GAUHATI HIGH COURT
S.M.Ali, J.
Yumlembam Hangu Singh and Others -Appellant
Versus
Satokpam Ningol Khumbong-Mayum Ongbi Radhamani Devi and Others -Respondent
Civil Revision No. 10 of 1980
Decided On : 10-12-1982
Injunction - Disobedience - Summary: The court addressed a case involving disobedience of a temporary injunction order. The defendants were accused of breaching the terms of the injunction by making further construction on the land and occupying it. The court found that the plaintiffs failed to prove the violation of the injunction order, emphasizing that the burden of proof for disobedience should be as stringent as in a criminal case. The appellate court set aside the order of detention of the defendants.
Fact of the Case:
The plaintiffs sought a temporary injunction against the defendants to restrain them from making any construction over the suit land and from occupying the construction until the disposal of the suit. The defendants were accused of breaching the terms of the temporary injunction by making further construction on the land and occupying the same.
Finding of the Court:
The court found that the plaintiffs could not prove the violation of the injunction order and emphasized that the burden of proof for disobedience should be as stringent as in a criminal case. The appellate court set aside the order of detention of the defendants.
Issues: The main issue was whether the defendants had violated the terms of the temporary injunction order by making further construction on the land and occupying it.
Ratio Decidendi: The burden of proof for disobedience of an injunction order should be as stringent as in a criminal case. Merely relying on ambiguous admissions of the defendants is not sufficient to establish liability for disobedience.
Final Decision: The court rejected the petition and made no order as to costs.
2. What happened is that after institution of the suit, the plaintiffs petitioners prayed for temporary injunction against the defendants- opposite-party, the suit having been one of declaration of title, eviction and permanent injunction. After bearing both sides, the learned Munsiff passed the order of temporary injunction restraining defendants No. 1 and 2 from making any construction over the suit land and from occupying the construction till the disposal of the suit. Thereafter, the plaintiffs came up to the Court under Order 39 Rule 2 C.P.C., supported by an affidavit alleging that the defendant: No. 1 and 2 breached 4bc terms of the temporary injunction by making further construction on the land and occupying the same. Both the parties adduced evidence on this matter and the learned Munsiff passed the aforesaid order, against which the appeal was preferred and the learned appellate Court set aside the order of detention of the defendants.
3. It is found that the learned Munsiff passed the order after disbelieving the witnesses of the plaintiffs but relying on an admission of the defendants to the effect that they have been occupying the land since May, 1977. Learned counsel for the petitioners submitted that the learned appellate Court accepted the finding of the learned Munsiff that the defendants admitted that they have been occupying the land since May, 1977. In spite of that the learned appellate Court found that the plaintiffs could not prove violation of injunction order. Moreover, be found that the learned Munsiff did not specify the period of detention of the defendants in the civil prison, for which the order is laconic. The learned appellate Court, therefore, set aside the impugned order.
4. It is found that there is an admission of the defendants that they are occupying the land since May, 1977, bat this does not conclusively mean that they were not occupying it since before that time. To establish liability on a person for disobeying the injunction order of the Court, the party alleging such disobedience should prove the allegation not less stringently than in a criminal case. It is not safe to believe the story of disobedience merely relying on some admission of the defendants, which is rather ambiguous. There is no evidence on behalf of the plaintiffs for such disobedience. I, therefore, find no reason to interfere with the order passed by the learned appellate Court. But, before parting with the record, I should like to mention here that it appears to be a boundary dispute and so the defendants must not raise any temporary or permanent which on that side of the land on which there is common boundary of the parties till disposal of the suit. With this observation, I reject the petition. No order as to costs.
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