can indicate the absence of a threat of dispossession.

Headnote:

Injunction - Threat of Dispossession - The suit for injunction came to an end on the death of the Defendant, and the legal heirs objected to their impleadment in the suit, indicating no threat of dispossession. The suit was deemed to have been dismissed.

Fact of the Case:

The suit for injunction was filed by the Plaintiff against the Defendant, alleging threats of dispossession. The Trial Court impleaded the legal heirs of the deceased Defendant based on the Plaintiff's perception of a threat.

Finding of the Court:

The Court found that the suit for injunction came to an end on the death of the Defendant, and the legal heirs' objection indicated no threat of dispossession. The suit was deemed to have been dismissed.

Issues: The main issue was whether the suit for injunction should continue after the death of the Defendant and the objection of the legal heirs.

Ratio Decidendi: The Court held that the suit for injunction would come to an end on the death of the Defendant, and the objection of the legal heirs indicated no threat of dispossession, leading to the dismissal of the suit.

Final Decision: The suit for injunction was deemed to have been dismissed, as no useful purpose would be served in the suit continuing in the lower Court.

Vikramajit Sen, J.

( 1 ) THIS Revision is against the Order dated 24. 3. 2001 passed by Civil Judge, Delhi in Suit No. 15/1999 in terms of which the Revisionists have been impleaded as Defendants in the civil suit which is still pending adjudication. The Respondent herein is the Plaintiff in that suit and the father of the Revisionists was the only Defendant. Paras 9 and 10 of the plaint read as follows: "that the Plaintiff has several times asked the Defendant not to interfere in her possession, but the Defendant has failed to accede to the request of the Plaintiff and is always threatening to interfere with her possession. That the cause of action arose in favour of the Plaintiff and against the Defendant on 12. 5. 1984 when the Defendant started interfering with the possession and enjoyment of the Plaintiff over the land in question. It also arose on various occasions and it further arose on 13. 5. 1984 when the Defendant again tried illegally with the possession of the Plaintiff and a report was lodged with the local police. It is still continuing one on account of threats by the Defendant. "

( 2 ) RELYING on the observations of the Hon ble Supreme Court in Kakumanu Pedasubhayya and Another v. Kakumanu Akkamma and Another, AIR 1958 SC 1042 (V 45 C 146) and Girijanandini Devi and Others v. Bijendra Narain Choudhary, AIR 1967 SC 1124 (V 54 C 234), the Trial Court had impleaded the legal heirs of the deceased Defendant. Girijanandini Devi s case (supra) does not apply for the reason that the relief in that suit was for partition which is obviously run with the property and would continue even in respect of legal heirs of the original parties. So far as Kakumanu s case (supra) is concerned that is for rendition of accounts and would therefore continue and the same position is arrived at in Girijanandini s case since the prayer for partition would continue.

( 3 ) A perusal of these paragraphs, as well as a holistic reading of the plaint, discloses that the Plaintiff had perceived a threat from the Defendant. In the plaint the Plaintiff has alleged that it was the Defendant, namely, Shanti Sarup Batra who had threatened to dispossess the Plaintiff. No doubt in the plaint it has been mentioned that the Defendant and his agents are threatening to dispossess the Plaintiff but the names and particulars of the agents have not been disclosed. It is far too much to expect that the legal representatives should be taken to fall within the term agent .

( 4 ) IN my view the suit being simply for the grant of injunction, it would come to an end on the death of the Defendant. This view has also been taken in Kosarichand Motichand Shah v. Fakirbhai Kariabhai Koli and Others, AIR 1995 Bombay 102 where it was held that the question of abatement did not arise in for the simple reason that the suit itself would come to an end. This suit has been pending since 1984. The revisionist claims that it has been delayed for twenty long years because of dilatory tactics of the Plaintiff. These allegations do not call for determination before me. One option which is available to this Court is to dismiss the revision on the grounds that the same conclusion could have been arrived at in the judgment in the suit. It is certainly arguable that, being akin to an interlocutory Order, this Court need not exercise its jurisdiction especially after the amendment In Section 115 of the Code of Civil Procedure and the pronouncements of the Apex Court In Shiv Shakti Coop. Housing Society, Nagpur v. Swaraj Developers and Other, III (2003) SLT 287= (2003) 6 SCC 659.

( 5 ) DESPITE these weighty considerations, in my view, the revision calls to be accepted. The suit has clearly come to an end on the death of the Defendant. Any apprehensions that the Plaintiff may have on the grounds of forcible dispossession would become an illusion for the reason that it is the legal heirs of the Defendant who are objecting to their impleadment in the suit. The only inference that can be



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