IN THE HIGH COURT OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR AT SRINAGAR
Mian Jalal-ud-Din, J.
Mohd. Sultan Wani - Appellant
Versus
Qasim Ali & Anr. - Respondent
Civil Revision No. 17/1975
Decided On : 31 May, 1976
CIVIL PROCEDURE CODE - ORDER 7 RULE 7 - RELIEF - GENERAL OR OTHER RELIEF - SCOPE - COURT CANNOT GRANT RELIEF OF DIFFERENT DESCRIPTION FROM THE ONE CLAIMED IN THE PLAINT - PLAINTIFF MUST INVITE ATTENTION OF THE COURT TO THE ALTERED CIRCUMSTANCES AND ASK FOR APPROPRIATE RELIEF.
Fact of the Case:
Plaintiff filed a suit for permanent injunction against the defendants, alleging interference with his possession of a shop and other acts of malfeasance. During the trial, the plaintiff alleged that the defendants forcibly turned him out of the shop, violating the interim injunction order. The trial court found that the plaintiff was in possession at the time of the suit's institution, that his possession was disturbed during the pendency of the suit, and granted a decree for possession of the shop in the plaintiff's favor. The appellate court set aside the trial court's decree, holding that the plaintiff had not established possession at the time of the suit's institution and that the relief of possession was outside the pleadings of the parties.
Finding of the Court:
The High Court held that the trial court erred in granting the relief of possession without notice to the defendant and without asking the plaintiff to amend the plaint. The court noted that Order 7 Rule 7 of the Code of Civil Procedure allows the court to grant general or other relief, but this relief must be ancillary to the relief claimed in the suit and based on the same cause of action. The court further held that the plaintiff should have applied for an amendment to the plaint to seek consequential relief of possession.
Issues: 1. Whether the trial court erred in granting the relief of possession without notice to the defendant and without asking the plaintiff to amend the plaint. 2. Whether the relief of possession was outside the pleadings of the parties.
Ratio Decidendi: 1. Order 7 Rule 7 of the Code of Civil Procedure allows the court to grant general or other relief, but this relief must be ancillary to the relief claimed in the suit and based on the same cause of action. 2. The plaintiff should have applied for an amendment to the plaint to seek consequential relief of possession.
Final Decision: The High Court dismissed the revision petition and upheld the judgment and decree of the first appellate court.
2. On the application of the plaintiff the court passed an interim injunction against the defendants temporarily restraining them from interfering with the possession of the plaintiff. During the progress of the trial of the case the plaintiff moved an application for contempt in the trial court averring therein that the defendant forcibly turned out the plaintiff from the shop and thus violated the interim order of the court. On this application the court invited objections of the defendants. Proceedings however, continued. The plaintiff did not seek any amendment of the plaint because of the subsequent event alleged by him. On conclusion of the trial in the main case the court found that the plea of the defendants that the plaintiff had surrendered the possession of the shop was not established. It further found that the plaintiff was in the possession at the time of institution of the suit, the possession of the plaintiff was disturbed during the pendency of the suit, the order of temporary injunction notwithstanding. The trial court, instead of passing the decree in terms of the reliefs sought for passed a decree for possession of the shop in favour of the plaintiff. On appeal filed before the Sub Judge (C.J.M.) the learned appellate court on appraisal of the evidence came to the conclusion that the plaintiff had not established that he was in possession of the suit property at the time of the institution of the suit. Further, the court held that the relief of possession granted by the trial court was outside the pleading of the parties. The trial court had erred in giving the relief which was not at all asked for by the plaintiff. No amendment was sought by the plaintiff in this behalf. For these reasons the appeal was allowed and the Judgment and decree of the trial court were set aside. Aggrieved by this judgment and decree of the first appellate court the plaintiff has come up in revision before this court.
3. Shri J. N. Langer appearing for the petitioner has submitted that the first appellate court has misconstrued the provisions of 0.7, R.7 of the Code of Civil Procedure which confer power on the court to grant such relief as it may think just to grant. It is not necessary for the plaintiff to ask for general or other relief which the court could in the circumstances of the case grant to the plaintiff. Because the plaintiff had violated the order of interim injunction issued by the court against him during the pendency of the suit and by doing this the plaintiff had disturbed the status quo ante in respect of the suit property, therefore the court could take notice of the subsequent event and grant appropriate relief of possession to the plaintiff in order to secure the ends of justice.
4. On merits it is submitted that their was congent evidence en the record to establish the fact that the plaintiff was in defacto possession of the suit property at the time of the institution of the suit and the story put forth by the defendant that the plaintiff had himself vacated the shop was a cock and bull story which defendant had not established by any evidence whatsoever. The first appellate court had not
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