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2016 Supreme(Mad) 769

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
P.R. SHIVAKUMAR, J.
S.Sivasami - Petitioner
Vs
S.Balachandran - Respondents
C.R.P.[PD] No.1040 of 2016
Decided On : 01-04-2016

Advocates Appeared:
For the Petitioner: Mr.S.Thangavel

A plaintiff may sue for all or any of the reliefs based on the same cause of action, but if he omits, without the leave of the Court, to sue for all such reliefs, he shall not afterwards sue for any relief so omitted.

Headnote:

specific performance - injunction - Order II Rule 2 Sub-clauses (2) and (3) CPC - The court discussed the applicability of Order II Rule 2 Sub-clauses (2) and (3) CPC in the context of filing a suit for injunction and specific performance based on the same cause of action. It emphasized that the bar provided under these provisions applies to subsequent suits and not to the present suit, and that the omission to sue for specific performance does not make the present suit not maintainable or barred by such a provision. The court highlighted the legal principle that a plaintiff may sue for all or any of the reliefs based on the same cause of action, but if he omits, without the leave of the Court, to sue for all such reliefs, he shall not afterwards sue for any relief so omitted.

Fact of the Case:

The petitioner sought to strike off the plaint in a suit for injunction on the ground that the suit was not maintainable as the respondent had omitted to sue for specific performance.

Finding of the Court:

The court dismissed the Civil Revision Petition, emphasizing that the omission to sue for specific performance does not make the present suit not maintainable or barred by such a provision.

Issues: The main issue was whether the suit for injunction was maintainable when the respondent had omitted to sue for specific performance based on the same cause of action.

Ratio Decidendi: The court held that the bar provided under Order II Rule 2 Sub-clauses (2) and (3) CPC applies to subsequent suits and not to the present suit, and that the omission to sue for specific performance does not make the present suit not maintainable or barred by such a provision.

Final Decision: The Civil Revision Petition was dismissed.

ORDER :

The first defendant in the original suit O.S.No.42 of 2013 is the petitioner in the present Civil Revision Petition filed under Article 227 of the Constitution of India invoking the power of superintendence of this Court over the Subordinate Courts to strike off the plaint in the said suit on the ground that the said suit is not maintainable.

2. The above said suit came to be filed by the first respondent herein against the revision petitioner and respondents 2 to 4 for a bare injunction on the premise that he had got an agreement for sale from the petitioner and the second respondent; that though he was ready and willing to perform his part of the contract, the vendors under the agreement were making efforts to sell the suit property to others and that hence, he was constrained to file the suit for the following reliefs:

1. a declaration that a Deed of Cancellation of sale dated 01.06.2011 registered as Document No.2236 of 2011 which is against the sale agreement dated 07.03.2011 between the plaintiff and defendants 1 and 2 is not valid;

2. a permanent injunction against the first defendant (revision petitioner) not to execute any conveyance or create any encumbrance in favour of any third party without cancelling the sale agreement dated 07.03.2011;

3. an injunction against the fourth respondent not to register in case any sale deed or other document is prepared and produced by the first defendant (revision petitioner) in respect of the suit property; and

4. costs.

3. After entering appearance in the said suit, the revision petitioner (first defendant), without filing a written statement and without even filing any application for rejection of plaint if the plaint is bound to be rejected under Order VII Rule 11 CPC, has straightaway approached this Court with the present petition for quashing the said proceedings instituted by presenting the plaint in the suit, by seeking a prayer for striking off the plaint in the above said suit O.S.No.42 of 2013.

4. The matter stands listed today for admission. The arguments advanced by Mr. S. Thangavel, learned counsel for the petitioner are heard. The documents produced in the form of typed-set of papers, including a copy of the plaint, are perused.

5. It is the contention of the petitioner that once the vendor under an agreement for sale repudiates the contract and refuses to perform, the remedy open to the purchaser under the agreement is to file a suit for specific performance and if he choses to file a suit for any other relief than the relief of specific performance or omits to include a prayer of specific performance, such suit will not be maintainable and that the same was the reason why the petitioner is before this Court with the present revision under Article 227 of the Constitution of India.

6. In support of his contention, learned counsel for the petitioner relies on a judgment of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in Vergo Industries (Eng.) Private Limited Vs.Venturetech Solutions Private Limited reported in (2013) 1 SCC 625. This Court perused the said judgment in Vergo Industries's case. On such perusal, this Court is of the view that the ratio decided therein is not applicable to the case on hand and the learned counsel for the petitioner relies on the said judgment on a misconception. Two sets of suits, the first set for injunction and the second set of suits for specific performance, came to be filed and the plaints in the second set of suits were struck off and the proceedings initiated thereby were quashed in the above said judgment of the Supreme Court.

When the first set of suits came to be filed merely for injunction omitting to sue for specific performance and the cause of action for the said suits for injunction was also the cause of action suing for specific performance and since no leave in the previous set of suits for injunction was granted to file a separate suit for the other relief, namely a suit for specific performance, referring to Order II Rule 2, Sub-C








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