High Court of Judicature at Madras
The Honourable Mr. Justice A.S. Venkatachalamoorthy
Palaniammal
Versus
V.K.Ramanathan and others
C.R.P.No.4171 of 2001 and C.M.P. No.22660 of 2001
Decided on : 13-02-2002
Amendment - Civil Procedure - Code of Civil Procedure - Order 6 Rule 17, Section 151 - Tamil Nadu City Tenants Protection Act - B.K.Narayana Pillai v. Parameswaran Pillai, 2000 (1) SCC 712 - Ragu Thilak D.John v. S.Rayappan, AIR 2001 SC 699 - A.K.Gupta & Sons Ltd., v. Damodar Valley Corpn,. AIR 1967 SC 96 - Ganesh Trading Co., v. Moji Ram, 1978 (2) SCC 91 - M/s.Estralla Rubber v. Dass Estate (P) Ltd., 2001 (7) Sup 53 - Lakshmi Ammal v. Alamelu; AIR 1924 Madras 309 - Karuppanna Pillai v. Ethumalai Pillai; AIR 1927 Madras 859 - L.J.Leach & Co. Ltd. v. Jardine Skinner & Co.;AIR 1957 SC 357 - Kumaraswami v. D.R.Nanjappa, AIR 1978 Madras 285 - Amendment sought for mandatory injunction to restore water supply connection is ancillary and incidental to the relief sought in the plaint. Courts cannot go into the truth or falsity of the proposed amendments at the time of considering the application for amendment. All amendments of the pleadings should be allowed which are necessary for determination of the real controversies in the suit provided the proposed amendment does not alter or substitute a new cause of action on the basis of which the original lis was raised or defence taken. The delay in filing petition for amendment should be properly compensated by cost and the error or mistake, if not fraudulent, should not be made a ground for rejecting the application for amendment of plaint or written statement.
Fact of the Case:
Plaintiff filed a suit claiming possession of a property on lease basis and sought amendment to include a prayer for mandatory injunction to restore water supply connection, which was disconnected by the Municipality. The District Munsif dismissed the application for amendment, leading to the revision petition.
Finding of the Court:
The Court allowed the revision petition, setting aside the District Munsif's order, and emphasized the wide power to allow amendments, the need to avoid hyper technical approach, and the importance of promoting the ends of justice.
Issues: The issues considered by the Court included the nature of the amendment sought, the truth or falsity of the proposed amendments, and the impact of delay in filing the petition for amendment.
Ratio Decidendi: The Court held that the amendment sought for mandatory injunction to restore water supply connection was ancillary and incidental to the relief sought in the plaint. It emphasized that courts cannot go into the truth or falsity of the proposed amendments at the time of considering the application for amendment and that all amendments of the pleadings should be allowed which are necessary for determination of the real controversies in the suit, provided the proposed amendment does not alter or substitute a new cause of action on the basis of which the original lis was raised or defence taken.
Final Decision: The revision petition was allowed, and the order of the District Munsif, Namakkal dated 14.9.2001 in I.A.No.413 of 2001 in O.S.1 17 of 2001 was set aside. There was no order as to costs.
1. Plaintiff in O.S.1 17 of 2001 on the file of District Munsif, Namakkal filed an application in I.A.No.413 of 2001 under Order 6 Rule 17 read with Section 151 of Code of Civil Procedure. The learned District Munsif dismissed the said application by an order dated 14.9.2001. The aggrieved plaintiff has preferred the above revision petition against the said order.
2. The petitioner/plaintiff filed the suit in O.S.117 of 2001 on the file of District Munsif Court, Namakkal contending that she took the suit property on lease from the first defendant for the period from 1.1.1979 to 31.12.1998 and as per the terms of the agreement, the plaintiff was permitted to put up super structure. The claim of the plaintiff is that she put up certain building and shops in the suit property and got electricity connection also and that apart, the Municipal assessment too stands in the name of the plaintiff’s husband by name Palaniyandi. The plaintiff produced property tax receipts and also water tax receipts. The further claim of the plaintiff is that even after the lease period, she would be entitled to be in possession of the property by virtue of the provisions of the Tamil Nadu City Tenants Protection Act. As there was interference by the first defendant, she filed the suit in O.S.637 of 1998 and also obtained interim injunction in I.A.No.999 of 1998. When the second defendant c ame out with a plea that he has purchased the property and also threatened to interfere the possession and enjoyment by the plaintiff, she filed a second suit against the second defendant in O.S.527 of 1999. Thereafter in June 2000, third defendant issued notice to the plaintiff claiming to be the absolute owner by virtue of decree obtained for specific performance in O.S.568 of 1999 again on the file of the same Court. The 4th defendant viz., the Municipality, ignoring the telegram sent by the plaintif f wherein the plaintiff informed about the pendency of the suit against the second defendant viz., O.S.527 of 1999, effected mutation of municipal assessment in the name of the second defendant without any enquiry and without hearing plaintiff. In the suit, plaintiff sought for declaration that the proceedings of the 4th defendant/Municipality in changing the house tax assessment from the plaintiff’s husband's name to the second defendant is invalid, arbitrary and also prayed for mandatory injunction to restore the tax assessment in the name of plaintiff's husband.
3. The first defendant in the suit filed written statement contending that the lease period was over even way back in the year 1998 and that the plaintiff had put up only some temporary structure and in fact the second defendant is the owner of the suit property. Even according to the first defendant, he was only in possession of the property and not the owner. There is yet another plea that the plaintiff has been colluding with the third defendant and in fact the decree in O.S.568 of 1999 was obtained collusively.
4. Pending suit plaintiff filed I.A.No.413 of 2001 contending that in view of the subsequent development, plaint has to be suitably amended. In the affidavit in support of the petition it has been stated that when the suit was pending, 4th defendant at the instigation of defendants 1 to 3 has disconnected the water supply and hence the prayer for mandatory injunction to restore the water supply has also to be included in the plaint.
5. The second respondent/second defendant resisted the said application contending that the amendment sought for by the petitioner/plaintiff varies, changes and alters the cause of action and subject matter of the suit. According to the second defendant/second respondent, even before filing of the suit i.e,., on 21.12.2000, the water service connection was changed in the name of second defendant/second respondent and the disconnection was only thereafter that was on 20.3.2001. It is also the contention of the second respondent that so long as the change o
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