2009 Supreme(Mad) 2813
High Court of Judicature at Madras
THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE M. VENUGOPAL
V. Palanisamy
Versus
Shanmugha Gounder & Others
M.P.No.1 of 2009 in C.R.P.(P.D) No. 3531 of 2008
Decided on: 31-07-2009
For the Petitioner:M/s. A. Kuppuswamy, Advocate.
For the Respondents:R1, Mukunthan, Advocate.
The main legal point established in the judgment is the importance of following the procedural requirements for lodging a caveat, including serving copies of documents on the caveator's counsel or the caveator before filing them in court.
Headnote:
Caveat - Civil Procedure - Section 148-A, Order VII Rule 3 of Civil Procedure Code, Rule 11 of Civil Rules to Practice, Order XLI, R.11 of the C.P.C - The court discussed the requirement of serving notice on the concerned respondent, the appointment of an Advocate Commissioner, and the procedure for lodging a caveat. It emphasized the importance of following the procedure for serving copies of documents on the caveator's counsel or the caveator before filing them in court and the need for the registry to issue a notice to the caveator's counsel or the caveator before any interim order is passed.
Fact of the Case:
The petitioner sought to set aside an order passed in a civil revision petition, alleging fraud and lack of proper notice. The respondent argued that the order was valid and sustainable in the eye of the law.
Finding of the Court:
The court found that the order passed in the civil revision petition was valid and that the petitioner's arguments were not substantial. It emphasized the importance of following the procedure for serving copies of documents on the caveator's counsel or the caveator before filing them in court.
Issues: The issues revolved around the validity of the order passed in the civil revision petition, the requirement of serving notice on the concerned respondent, and the appointment of an Advocate Commissioner.
Ratio Decidendi: The court's decision was influenced by the interpretation of Section 148-A of the Civil Procedure Code and the procedural requirements for lodging a caveat. It emphasized the importance of following the procedure for serving copies of documents on the caveator's counsel or the caveator before filing them in court.
Final Decision: The court upheld the order passed in the civil revision petition and dismissed the petitioner's claims, emphasizing the importance of following the procedure for serving copies of documents on the caveator's counsel or the caveator before filing them in court.
The petitioner/first respondent has filed this Miscellaneous Petition praying this Court to set aside the order dated 210. 2008 passed in C.R.P.(P.D) No. 3531 of 2008 in allowing the civil revision petition.
2. According to the learned counsel for the petitioner, the petitioner has figured as first respondent in C.R.P.(P.D) No. 3531 of 2008 and has filed a suit as plaintiff seeking the relief of specific performance pertaining to the property covered in the purported agreement entered into by him with the respondents No.3 and 4 before the learned Additional and Sessions Judge (Fast Track Court No.1, Coimbatore) and that the petitioner herein has taken a specific plea that the property mentioned in the alleged agreement is not in existence on ground and that in I.A. No.198 of 2008 in O.S. No.840 of 2004 filed by him praying for appointment of an Advocate Commissioner to inspect the property and to identify the property with a help of a surveyor has been allowed by the trial Court and further that he filed a Caveat petition No.3761 on the file of this Court on 10.09.2008 and a copy of the acknowledgment for receipt of the Caveat petition on 15.09.2008 by the first respondent has been submitted for perusal and the first respondent ought to have asked his counsel at Chennai to furnish a copy of the type set of papers to his Advocate for the purpose of filing necessary counter to substantiate his case and moreover this Court has passed final order in the civil revision petition on 210. 2008 without proper notice being served either to the petitioner counsel at Chennai or to the petitioner or to the counsel on record of the trial Court at Coimbatore, and inasmuch as the first respondent has obtained the final order in the civil revision petition behind his back has committed and played a fraud on the Court and also on the opposite party and therefore the order passed by this Court in the civil revision petition needs to be set aside in the interest of justice.
3. In support of the contention that the respondent/revision petitioner has not submitted any sketch or revenue map together with the plaint to identify the suit property with four boundaries in conformity with Order VII Rule 3 of Civil Procedure Code and Rule 11 of Civil Rules to Practice, the learned counsel for the petitioner cites the decision of Honble Supreme Court Vimlesh Kumari Kulshrestha Vs. Sambhajirao and Another reported in (2008) 5 SCC 58 at page 58, at special page 59 wherein it is held that:
"in an agreement to sell immovable property failure to annex map giving full description of property rendered the agreement unenforceable".
.4. He also places reliance on the decision of Honble Supreme Court Venkatesh Vs. State of Karnataka reported in AIR 2000 Supreme Court 3561 wherein it is laid out that:
."notice must be served on the concerned respondent even though he might have appeared on Caveat unless counsel on his behalf has waived service and there is no acknowledgment to show that notice of writ petition has been served on the respondent and the Cause List showing name of an Advocate for respondent in Caveator is not a sufficient notice."
5. The learned counsel for the first respondent (civil revision petition) submits that this Court has allowed the main C.R.P.(P.D) No. 3531 of 2008 without costs on 210. 2008 holding that "the order passed by the trial Court in allowing I.A. No.198 of 2008 for appointment of Advocate Commissioner is not sustainable in the eye of law and that certainly the I.A.No.198 of 2008 for appointment of an Advocate Commissioner is a luxurious one and accordingly set aside the order of trial Court passed in I.A. No.198 of 2008 in O.S. No.840 of 2004 dated 01.08.2008 and therefore this Court need not set aside the order passed in the civil revision petition in the interest of justice.
6. According to the learned counsel for the first respondent/revision petitioner the filing of the caveat by the petitioner/respondent has n