1995 Supreme(Mad) 691
High Court of Judicature at Madras
THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE RENGASAMY
Thangavel
Versus
Kuppusamy Mudaliar
Civil Revision Petition No.961 of 1995
Decided On : 28-08-1995
Mr. S. M.Abdul Wahab, for Petitioner; Mr. K. A. Ravindran, for Respondent.
The Court's power to record satisfaction of payments under a decree is limited to payments made in the modes specified in Order 21, Rule 2(2-A) and (3) of the Civil Procedure Code.
Headnote:
CIVIL PROCEDURE CODE - ORDER 21, RULE 2(2-A) AND 2(3) - SECTION 47 - DISCHARGE OF DECREE - MODES OF PAYMENT - RECOGNITION OF PAYMENT - COURT'S POWER TO RECORD SATISFACTION - SCOPE OF SECTION 47 - INTERPRETATION.
Fact of the Case:
The judgment debtor filed a petition under Section 47 of the Civil Procedure Code to record the discharge of the decree, claiming that the decree-holder had agreed to receive Rs.10,000/- in full satisfaction of the decree in a panchayat and that the amount had been paid in the presence of panchayatdars.
Finding of the Court:
The District Munsif rejected the petition, holding that under Order 21, Rule 2(2-A) and (3) of the Civil Procedure Code, the Court could not record satisfaction of payments unless they were made in the modes mentioned in those provisions.
Issues: Whether the Court can record satisfaction of payments made in a manner other than those specified in Order 21, Rule 2(2-A) and (3) of the Civil Procedure Code.
Ratio Decidendi: The Court held that Order 21, Rule 2(2-A) and (3) of the Civil Procedure Code are exhaustive with regard to the mode of payment for recording satisfaction. The Court cannot record or recognize payments unless they were made in the modes mentioned in these rules. Section 47 of the Civil Procedure Code, which deals with the discharge or satisfaction of the decree, has become redundant in light of the amendment to Order 21, Rule 2 in 1976.
Final Decision: The Court dismissed the revision petition, upholding the lower court's order rejecting the petition to record the discharge of the decree.
The revision is against the order of the learned District Munsif, Gudiyattam rejecting the petition filed under Section 47 Civil Procedure Code to record discharge of the decree. In the petition, the judgment-debtor has stated that in a panchayat the decree-holder has agreed to receive Rs.10,000/-, in full satisfaction of the decree and the amount also has been paid in the presence of the panchayatdars on the representation of the decree-holder that he would report to the Court for recording full satisfaction, but as the same was not done by the decree-holder, he has moved the Court under Section 47 of Civil Procedure Code to pass orders by terminating the Execution Petition and recording full satisfaction. The learned District Munsif without even taking the petition on file has rejected the same on the ground that under Order 21, Rule 2 (2-A) and (3), unless the payment has been certified, the full satisfaction could be recorded and therefore the petition was not maintainable.
2. The learned counsel appearing for the revision petitioner Mr.Abdul Wahab would contend that under Order 21, Rule 2 (2-A), and 2(3), of the Civil Procedure Code, the Court cannot record satisfaction of the payments, only if such payments were not made as mentioned under these provisions, but in this case the payment was not by these modes, but without any records in the presence of the panchayatdars and therefore Section 47 of Civil Procedure Code is applicable to enquire whether the discharge has been made or not, but the learned District Munsif without considering the scope of Section 47 of Civil Procedure Code has rejected the petition and therefore the order is illegal. It is true Section 47 of Civil Procedure Code reads that all questions arising between the parties to the suit in which the decree was passed, or their representatives, and relating to the execution, discharge or satisfaction of the decree, shall be determined by the Court executing the decree and not by a separate suit. Amendment to code of Civil Procedure has been made in 1976 introducing sub- rule 2-A to Order 21, making it compulsory for recording satisfaction, and only if the payments were made in the modes mentioned under Order 21, Rule 1 and sub-rule 2-A the satisfaction could be recorded. Order 21, Rule 1 reads as follows:-
Modes of paying money under decree:-
All money, payable under a decree shall be paid as follows, namely:
(a) by deposit into the Court whose duty it is to execute the decree, sent to that Court by postal money order or through a bank; or
(b) out of Court, to the decree-holder by postal money order or through a bank or by any other mode wherein payment is evidenced in writing; or
(c) otherwise, as the Court which made the decree, directs. Order 21, Sub-rule (2-A) reads as follows:
No payment or adjustment shall be recorded at the instance of the judgment-debtor unless -
(a) the payment is made in the manner, provided in rule 1; or
(b) the payment or adjustment is proved by the documentary evidence; or
(c) the payment or adjustment is admitted by, or on behalf of, the decree-holder in his reply to the notice given under sub- rule (2) of rule 1, or before the Court. Sub-rule (3) reads that “A payment or adjustment, which has not been certified or recorded as afore-said, shall not be recognized by any Court executing the decree”. At a glance of these rules, we can easily understand that the Court cannot record or recognize the payments unless the payments were made in the modes mentioned under these rules. But the learned counsel for the petitioner M.Abdul Wahab contended that under sub-rule (3), the payment shall not be recorded, only if the payment or adjustment was not made in the manner mentioned under sub-rule (2-A), (a), (b) and (c) and as the revision petitioner herein has not made payment under these modes, sub-rule (2-A) is not applicable for this case. Further, he would contend that when Section 47 of Civil Procedure Code specifi