IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
S.M.SUBRAMANIAM, J.
G.Manoharan - Appellant
Vs.
R.Edwin Solomon - Respondent
A.S.No.634 of 2019 and C.M.P.No.19116 of 2019
Decided on : 25-02-2020
Civil Law – Limitation Act - Appellant in the appeal suit is the defendant in the suit and the respondent in the appeal suit is the plaintiff in the suit – For the sake of convenience, the ranking of the parties in the appeal suit would be referred to as per their ranks before the Trial Court – Defendant in the suit is the appellant in the appeal suit – Respondent plaintiff instituted the suit for Specific Performance of the contract, directing the defendants to execute and register the sale deed with regard to the suit property in favour of the plaintiff as per suit sale agreement after receiving the balance sale consideration and a relief of permanent injunction is also sought for – Facts in nutshell as narrated in the plaint are as under –Held, Even recently, the Apex Court of India in the case of Surinder Kaur vs. Bahadur Singh [(2019) 8 SCC 575], made an observation that “A perusal of Section 20 of the Specific Relief Act clearly indicates that the relief of specific performance is discretionary. Merely because the plaintiff is legally right, the court is not bound to grant him the relief – True it is, that the court while exercising its discretionary power is bound to exercise the same on established judicial principles and in a reasonable manner – Obviously, the discretion cannot be exercised in an arbitrary or whimsical manner. Sub-clause (c) of sub-section (2) of Section 20 provides that even if the contract is otherwise not voidable but the circumstances make it inequitable to enforce specific performance, the court can refuse to grant such discretionary relief – Explanation (2) to the section provides that the hardship has to be considered at the time of the contract, unless the hardship is brought in by the action of the plaintiff – Appeal suit in A.S. stands allowed.
JUDGMENT :
The judgment and decree dated 15.03.2019 passed by the learned District Judge, District Court No.II, Kancheepuram in O.S.No.128 of 2015 is under challenge in the present appeal suit.
2. The appellant in the appeal suit is the defendant in the suit and the respondent in the appeal suit is the plaintiff in the suit.
3. For the sake of convenience, the ranking of the parties in the appeal suit would be referred to as per their ranks before the Trial Court.
4. The defendant in the suit is the appellant in the appeal suit. The respondent plaintiff instituted the suit for Specific Performance of the contract, directing the defendants to execute and register the sale deed with regard to the suit property in favour of the plaintiff as per suit sale agreement dated 23.07.2010 after receiving the balance sale consideration of Rs.8,57,900/- and a relief of permanent injunction is also sought for.
5. The facts in nutshell as narrated in the plaint are as under:
Indira Kaur vs. Sheo Lal Kapoor [(1988) 2 SCC 488]
Jamshed Khodaram Irani vs. Burjorji Dhunjibhai [(1915- 16) 43 IA 26 : AIR 1915 PC 83]
K.S. Vidyanadam vs. Vairavan [(1997) 3 SCC 1]
Pankajam Parthasarathy and five others vs. Kasturi Guna Singh [2001 (1) CTC 200]
Parakunnan Veetil Joseph's son Mathew vs. Nedumbara Kuruvila's son and others [AIR 1987 S.C. 2328]
Ramaswamy Gounder vs. K.M. Venkatachalam and others [1976 (1) M.L.J. 243
Surinder Kaur vs. Bahadur Singh [(2019) 8 SCC 575]
Saradamani Kandappan vs. S. Rajalakshmi
Saradamani Kandappan vs. S. Rajalakshmi [(2011) 12 SCC 18]
S.S.Chokkalingam vs. R.B.S.Mani and 5 Others [1994 (1) LW 321]
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