Kerala High Court
E.K.MOIDU
Sankara Pillai Madhavan Pillai - Appellant
Versus
Inez Rosario - Respondent
Decided On : 04/10/1970
temporary injunction - property dispute - Order XXXIX, Rule 1, Civil P. C. - [Order XXXIX, Rule 1] - The court discussed the conditions for granting a temporary injunction, including the need for a prima facie case, protection from irreparable injury, and the balance of convenience. The court emphasized the importance of considering the balance of convenience and the potential irreparable injury before granting an injunction. The court also highlighted the need for clear necessity for immediate protection of alleged rights or interests.
Fact of the Case:
The respondent filed a petition for temporary injunction to restrain the petitioner from conducting a tutorial college on the property and interfering with the respondent's possession. The petitioner had been conducting a tutorial college on the property, which belonged to the respondent, and had executed a lease deed for the property.
Finding of the Court:
The court found that the lower courts had not properly considered the balance of convenience and the potential irreparable injury before granting the injunction. The court emphasized the need to consider these factors before granting a temporary injunction. The court also directed the trial court to expedite the trial and dispose of the suit as quickly as possible after the summer recess.
Issues: The issues included whether the respondent had made out a case for temporary injunction, whether the balance of convenience favored granting the injunction, and whether the potential irreparable injury had been adequately considered.
Ratio Decidendi: The court held that before granting a temporary injunction, the court must consider the balance of convenience and the potential irreparable injury. The court emphasized the need for a clear necessity for immediate protection of alleged rights or interests. The court also directed the trial court to expedite the trial and dispose of the suit as quickly as possible after the summer recess.
Final Decision: The civil revision petition was allowed, the orders of the lower courts were set aside, and the application for injunction was dismissed. The defendants were directed not to erect any new sheds pending the suit. The trial court was directed to expedite the trial and dispose of the suit as quickly as possible after the summer recess.
The question that arises for determination in this Civil Revision Petition is whether the respondent-plaintiff has made out a case for temporary injunction restraining the petitioner-3rd defendant from entering upon the plaint property and conducting a tutorial college thereon and also restraining the petitioner disturbing the quiet possession of the respondent. The suit out of which the petition for temporary injunction arose was one for recovery of possession of the plaint schedule property and also for a mandatory injunction directing the defendants in the suit to demolish the 4 sheds erected on the property and by removing the same therefrom thereby giving vacant possession of the property to the respondent. Both the courts below granted the temporary injunction as prayed for. The decretal order passed by the trial court is couched in the following words: "The defendants are restrained from conducting any tutorial college in the 4 sheds constructed by the 3rd defendant. They are also restrained from putting up any additional shed or from interfering with the possession of the plaint schedule property by the plaintiff."
2. It is admitted case that the petitioner is conducting a tutorial college in the above 4 sheds which were erected on the plaint schedule property. The plaint property belongs to the respondent. The original owner was his father, Peter Rosario. Since 1956, a tutorial college had been conducted in one of the buildings erected upon the property by one Prabhakaran. While so, the petitioner got an assignment of that shed as per Ext. D4 in 1960. Thereafter, the petitioner executed a lease deed to the 4th defendant, who is the uncle of the respondent. The petitioner has been in possession under the renewed lease deed dated 24-1-60 on payment of Rs. 200 ground rent a year to the 4th defendant. 4th defendant was the agent of Peter Rosario, who left for Penang in 1959. In the meanwhile, he had assigned the property to the respondent who is his son. By that time the respondent and his father came back from Penang, the petitioner had executed Ext. P3 rent deed dated 29-4-66 in favour of the 4th defendant. The petitioner had also erected 3 more sheds for the conduct of the tutorial college. The ground rent under the latest arrangement was to pay Rs. 400 a year. There is no case that rent had not been paid to the 4th defendant. In Ext. P3 rent deed, which is produced by the respondent in court, it is stated that when Peter Rosario came back from Penang, the petitioner would surrender the property on demolition of the sheds erected by him upon the property. It is stated that Peter Rosario and the petitioner came back to this country in 1968 and demanded the petitioner to surrender the property. Since there was no surrender effected, the instant suit had been filed along with the application for temporary injunction. The question for us to consider is whether the respondent has made out a case for temporary injunction to be issued as prayed for against the petitioner.
3. A temporary injunction can be issued under Order XXXIX, Rule 1, Civil P. C. which reads as follows:
"Where in any suit it is proved by affidavit or otherwise-
(a) that any property in dispute in a suit is in danger of being wasted, damaged or alienated by any party to the suit, or wrongfully sold in execution of a decree, or
(b) that the defendant threatens, or intends, to remove or dispose of his property with a view to defraud his creditors,
the Court may by order grant a temporary injunction to restrain such act, or make such other order for the purpose of staying and preventing the wasting, damaging, alienation, sale, removal or disposition of the property as the Court thinks fit until the disposal of the suit or until further orders."
4. Before a temporary injunction is granted, therefore, a court must be satisfied that (1) the applicant has a prima facie case, (2) protection is necessary from the species of injuries known as irreparable, before le
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