2000 Supreme(Guj) 1060
IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT
S.K. Keshote, J.
Vijaykumar Murlidhar Bochiwala - Petitioner
Versus
Nitinbhai Manharlal Mehta & Anr. - Respondents
Civil Revision Application No. 10 of 2000
Decided On : 27-04-2000
For the Petitioner:S.M. Shah, Advocate.
For the Respondent:D.F. Amin, Advocate.
Headnote:
Civil Procedure Code, 1908 - Section 115 - Plaintiff challenging - This revision appli3.0cation is filed under Section 115 of the Civil Procedure Code, 1908, by the plaintiff challenging therein, the orders passed by the appellate Bench of the Small Causes Court, Ahmedabad, in Appeal From Order No. 76 of 1999 dated 14.10.99 confirming thereunder the order passed by the Small Causes Court, Ahmedabad, below ex.5 in H.R.P. Suit No. 224 of 1999 - 21 - The learned trial court granted temporary injunction in favour of plaintiff restraining thereunder the respondents from taking forcefully the possession of cellar, ground floor and first floor. So far the prayer made for temporary injunction in respect of second floor and third floor of the property is concerned, the injunction was not granted – Held, The plaintiff-petitioner is directed to give vacant possession of second and third floor of the suit property to the defendants-respondents, within a period of one month from the date of receipt of Writ of this order. However, in case ultimately the plaintiff succeeds in the suit, the defendants-respondent have to hand over the vacant possession of these two floors without there being any material alteration or changes effected therein to the plaintiff. It is further ordered that the defendants-respondents shall deposit Rs. 5,000/- per month in the trial court during the pendency of the suit so that if ultimately the plaintiff-petitioner succeeds in the suit, he may be compensated for this deprival of possession of second and third floor of the suit property. In case the plaintiff-petitioner succeeds in the suit, this amount deposited has to be paid to him and where he fails in the suit, the defendants-respondents shall take the money – Petition dismissed
JUDGMENT :
S.K. Keshote, J.
Rule. Mr. Amin waives service of Rule on behalf of respondents.
2. This revision application is filed under Section 115 of the Civil Procedure Code, 1908, by the plaintiff challenging therein, the orders passed by the appellate Bench of the Small Causes Court, Ahmedabad, in Appeal From Order No. 76 of 1999 dated 14.10.99 confirming thereunder the order passed by the Small Causes Court, Ahmedabad, below ex.5 in H.R.P. Suit No. 224 of 1999 dated 22nd June 1999.
3. The learned trial court granted temporary injunction in favour of plaintiff restraining thereunder the respondents from taking forcefully the possession of cellar, ground floor and first floor. So far the prayer made for temporary injunction in respect of second floor and third floor of the property is concerned, the injunction was not granted. This order has been confirmed by the appellate court and hence this revision application.
4. The learned counsel for the petitioner contended that once both the courts have found as a fact that the plaintiff is in possession of the second and third floor of the disputed property, during the pendency of the suit, this position should have been maintained. It has next been contended that the plaintiff-petitioner has come up with a case that whole of the property was let out to the plaintiff by respondents-landlords and even if the defendants-landlords are not accepting the tenancy rights of the plaintiff in the second and third floor, when the possession was found of these two floors with the plaintiff, the same should have been protected. Lastly, it is contended that even in a case of rank trespasser, the landlords cannot be permitted to dispossess the trespasser from the disputed property by force. In support of this contention, Mr.Shah placed reliance on the following decisions:
* Ramshree Mahavir v. Girdharilal Bholanath Agarwal - 1970 GLR 971
* B.N. Trivedi & Ors. v. Govt. of Gujarat & Ors. - 1994 GLT 395
* N. Umapathy v. B.V. Muniyappa - AIR 1997 SC 2467
* Prataprai N. Kothari v. John Braganza - AIR 1999 SC 1666
5. Mr. D.F. Amin, learned counsel for defendants-respondents in contra, contended that both the courts have concurrently held that the plaintiff is not the tenant in the portion of the suit property, i.e. second and third floor and his possession was found to be illegal, i.e. as trespasser and rightly, no injunction has been granted. It has next been contended that trespassers have no right to obtain injunction or to protect their possession. The decisions on which reliance is placed by learned counsel for petitioner have been overruled by the of Hon'ble Supreme Court. In support of his contention, he placed reliance on the following decisions of this court as well as of Hon'ble Supreme Court:
Rukhiben w/o. Amarsingh Chaturbhai Parmar v. Kiritkumar Kantilal Patel - 1997(3) SCC 2383
Premji Ratansey Shah & ors. v. Union of India & Ors. - (1994)5 SCC 547
Anupam Rekdi Cabin Association v. Jamnagar Municipal Corporation - 1995(1) GLH 586
Tamil Nadu Housing Board v. A. Viswam - (1996)8 SCC 259
Sukhlal Ramchand & anr. v. Lalji Ranchhod - 8 GLT 48
K.V. Narayan v. S. Sharna Gowda & anr. - AIR 1986 Karnataka 77
State of Jammu & Kashmir & anr. v. Ghulam Rasool & anr., AIR 1979 J&K 53.
6. I have given my thoughtful considerations to the submissions made by learned counsel for the parties.
7. Both the courts have concurrently recorded a finding of fact that the second and third floor were not let out to the plaintiff-petitioner. Cellar, ground floor and first floor were held to be the tenanted premises. Both the courts have further concurrently held that the plaintiff-petitioner has failed to prove, viz. legal possession on the second and third floor of the suit premises. After recording these concurrent findings of facts, the learned trial court as well as the first appellate court have restrained the defendants-respondents from dispossessing forcefully the plaintiff-petitioner from the tenanted premises, namely cellar,