SupremeToday Landscape Ad
Back
Next
Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation
Listen Audio Icon Pause Audio Icon
judgment-img

2021 Supreme(Mad) 3545

BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT
A.D.Jagadish Chandira, J.
K.Raju - Petitioner
Vs.
Kuthalingam - Respondent
C.R.P (PD)(MD) No. 1891 of 2014 and MP(MD) No.1 of 2014
Decided On : 30-09-2021

Advocates:
Advocate Appeared:
For the Petitioner: Mr.M.Thirunavukkarasu
For the Respondents: Mr.D.Nallathambi

Headnote:

Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 - Order 1 Rule 10(2) - Transfer of Property Act, 1882 - Section 52 - Seeking For Partition - Sale Deed - Suit in O.S. has been filed by respondents/plaintiffs against R1 and R2 who are respectively his brother and sister-in-law seeking for partition in suit scheduled properties and to give half share - Suit for partition was filed - During the pendency of suit, property was sold - Second respondent/first defendant and legal heirs have sold suit scheduled first property to revision petitioner by registered sale deed - Revision petitioner who is purchaser pendente lite had filed petition under Order 1 Rule 10(2) of Code of Civil Procedure seeking to implead him as necessary party in suit - Application had been filed when the case was listed for trial, respondents/plaintiff had filed objection in IA - Trial Court holding that petitioner being a purchaser pendente lite is not necessary party had dismissed petition by order against which revision has been filed - Whether petitioner is a necessary party to be impleaded in suit or not and not legality of sale.

Finding of the Court: Revision is directed against dismissal of petition filed under order 1 Rule 10 of Code of Civil Procedure seeking to implead petitioner as necessary party - Question which has to be decided is whether petitioner is a necessary party to be impleaded in suit or not and not legality of sale – In order analyses the merits of the case, this Court feels it appropriate to refer to the decision of Hon'ble Apex Court in Gurmit Singh Bhattia vs. Kiran Kant Robionson and others reported in (2020) wherein the Hon'ble Apex Court has held that in a pending suit if plaintiff does not wants to implead any subsequent purchaser as a necessary party it would had been done at risk of plaintiff because he cannot be forced to implead third parties as party/defendants in suit- Plaintiff being dominus litis cannot be forced to implead petitioner - Trial Court had rightly dismissed petition seeking to implead petitioner, findings of Trial Court that sale of property pending suit is void cannot be sustained.

Result: Order accordingly.

ORDER :

This Civil Revision Petition has been filed by the petitioner/3rd party against the order of the trial Court in dismissing the petition filed by him under Order 1 Rule 10(2) of the Code of Civil Procedure to implead himself as one of the defendants in O.S. No.428 of 2010.

2. The suit in O.S.No.428 of 2010 has been filed by the respondents/plaintiffs against R1 and R2 who are respectively his brother and sister-in-law seeking for partition in the suit scheduled properties and to give half share. The suit for partition was filed on 20.12.2010. During the pendency of the suit, property was sold on 23.10.2013. The second respondent/first defendant and the legal heirs have sold the suit scheduled first property to the revision petitioner by registered sale deed dated 21.10.2013. The revision petitioner who is the purchaser pendente lite had filed the petition under Order 1 Rule 10(2) of the Code of Civil Procedure seeking to implead him as necessary party in the suit. The application had been filed on 06.01.2014, when the case was listed for trial, the respondents/plaintiff had filed the objection in IA No. 47 of 2014 . The Trial Court holding that the petitioner being a purchaser pendente lite is not necessary party had dismissed the petition by order dated 10.07.2014 against which the revision has been filed.

3. The learned counsel for the petitioner would submit that the petitioner without aware of the pendency of the case had purchased the property after paying due consideration to the first defendant and his legal heirs. The petitioner herein being a subsequent purchaser of the property has right over the suit property and no effective decree can be passed in his absence and he is a necessary party to the litigation under Order 1 Rule 10(2) of the Code of Civil Procedure., whereas the Trial Court without taking into consideration the right of the petitioner had dismissed the application. In support of his contention the learned counsel for the petitioner relied on the judgment of the Hon'ble Apex Court in Thomson Press India Ltd. vs. Nanak Builders and Investors Private Ltd and others reported in 2013 (5) SCC 397. He would further submit that the petitioner was not aware of the pending litigation before he purchased the property and the transfer of the suit property pendente lite is not void abinito and the petitioner having purchased the property from the first defendant takes the bargain subject to the right of the first defendant in the suit. The Trial Court had rendered an erroneous finding that transfer pendente lite is void as per the Section 52 of the Transfer of the Property Act. He would also rely on the decision of the decision of this Court in the case of Devaki Thiyagarajan vs. Ahamed and others reported in 2015 (4) CTC 293 and seek to set aside the finding.

4. The learned counsel for the respondent would submit that the first respondent has filed the suit seeking partition of the family properties. The suit was filed on 20.12.2010 and the petitioner in collusion with the second defendant in order to defeat the right of the respondent/plaintiff has purchased a property by a sale deed dated 21.10.2013 after three years of filing of the suit. Though he was well aware of the pendency of the suit, he had not choosen to implead immediately and that impleading application has been filed only on 06.01.2014 when the case was ripe for trial taken up in the special list. He would further submit that the Trial Court finding that the suit is for partition and the right of the petitioner accrues only from the right of the first defendants who had sold the property to the petitioner has rightly dismissed the petition. Further the Trial Court has also found that the petition has been filed only for the purpose of the delaying the trial. He would further submit that the petitioner being a transferee pendente lite can work out equity in final decree proceedings and at the stage of preliminary decree he is not a necessary party.

Click Here to Read the rest of this document
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
SupremeToday Portrait Ad
supreme today icon
logo-black

An indispensable Tool for Legal Professionals, Endorsed by Various High Court and Judicial Officers

Please visit our Training & Support
Center or Contact Us for assistance

qr

Scan Me!

India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!

For Daily Legal Updates, Join us on :

whatsapp-icon Back to top