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1990 Supreme(Gau) 97

GAUHATI HIGH COURT
J.M.Srivastava, J.
Haji Arshad Ali -Appellant
Versus
Md.Samsuddin and Anr. -Respondent
Second appeal No. 22 of 1981
Decided On : 30-05-1990

Advocates Appeared:
A.B.Choudhury

The main legal point established is that in a suit for specific performance, the plaintiff's readiness and willingness to perform his part of the contract must be demonstrated. In this case, the plaintiff's deposit of consideration money in court fulfilled this requirement.

Headnote:

Specific Performance - Agreement for Sale of Land - Plaintiff's Readiness and Willingness to Perform - Court held that plaintiff's deposit of consideration money in court demonstrated his readiness and willingness to perform his part of the contract, thus fulfilling the requirement for specific performance. Defendant's appeal dismissed.

Fact of the Case:

The plaintiff filed a suit for specific performance of an agreement for the sale of land after purchasing the right and interest of the original owner. The defendant contested the suit, arguing that the plaintiff had not averred readiness and willingness to perform his part of the contract.

Finding of the Court:

The court found that the plaintiff had clearly demonstrated readiness and willingness to perform by demanding payment from the defendant, filing the suit, and depositing the entire consideration money in court.

Issues: The main issue was whether the plaintiff had averred readiness and willingness to perform his part of the contract in the suit for specific performance.

Ratio Decidendi: The court held that the plaintiff's deposit of the consideration money in court demonstrated his readiness and willingness to perform his part of the contract, fulfilling the requirement for specific performance.

Final Decision: The court upheld the finding of the trial court and dismissed the defendant's appeal, affirming the decree for specific performance in favor of the plaintiff.

This is defendant's appeal against the judgment and decree dated 29.11.79 passed by the learned Assistant District Judge, Karimganj, whereby the defendant's appeal against the judgment and decree of the learned trial court dated 15.2.79 was dismissed.

2. Briefly, the relevant facts giving rise to this appeal are that the defendant no. 2 was the owner of the land in suit. He had transferred by sale the said land to the defendant no. 1, the present appellant. There was an agreement between the defendant no. 1 and the defendant no. 2 for purchase of the land' by the defendant no. 2. Subsequently, the plaintiff the respondent no. 1 in this appeal had purchased the right and interest of the defendant no. 2 by sale deed dated 16.2.74. The plaintiff thereupon required the defendant no. 1 to take Rs. 1000/- the agreed value of the suit land and to exec­ute registered sale deed in respect of the said land and to deliver its possession. The defendant no. 1 did not pay any hide to the dem­and. The plaintiff, therefore, filed the suit for specific performance of the agreement for sale of the land. The defendant no. 1, the pre­sent appellant, contested the suit and denied the allegations. The learned trial court framed necessary issues and held that the defe­ndant no. 1 had executed the agreement with the defendant no. 2 for sale of the land in suit for RJ. 1000/- and that the plaintiff having acquired the right by purchase from the defendant no. 2 had the right to enforce the agreement for sale of the land in suit. The learned trial court decreed the suit. The defendant no. 1. preferred appeal and the learned appellate court below by the impugned judg­ment upheld the finding of the trial court and dismissed the appeal.

3. Aggrieved, the defendant no. 1 has come in appeal and Sri A.B. Choudhury, learned counsel on his behalf, has fairly not dis­puted the concurrent finding of facts by the courts below that the Ext. 1 the agreement had been executed by the defendant appellant for sale of the land in suit and that the plaintiff had the right to enforce the said agreement after having purchased the same from the defendant no. 2.

4. Sri Choudhury, learned counsel for the appellant, has, how­ever, submitted that in the suit for specific performance, the plaintiff had not averred in the plaint that he was 'ready and willing' to per­form his part of the contract and has relied upon Surendra Chandra Roy vs. Baikuntha Chandra Roy, AIR 1973 Gauhati 21 where relying upon, Ardeshir H. Mama vs. Flora Sissoon, AIR 1928 PC 208 affirmed in Gomathinayagain Filial vs. Palaniswami Nadar, AIR 1967 SC 868 and Prem Raj vs. D.L.F. Housing and Construction Ltd., AIR 1968 SC 1355, it was held that in a suit for specific performance, decree cannot be granted to the plaintiff if he fails to aver in the plaint that he was ready and willing to perform his part of the contract. Sri Choudhury has submitted that since the plaintiff did not make the said averment in the plaint, the courts below were in error in decreeing the suit for specific performance.

5. While it is true that the plaintiff has not said it in so many words, but in para 4 of the plaint it had been clearly stated that the plaintiff had demanded from the defendant no. 1 to take Rs. 1000/-towards the value of the suit land as per the agreement and to execute registered sale deed in respect of the suit land but the def­endant no. 1 did not pay any heed to the demand. Besides, the plaintiff not only filed the suit but had deposited the entire cons­ideration money of Rs. 1000/- in court itself, as has been noted by the trial court below in its judgment dated 15. 2. 79. The suit was filed on 26. 4. 75 and vide Ext. 3 the challan for Rs. 1000, the consideration money was deposited on 16. 6. 85. In my opinion, on the facts of this case where the plaintiff had also deposited the amount of consideration money itself in court, the plaintiff had clearly demonstrated that he was ready and willing to perform his part of t

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