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1998 Supreme(Ker) 373

Judges : RADHAKRISHNA MENON
SREEDHARAN - Appellant
Versus
SEETHALA - Respondent
Case No : C.R.P. No. 1229 of 1988
Decided On : 08/31/1988
Advocates Appeared :
M.C. Sen; For Petitioner P.N.K. Achan; C.P. Chandrasekharan; For Respondents

The main legal point established in the judgment is that initiating vexatious and obstructive legal actions to challenge court orders constitutes an abuse of the process of court, and the court has the inherent power to prevent such abuse.

Headnote:

Rent Control Act - Recovery of Premises - Ss.11(2), 11(3), 11(4)(iii) - The court discussed the provisions of the Rent Control Act, specifically Ss.11(2), 11(3), and 11(4)(iii) in the context of the recovery of premises. The court's decision was influenced by the grounds of arrears of rent and bonafide need, as well as the subsequent orders and undertakings issued by the Supreme Court.

Fact of the Case:

The petitioner filed a petition for the recovery of premises under the Rent Control Act against respondents 4 to 7. The Rent Control Court allowed the petition based on arrears of rent, which was confirmed by the Appellate Authority. The District Court allowed the petition on the ground of bonafide need as well. Subsequent legal proceedings and orders were initiated by the respondents and other strangers claiming right over the premises.

Finding of the Court:

The court found that the respondents and other strangers were guilty of abuse of the process of court by initiating vexatious and obstructive proceedings to nullify the effect of the decree. The court set aside the order and held that the proceedings were abusive, awarding costs to the petitioner.

Issues: The main issue was the abuse of the process of court by the respondents and other strangers through multiple legal proceedings to challenge the recovery of premises under the Rent Control Act.

Ratio Decidendi: The court applied the legal principle that the power of the court to prevent abuse of its process is inherent, and that initiating vexatious and obstructive legal actions constitutes an abuse of the process of court. The court also emphasized the duty of the High Court to check subordinate courts from abusing their powers to defeat the course of justice or process of law.

Final Decision: The court set aside the order and held that the proceedings, including the one from which the revision arose, were abusive. The respondents were ordered to pay costs to the petitioner.

Judgment :-

In the nature of the order I propose to pass, it is unnecessary to serve notice on respondents 4 to 7.

The petitioner filed R.C.P. No. 56/80 under Ss.11 (2), II (3) and II (4) (iii) of the Rent Control Act for recovery of the premises, against respondents 4 to 7 herein, who are the legal representatives of one Gopalan. who had executed the koolikychit Document No. 880/1939 in favour of the petitioner-landlord. The Rent Control Court allowed the petition on the ground of arrears of rent only. The Appellate Authority confirmed the order. However, the District Court in revision allowed the petition on the ground of bonafide need also. Respondents 4 to 7 challenged the order of the revisional court in CRP. 3532/83 before this court. The C.R.P. was dismissed on 17-7-1985. Against the said order, respondents 4 to 7 filed Special Leave Petition (C) No. 12529 of 1985 in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court while dismissing the Special Leave Petition passed the following order:

"After hearing counsel appearing on both sides we are not satisfied that this is a fit case for interference by this Court under Article 136 of the Constitution. However, we feel that having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case the petitioner-tenants should be given a fairly long period of time to vacate and surrender possession of the premises from which they have been ordered to be evicted. We accordingly direct that the order for eviction passed against the petitioners shall not be enforced against them for a period of two years from today subject to the condition that the petitioners shall file an undertaking in this Court on or before 9th of May, 1986 on usual terms solemnly undertaking to deliver peaceful possession of the premises to the respondent on or before the expiry of the aforesaid period of two years; It is brought to our notice that some persons claiming to be the successors in interest of Gopalan deceased father of the petitioners have instituted certain independent proceedings in respect of the petitioners' property. Whatever may be the result of those proceedings any order passed therein or in any appeal, or revision there-from shall not stand in the way of the order for eviction passed against the petitioners being enforced against them after the aforesaid period of two years nor absolve the petitioners from their responsibilities and obligations arising under the undertaking to be given by them to this Court.

The Special Leave Petition is disposed of in terms of this order".

Since respondents 4 to 7 failed to give the undertaking highlighted in the above order, the Supreme Court passed another order dated 4-11-1986. It reads: -

"Since the undertaking as contemplated by the order of this court dated April 15, 1986 has not been filed by all the petitioners and is also not in the proper form, the direction contained in the order that the petitioner shall not be evicted from the premises for a period of two years from its date, the order dated April 15, 1986 hereby stands vacated and the decree shall be executed forthwith",

2. The petitioner in the meantime bad filed E. P. 246/85 for execution of the order. As per the directions of the execution court, the premises was taken delivery of by the petitioner on 10-1-1987.

3. This was the state of affairs when some strangers to the Rent Control Proceedings filed petitions for "redelivery of the premises; and some for injunction restraining the petitioner from enforcing the order and if premises bad already delivered, not to transfer the same during the pendency of the petitions. The case of these strangers is that the premises, the subject-matter of the koolikychit mentioned above (Document No. 880 of 1939 executed by Gopalan in favour of the petitioner landlord) was held by the joint family, of which Gopalan and these strangers are members, as tenant. according to the petitioner. I shall in this connection extract the following passage from the petition filed by respondents 1 to 3















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