IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM
ANIL K.NARENDRAN, P.G. AJITHKUMAR, JJ.
Mannil Abdul Gadhafi @ Abdul Gadhafi Mannil – Appellant
Versus
P.V.Mohammed, S/o. Veerankutty – Respondent
Review Petition No. 1194 of 2022
Decided on : 05-01-2023
Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 - Section 114, Order XLVII, Rule 1, Order XXI, Rule 58, Order XXXVIII, Rule 8, Rule 11-A, (2), Order XXI, Rule 57 - Transfer of Property Act, 1882 - Section 53 - Review petition - Sale deeds - Discharge burden to prove - 1st respondent in R.F.A has filed petition for review – An order of attachment before judgment made in a suit, which was dismissed for default will not be revived even if suit is restored on file. (Para 16)
Finding of the Court :
Ratio laid down is that an order of attachment before judgment made in a suit, which was dismissed for default will not be revived even if suit is restored on file - If a property is attached in execution of a decree and application for execution is dismissed, Court shall, as envisaged in Rule 57 of Order XXI of Code, direct whether attachment will continue or cease - Plaint in suit was subsequently rejected for want of payment of court fees - That order of rejection was later set aside and suit was restored on file - Therefore, position obtained here is that at time of deciding claim petition, attachment was in subsistence - Findings in order of Sub Court in I.A. and in the judgment of this Court in R.F.A.(Misc) do not bar consideration if a new claim petition is filed after a fresh attachment.
Result: Petition disposed of.
ORDER :
P.G.Ajithkumar, J.
The 1st respondent in R.F.A.(Misc) No.1 of 2019 has filed this petition for review under Section 114 read with Order XLVII, Rule 1 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908.
2. The appeal was allowed as per the judgment dated 28.09.2022, reported as Mohammed v. Mannil Abdul Gadhafi alias Abdul Gadafi Mannil, [2022 (6) KLT 269 : 2022 (4) KLJ 362 : 2022 (6) KHC 369 : 2022 KHC OnLine 761 : MANU/KE/3474/2022]. We later noticed that there occurred a mis-statement of law while we discussed the law laid down by the Apex Court in Vareed Jacob v. Sosamma Geevarghese and others [(2004) 6 SCC 378], which was a divided verdict, and hence the matter was listed as “to be spoken to”. In the meantime, this review petition has been filed.
3. Review is sought on the following grounds:
(ii) the 1st respondent failed to discharge his burden to prove that the sale deeds in favour of the petitioner are vitiated;
(iii) the finding that Section 53 of the Transfer of Property Act, 1882 was applicable to this case is incorrect;
(iv) the principle laid down in Vareed Jacob (supra) was wrongly applied; and
(v) the right in favour of third parties in the disputed property has already been created and therefore the claim petition should not have been decided.
4. Heard the learned Counsel appearing for the petitioner and also the learned Senior Counsel appearing for the 1st respondent. Respondent Nos.2 and 3 did not choose to appear in the appeal as well as in this petition.
5. The order of the Sub Court, Ernakulam in I.A.No.2520 of 2017 in O.S.No.230 of 2016 was impugned in the appeal. That was a claim petition filed under Order XXXVIII, Rule 8 read with Order XXI, Rule 58 of the Code.
Before the learned Sub Judge, no oral evidence was adduced.
Exts.A1 to A3 and Exts.B1 to B12 were produced. After considering such materials, the impugned order dated 01.12.2018 in I.A.No.2520 of 2017 in O.S.No.230 of 2016 was rendered. The order was in favour of the review petitioner. He did not have a case while considering the appeal that a detailed enquiry as contemplated in Order XXI, Rule 58 of the Code was not done and hence the matter should have been remanded to the Sub Court. The provisions of Order XXI, Rule 58 insist that while adjudicating a claim to an attached property, the court has to decide all questions relating to right, title and interest in the property arising between the parties to the proceedings.
6. In Verizon Builders and Developers Limited and another v. Jyothi Susan John and others [2019 (1) KLT 100] a Full Bench of this Court held that insofar as the procedure under Order XXXVIII Rule 8 has incorporated Order XXI Rule 58 for adjudication of claims, any objection filed regarding the claim has to be adjudicated in accordance with law. When a claim is made in respect of a property by a third party claimant stating that the property attached has been assigned in his favour, even prior to the date of attachment, necessarily, the plaintiff/respondent gets an opportunity to file an objection and contend that the transfer was fraudulent. Therefore, while considering the claim, it is quite inconceivable to observe that the objection to the claim petition regarding fraudulent transfer under Section 53 of the TP Act need not be considered. Accordingly, it was held that when Order XXXVIII Rule 8 of the Code insist on to follow the procedure under Order XXI Rules 58 while considering a claim, in the adjudicatory procedure on a claim petition all questions relating to right, title or interest in the property attached has to be enquired into and answered.
7. From the order of the Sub Court dated 01.12.2018, it is evident that all the materials produced before it by the respective parties were consider
Rule 11-A of Order XXXVIII, which was inserted by Amendment Act 104 of 1976, says that provisions applicable to an attachment made in execution of decree.
Point of Law : If the court omits to give such a direction regarding continuance, attachment shall be deemed to have ceased.
Order XXI, Rule 58 insist that while adjudicating a claim to attached property, court has to decide all questions relating to right, title and interest in property arising between parties to proceedi....
A claim under Order 38 Rule 10 of C.P.C is maintainable after the suit is decreed, and the attachment before judgment continues after the decree, adjudicable under Order 21 Rule 58 of C.P.C.
Debt can be defined as an obligation to pay an ascertained sum of money, and therefore, a claim for compensation does not come within that purview.
The main legal point established in the judgment is that a claim petition filed under Order XXI Rule 58 of CPC shall be adjudicated upon as if it is a regular suit, and any adjudication on the rights....
A transfer made with knowledge of an attachment before judgment can be contested as fraudulent under Section 53 of the Transfer of Property Act.
A claim petition dismissed for default precludes the filing of a separate suit regarding the same property under Order XXI Rule 58(2) of the Civil Procedure Code.
Civil courts are enjoined to consider disputes between parties and when substantive rights are created and such rights are being flouted, it is for civil court to consider respective contentions and ....
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