IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE FOR RAJASTHAN BENCH AT JAIPUR
Sudesh Bansal, J.
Mahavir Prasad S/o Faurang Singh and ors. – Appellants
Versus
Jagan Singh S/o Sunder Singh (Deceased), Through Legal Heirs and ors. – Respondents
S.B. Civil Second Appeal No. 24 of 2021
Decided On : 04-08-2022
Civil Procedure Code, 1908 - Section 100, 91, 96 - Rajasthan Municipalities Act, 1959 - Section 92 - Specific Relief Act, 1963 - Section 41 (h) - Land Revenue Act, 1956 - Section 90 (A), (6) - Rajasthan Land Revenue (Allotment, Conversion and Regularization of Agricultural Land for residential and commercial (public utility) purposes in urban areas) Rules 1981 - Suit for Permanent Injunction - Whether it is 20’ wide or 10’ wide - Whether a 20’ wide road is situated towards eastern side of plaintiff’s plot, described of plaint and defendants are inclined to encroach thereupon - Whether defendants are in legal possession over plot described of their written statement/counter claim - Whether declaration in present case is necessary for plaintiff, factual aspect has come on record that in land conversion orders – Held, Firstly, such objection has already been dealt with by first appellate court and same was rejected vide order thereafter, first appellate court has considered counter claim of defendants No.1 and 2 on merits and same has been dismissed on merits - Therefore, this argument does not render any help to learned counsel for appellants as far as decree passed in plaintiff’s suit for permanent injunction is concerned - Dispute between parties is in relation to width of a public road either being 10 feet or 20 feet - First appellate court, on appreciation of evidence as a whole has recorded a fact finding that width of road is 20 feet - This Court finds that first appellate court has acted well within its jurisdiction and reversal of findings are based on due appreciation of evidence and reasons have been assigned - Such findings do not suffer from any perversity - Learned counsel for appellants could not point out any perversity in such fact finding of first appellate court - Other arguments raised from side of appellants have already been dealt with and turned down as indicated hereinabove - In such circumstances, no substantial question of law arises in this second appeal - Substantial question of law is sine qua non for exercising jurisdiction under Section 100 CPC to entertain second appeal - Appeal dismissed.
JUDGMENT :
1. Appellant-Defendants (hereafter referred to ‘defendants’) have preferred this second appeal under Section 100 of Civil Procedure Code against the judgment and decree dated 15.01.2021 passed in Civil First Appeal No.20/2019 by the Court of Additional District Judge No.1, Bharatpur whereby and whereunder the first appeal has been allowed and consequentially, the civil suit for permanent injunction filed by respondent-plaintiff, being civil suit No.26/2012, which was dismissed by the Additional Civil Judge No.1, Bharatpur, has been decreed against appellant-defendants No.1 and 2 in the manner that they will not make any encroachment and construction over 20’ wide way and if during pendency of the suit any construction has been made, the Urban Improvement Trust (hereafter referred to ‘U.I.T.’), Bharatpur would remove the same in accordance with law. Simultaneously, the counter claim made by appellant-defendants No.1 and 2 against the co-defendant No.3-U.I.T., Bharatpur has been dismissed. The operative portion of the impugned judgment and decree dated 15.01.2021 reads as under:-
2. The civil suit for permanent injunction was instituted by the respondent-plaintiff (hereafter referred to ‘plaintiff’) on 28.12.2006, jointly against appellant-defendants No.1 and 2 and respondent-defendant No.3 U.I.T., Bharatpur, in relation to a way in question alleging its width as 20’ wide. It appears that after filing of the suit, the defendant Nos.1 and 2 made some unauthorized encroachment over the part of way in question and the defendant No.3-U.I.T., Bharatpur passed order dated 04.01.2007 under its power by virtue of Section 92 of Rajasthan Municipalities Act, 1959 to remove such encroachment, therefore, defendants No.1 and 2 alongwith their written statement submitted on 08.01.2007 made a counter claim challenging the order dated 04.01.2007 for restraining the defendant No.3-U.I.T. not to demolish the construction pursuant to its order dated 04.01.2007. The trial court being Additional Civil Judge No.1, Bharatpur vide judgment and decree dated 27.02.2019, dismissed the plaintiff’s suit for permanent injunction, however decreed the counter claim of defendants No.1 and 2 restraining the defendant No.3-U.I.T., Bharatpur for not removing any construction from the disputed way without following due course of law. On filing first appeal thereagainst by the respondent-plaintiff, the judgment and decree dated 27.02.2019 has been quashed and counter claim of defendants No.1 and 2 has also been dismissed by the first appellate court being court of Additional District Judge No.1, Bharatpur vide impugned Judgment and decree dated 15.01.2021, which is impugned herein.
3. The dispute between parties is in relation to a public way exists towards eastern side of the plaintiff’s house and western side of defendants’ house situated at Gulzar Baag Colony, opposite Multi purpose School, Bharatpur. Plaintiff’s claim is that this is a government and public way having width of 20’ whereas defendants contend that this is a ‘Gali’ of only 10’ wide. Thus, the fundamental dispute is with regard to the width of this way/gali as to whether it is 20’ wide or 10’ wide. It is undisputed fact that this way/gali goes and leads to connect with main road from Achnera to Bharatpur.
4. Relevant facts, in brief as culled out from the record, are that the respondent-plaintiff instituted a civil suit for permanent injunction on
SupremeToday
The High Court affirmed that findings of fact by lower courts cannot be interfered with unless they are manifestly erroneous or based on inadmissible evidence under Section 100 of CPC.
The court affirmed the Plaintiffs' easementary rights based on historical use and legal documentation, emphasizing the significance of such rights in property law.
In permanent injunction suits, issues of title must be explicitly framed and addressed to ensure procedural fairness, enabling parties to substantiate their claims.
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