Madras High Court
NATARAJAN
C.Kalahasti - Appellant
Versus
P.C.Munuswami Chetti - Respondent
Decided On : 05/02/1974
CIVIL PROCEDURE CODE - ORDER XXXIX, RULE 1 - ORDER XLIII, RULE 1 - SECTION 104 (2) - SECTION 107 (2) - APPEALABILITY OF ORDER PASSED BY APPELLATE COURT UNDER ORDER XXXIX, RULE 1, CIVIL P. C. - WHETHER SUCH ORDER IS APPEALABLE - HELD, NO.
Fact of the Case:
The plaintiff, who was the Secretary of the Board of Trustees of the Thyagaraya Chetti Educational Institution, filed a suit against the defendant, who was the President of the Board, for reliefs of injunction etc. and filed a petition under Order XXXIX, Rule 1, Civil P. C. for an order of temporary injunction to restrain the defendant from calling for a meeting of the Board of Trustees. The petition was dismissed by the trial court and the plaintiff preferred an appeal to the City Civil Court. During the pendency of the appeal, the plaintiff filed another petition under Order XXXIX, Rule 1, Civil P. C. for a temporary injunction till the disposal of the appeal. The Second Additional City Civil Judge granted interim injunction and the defendant preferred a civil miscellaneous appeal.
Finding of the Court:
The court held that the appeal was not maintainable and dismissed it on the ground that an order passed by an appellate court under Order XXXIX, Rule 1, Civil P. C. is not appealable under Section 104 (2), Civil P. C.
Issues: Whether an order passed by an appellate court under Order XXXIX, Rule 1, Civil P. C. is appealable.
Ratio Decidendi: The court held that Section 104 (2), Civil P. C. expressly prohibits appeals from orders passed in appeal. The court also held that Section 107 (2), Civil P. C. does not confer original jurisdiction on an appellate court when exercising its powers to pass incidental orders. The court further held that Order XLIII, Rule 1, Civil P. C. which enumerates the orders from which an appeal can be preferred is subject to the stipulation contained in Section 104 (2), Civil P. C.
Final Decision: The appeal was dismissed.
2. Against the dismissal of the petition, the plaintiff preferred C. M. A. 36 of 1973 to the City Civil Court and once again sought interim orders in C. M. P. 49 of 1973 for a temporary injunction till the disposal of the appeal. The Second Additional City Civil Judge granted interim injunction in C. M. P. 49 of 1973 and, aggrieved by the said order, the defendant has preferred the present civil miscellaneous appeal.
3. When this appeal was filed, the office raised a query as to how the appeal was admissible as the order appealed against had itself been passed in an appeal and would therefore not fall within the provisions of Order XLIII, Rule 1, Civil P. C. The learned counsel for the appellant seems to have prevailed upon the admission Judge the contention that though the order appealed against was one passed by the appellate court, it was nevertheless an order passed under O. XXXIX, Rr. 1 and 2, Civil P. C. that as such, it was not an order passed in appeal as contemplated under Section 104 (2), Civil P. C. that C. M. P. 49 of 1973 was an independent petition pending the appeal and as such, the aggrieved party was entitled to prefer an appeal under Order XLIII, Rule 1, Civil P. C.
4. When the appeal was taken up, Mr. O. Radhakrishnan, learned counsel for the respondent, raised a preliminary objection stating that the appeal was not maintainable and therefore, it should be dismissed in limine. Mr. V. Shanmugham learned counsel for the appellant, stated that though he was not pressing the appeal on merits, he was nevertheless prepared to meet the challenge of the respondent's counsel about the maintainability of the appeal and advance arguments to sustain his earlier stand that the order passed in C. M. P. 49 of 1973, though passed by an appellate court, was nevertheless an appealable order under Order XLIII, Rule 1, Civil P. C.
5. The industry of counsel on either side as well as my own efforts in this behalf did not reveal any reported case of this court on the controversy raised in the appeal and hence, I am considering the matter in extenso, even though the learned counsel for the appellant represented that he was none too keen to prosecute the appeal on merits. Before proceeding to consider the objection raised by Mr. O. Radhakrishnan regarding the maintainability of the appeal, the circumstances under which the appeal has been filed and about which there is no dispute need reiteration. Admittedly, the order appealed against, viz., the order in C. M. P. 49 of 1973, is an order passed by an appellate court. It is equally a matter of certainty that the petition, C. M. P. 49 of 1973 was filed under Order XXXIX, Rule 1, Civil P. C. and consequently, the interim order passed therein must be construed as an order passed under Order XXXIX, Rule 1, Civil P. C. The question for consideration is whether an appeal would lie against an order passed under Order XXXIX, Rule 1, Civil P. C. by an appellate court.
6. Section 104, Civil P. C, which provi
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