2001 Supreme(Ker) 26
Kerala High Court
M.R.HARIHARAN NAIR
Cherutta Kunhambu - Appellant
Versus
Kunnathu Yesoda - Respondent
Decided On : 01/12/2001
V. N. Ramesan Nambisan, for Petitioners; S. V. Balakrishna Iyer and P. B. Krishnan, for Respondents.
The main legal point established in the judgment is that the provisions in the 1976 Act prevail over the Kerala Amendment, and that failure to challenge the validity of a sale at the appropriate stage precludes the Court from interfering with the order of the execution Court.
Headnote:
judgment-debtor - Civil Procedure - Order 21 Rule 85 - Summary
Fact of the Case:
The judgment-debtor sought to review the order of the Court passed in a Civil Revision Petition challenging the order confirming the sale of land belonging to the judgment-debtor for a sum of Rs. 15,025. The judgment-debtor argued that the sale was for a grossly inadequate price and that the Court failed to exercise its jurisdiction under Order 21, Rules 64 and 66 of the CPC.
Finding of the Court:
The Court found that there was no scope for interfering with the order of the execution Court and that the provisions in the 1976 Act prevailed over the Kerala Amendment. The Court also noted that the judgment-debtor failed to challenge the validity of the sale at the appropriate stage.
Issues: The issues included the impact of the amendment to the Code of Civil Procedure with regard to the Kerala Amendment brought to Order 21, Rule 85 of the C.P.C., the adequacy of the sale price, and the failure of the execution Court to specify the portion of the property that should be sold.
Ratio Decidendi: The Court held that the provisions in the 1976 Act prevailed over the Kerala Amendment, and that the judgment-debtor's failure to challenge the validity of the sale at the appropriate stage precluded the Court from interfering with the order of the execution Court.
Final Decision: The review was found to be without merit and was dismissed. The Court did not give any direction for further action by the judgment-debtor.
ORDER :- The judgment-debtor in E.P. No. 86/93 in O.S. 50/87 of the Sub Court, Payyannur, wants to review the order of this Court passed in C.R.P. No. 1068/96 on 29-1-1996. The said Civil Revision Petition was challenging the order passed by the execution Court on 7-7-1995 refusing to review the order confirming the sale conducted in the case with regard to an extent of 1.06 acres of land belonging to the judgment-debtor for a sum of Rs. 15,025/-. On consideration of the contentions raised by the judgment-debtor, this Court found as per the impugned order that there is no scope for interfering with the order of the execution Court.
2. The thrust of the argument of the learned counsel for the petitioner is that while passing the order in the Civil Revision Petition, this Court failed to correctly appreciate the impact of the amendment to the Code of Civil Procedure with regard to the Kerala Amendment brought to Order 21, Rule 85 of the C.P.C. and that if correctly construed, it would be seen that the entire amount including the cost of stamp paper, as contemplated in the Kerala Amendment, had not been deposited by the decree-holder and on that ground alone the order of the execution Court should have been interfered with. Secondly, it is argued that the sale was for a grossly inadequate price and that the Court failed to exercise its jurisdiction under Order 21, Rules 64 and 66 of the CPC which renders the sale conducted void and that that aspect should also have weighed with this Court to invalidate the order of the execution Court refusing review.
3. The learned counsel for the respondent decree-holder submitted that there is no scope for interfering with the order for either of the grounds. Relying on case law, he emphasised that when there is conflict between the provisions in the C.P.C. as amended in 1976 and Kerala Amendment which had been brought in earlier which are inconsistent with each other, it is the provisions in the 1976 Act that will prevail and that if so construed, there is no deficiency in the deposit made by the decree-holder with regard to the sale price. Thirdly, it is pointed out that as long as the decree-holder does not challenge the validity of the sale by filing appropriate petition under Order 21, Rule 90 of the C.P.C. or challenges the validity of the sale on any other ground by filing application under Section 47 of the C.P.C., what the Court has to look into is only whether there is any deposit as contemplated by law justifying interference with the Court sale already conducted and that in the absence of any such deposit or a petition under Order 21, Rule 90 of the CPC, it has to confirm the sale. It is pointed out that in the instant case the petitioner had failed to challenge the validity of the sale held on 12-7-94 at the appropriate stage. He also failed to file any petition under Section 47 of the CPC challenging the jurisdiction of the Cout to conduct the sale within the limitation period of three years and that in the circumstances, there is no justification to interfere with the order dated 7-7-95 and in that perspective the order of this Court challenged in the review is also fully justified.
4. Order 21, Rule 85 of the CPC as amended in 1976 provides as follows :
"85. Time for payment in full of purchase-money - The full amount of purchase-money payable shall be paid by the purchaser into Cout before the Court closes on the fifteenth day from the sale of the property :
Provided that, in calculating the amount to be so paid into Court, the purchaser shall have the advantage of any set-off to which he may be entitled under Rule 72."
5. Order 21, Rule 85 of the CPC as it stood amended in Kerala and as available at the time of the Central amendment mentioned above stood as follows :
"85. Time for payment in full of purchase money - The full amount of purchase money payable together with the amount required for the general stamp paper for the certificate under Rule 94 shall be paid by the p