2018 Supreme(Raj) 987
IN THE HIGH COURT OF RAJASTHAN
Sandeep Mehta, J.
Lrs. of Maganlal Nagda – Appellant
Vs.
Shoorveer Singh Choudhary – Respondent
Civil Writ No. 3934 of 2018
Decided On : 25-09-2018
Akshay Nagori, Adv., Prashant Tatia, Adv.
Headnote:
Constitution of India – 1950 – Article 227 - Civil Procedure Code - 1908 - Section 151 – Rule 10 - Order 1 - Limitation Act – Section 5 –– Quash –– Evidence – Claim - Defendant filed written-statement claiming that agreement was forged and that he has not received any consideration - He further claimed that his grandson has joined hands with other defendants and plaintiffs and got signed some documents without apprising him consequence thereof - He further claimed that property in question was not his self-acquired property but was rather ancestral property of He also claimed that in year property had been bequeathed to two sons whose names were entered in revenue record and that did not have physical possession of property with him – Held, Apex Court considered an identical situation in detail and that legal representative of deceased defendant is entitled to all defenses which were available to deceased but if such legal representative intends to make any personal or independent defense dehorns available to deceased he she must get imp leaded in his her individual capacity or retain right to file independent suit asserting his her own right - In this background and manifestly since application for impalement by petitioners in their individual capacity stood rejected right up to High Court manifestly they had no individual right to file distinct reply in the suit and have to adopt pleadings of reply filed by Late - Petition dismissed
Sandeep Mehta, J.
Through this writ petition under Article 227 of the Constitution of India, the petitioners being the legal representatives of late Shri Maganlal Nagda and the defendants before the court below, have approached this Court for assailing the order dated 9.2.2018 passed by the learned Additional District Judge No.1, Udaipur in Civil Original Case No.14/2017 whereby, the application filed by the petitioners under Order 8 Rule 1 and Order 22 Rule 4(2) read with Section 151 C.P.C., was dismissed.
2. Brief facts relevant and essential for disposal of the writ petition are noted hereinbelow.
3. The respondent Shoorveer Singh Choudhary filed a suit against Shri Maganlal and other defendants for specific performance of contract, declaration, injunction and in the alternative, mandatory injunction. It was stated in the plaint that Shri Maganlal sold agricultural land located in the village Girwa to the plaintiff in the year 1997 for a consideration of Rs. 55 lacs, out of which, he received a sum of Rs. 11 lacs at the inception and a further sum of Rs. 90,000/- in cash at a subsequent date. The original agreement was oral and a written agreement was then executed on 27.3.1997. Looking to some dispute in the family, the parties agreed that the sale deed would be registered after settlement of the family dispute. The defendant Maganlal filed a written-statement on 25.3.2006 claiming that the agreement was forged and that he has not received any consideration. He further claimed that his grandson has joined hands with the other defendants and the plaintiffs and got signed some documents without apprising him the consequence thereof. He further claimed that the property in question was not his self-acquired property but was rather ancestral property of Shri Pithaji. He also claimed that in the year 1978, the property had been bequeathed to two sons whose names were entered in the revenue record and that Maganlal did not have physical possession of the property with him. Reference was also made to a family settlement dated 28.7.1993 under which, Dinesh, Karan and Mahesh acquired rights over the land in question. The other defendants also filed their own written statements. The petitioners herein and Smt.Padubai, claiming that their rights were adversely affected by the subject matter of the suit, filed applications dated 9.10.2006 for being impleaded as party defendants in the suit. The trial court rejected these applications filed under Order 1 Rule 10 C.P.C. by order dated 4.4.2007. The petitioners as well as Smt.Padubai, filed separate writ petitions against the order dismissing their applications. During pendency of the writ petitions, Shri Maganlal expired on 28.1.2008 and thus, the writ petitions were dismissed by this Court by order dated 16.8.2011 as having rendered infructuous. The plaintiff Shoorveer Singh moved an application under Order 22 Rule 4 C.P.C. for bringing on record, the legal representatives of Maganlal. Smt.Padubai filed reply to the application stating that Shri Maganlal had executed a Will in favour of the petitioners herein. The trial court, however, allowed the application filed by the plaintiff under Order 22 Rule 4 C.P.C. while discarding the objections raised by the petitioners in their reply and took the legal representatives of Late Maganlal on record under Order 22 Rule 2 C.P.C. The petitioners claimed that once, the application under Order 22 Rule 4 C.P.C. had been accepted, it was obligatory and mandatory for the trial court to have posted the matter for filing of written statement by the legal heirs of Late Maganlal under Order 22 Rule 4(2) C.P.C. but instead of doing so, the trial court posted the matter for arguments on the applications under Order 8 Rule 9 C.P.C. The order dated 20.9.2008 passed by the trial court, whereby the application under Order 22 Rule 4 C.P.C. filed by the plaintiff was allowed, was challenged by the petitioners by filing Writ Petition No.8349/2008 which to