IN THE HIGH COURT OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR AT SRINAGAR
Mufti Baha-ud-Din Farooqi, J.
Gh. Hassan - Appellant
Versus
State & Ors. - Respondent
Civil Revision No. 84/1978
Decided On : 29 May, 1980
INJUNCTION - POSSESSION - TRESPASSER - OWNERSHIP - STATE - TRESPASSER - NO RIGHT TO INJUNCTION - SECTION 54 OF THE SPECIFIC RELIEF ACT - SECTION 9 OF THE SPECIFIC RELIEF ACT - STATE OF J&K VERSUS GHULAM RASOOL AND ANR. (1978 KLJ; 260) - BEANT SINGH VERSUS VERSUS CHATORMEN EXECUTIVE OFFICER, JAMMU, A.I.R. 1960, J & K; 83 - SUMMARY
Fact of the Case:
Plaintiff claimed possession of land, alleging he obtained it from the custodian, who later discovered it belonged to the Nazool Department. The Financial Commissioner offered to lease the land to the plaintiff for a premium, which he refused. The plaintiff claimed continued possession until the defendants interfered. The trial court granted an ex parte injunction, later vacated, allowing defendant No. 1 to construct on the land, subject to demolition if the plaintiff succeeded. The plaintiff appealed, and the 2nd Additional District Judge upheld the order.
Finding of the Court:
The courts below found no prima facie proof of the plaintiff's possession. The plaintiff argued that the state's admission in its written statement established his possession, but the court noted that other defendants, including the J&K Muslim Auqaf Trust, claimed possession through the state. The court relied on State of J&K versus Ghulam Rasool and anr. (1978 KLJ; 260) and Beant Singh Versus Versus Chatorment Executive officer, Jammu, A.I.R. 1960, J & K; 83, holding that a trespasser has no equities or rights to prevent the owner from entering and restraining the trespass.
Issues: Whether a trespasser can obtain a temporary injunction against the owner state or a person claiming through it.
Ratio Decidendi: The court held that a trespasser has no right to an injunction against the owner state or a person claiming through it. The owner has the right to enter and restrain the trespasser without resorting to legal proceedings. Section 54 of the Specific Relief Act provides for discretionary relief of perpetual injunction, and section 9 of the Specific Relief Act makes an exception for suits against the government.
Final Decision: The revision petition was dismissed, and there was no order as to costs.
2. The court below have concurrently found that there is no prima facie proof to show that the plaintiff was ever in possession of the disputed land. The argument of the learned counsel for the plaintiff-petitioner is that it was not open to the courts below to say so. He urged that on the pleadings the admitted position was that the plaintiff was in occupation though only was as a trespasser. For this, he relied upon Para No. 3 of the written statement filed on behalf of the state. But he forgets that the state was not the sole defendant. There were other defendants, as many as five. The principal defendant was J&K Muslim Auqaf Trust and four others who are the office bearers of the Auqaf Trust. The case of the Auqaf was that the possession belonged to Masjid Sharief Buchwara which is managed by the Trust. For this, they relied upon a letter No, EC-Notice/590-93 dated 30-11-1976 from the Assistant Commissioner, Nazool, to the Financial Commissioner as also a certificate bearing No. 63/ACM dated 5-5-1977 issued by the Assistant Commissioner Nazool Srinagar in which take state has conceded that the measuring 10 kanals, 9 marlas 56 sft comprising Khasra No. 41/2 Min situated at Buchwara is recorded in the possession of Masjid Sharief Buchwara as per Nazool survey records of 1968-69. therefore, the averment made in Para No. 3 of the written statement filed on behalf of the state could not be treated to the clinching so far as the controversy about the possession was concerned the courts below were justified in going into this controversy and determining same prima facie as they did. On facts found by them, the position is that the state is the owner of the disputed land whereas the other defendants including Auquf Trust are the parties claiming through the state. The question is whether the plaintiff can have temporary injunction against the owner state or the person claiming through it. The question is no longer res-intergra. In state of J&K versus Ghulam Rasool and anr. (1978 KLJ; 260) a learned single judge has considered this question and observed as under: -
"7. That relief of injunction is a discretionary relief is now well settled. A party before it can ask a court to exercise discretion in its favour must show that it has some equities in its favour which would impell a court to exercise discretion in its favour. In the alternative the party seeking injunction must possess some right which the opposite party is trying to invade whether contractual or otherwise in respect of which the opposite party is trying to commit a breach. These principles clearly emerge out of section 54 of the specific Relief Act which ordains in what circumstance
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