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2025 Supreme(Mad) 4959

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
M.Nirmal Kumar, J.
Madras Race Club, Represented by its Additional Secretary – Petitioner
Versus
Jayapoorna Chandra Rao and ors. - Respondents
C.R.P.Nos.1224 & 1287 of 2024 and C.M.P. Nos.6429 & 6824 of 2024
Decided On : 09-01-2025

Advocates Appeared:
For the Petitioner: Mr.K.V.Babu, Mr.T.Balaji
For the Respondent: Mr.N.S.Sivakumar

A decree based on admissions under Order 12 Rule 6 CPC can only be granted where admissions are clear and unequivocal; contentious issues of title and possession necessitate thorough evidence and framing of issues, precluding summary judgment.

Headnote:(A) Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 - Order 12 Rule 6 - Order XIV Rule 5 - Section 151 - Judgment on admissions - Discretion to grant decree only on clear and unequivocal admission. (Paras 11,12,13,14)

(B) Specific Relief Act, 1963 - Section 34 - Discretion of the Court for granting declaratory relief on contentious issues. (Para 10)

(C) Legal principles concerning the maintainability of suit for injunction where counter claim or separate suit for recovery of possession is required. (Para 4)

Facts of the case:
The petitioner filed a suit for permanent injunction over a property leased originally in 1927, claiming continued leasehold possession despite expiration and renewal lapses. The respondents, purchasers in auction, challenged the petitioner's title. The petitioner sought to strike additional issues framed and claim judgment on alleged admissions without evidence, which were dismissed by the trial court.

Findings of Court:
The Court held that issues involving title and possession are contentious and cannot be decided on alleged admissions under Order 12 Rule 6 CPC; striking off additional issues was not justified as the matter involves complex facts and legal questions; proceedings delayed over nearly two decades must be concluded within six months. The Civil Revision Petitions were dismissed. (Paras 10-14,14-15)

Issues: Whether a decree can be granted on purported admissions in written statement without evidence in suit for injunction; whether additional issues framed involving title and possession can be struck off at this stage; maintainability of the suit for injunction without separate suit or counter claim for possession.

Ratio Decidendi: The Court reasoned that clear and unequivocal admissions required for decree under Order 12 Rule 6 CPC are absent due to contentious factual and legal questions involving leasehold rights and possession. Exercising discretion under CPC and Specific Relief Act, summary judgment was inappropriate. Additional issues rightly framed to adjudicate material facts cannot be struck off. (Paras 10-14)

Result: Civil Revision Petitions dismissed with direction to complete trial within six months.

Table of Content
1. common order disposing petitions with same issue (Para 1)
2. factual background and procedural history of suit (Para 2 , 3 , 8 , 9)
3. parties' competing arguments on maintainability and title (Para 4 , 5 , 6)
4. court’s analysis on admissions and dismissal of interlocutory applications (Para 7 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14)

ORDER :

M.Nirmal Kumar, J.

Since the issue involved in both the Civil Revision Petitions is one and the same, they are disposed of by this common order.

2. Earlier, the Petitioner / Plaintiff filed a Suit in C.S.No.366 of 2004 before this Court, for the relief of permanent injunction, and this Court transferred the same to the file of the learned XVII Additional Judge, City Civil Court, Chennai, on the point of enhancement of pecuniary jurisdiction and the same was renumbered as O.S.No.11761 of 2010.

3. The Petitioner / Plaintiff filed an Interlocutory Application in I.A.No.07 of 2023 in O.S.No.11761 of 2010 under Order XIV Rule 5 r/w Section 151 of CPC., to strike down the additional issues framed by the learned XVII Additional Judge, City Civil Court, Chennai, on 12.06.2023. Further, the Petitioner filed an Application in I.A.No.08 of 2023 under Order 12 Rule 6 of CPC., to claim Judgment on alleged admission from the written statement without waiting for determination of questions in controversy in the Suit without letting evidence. The learned XVII Additional Judge, City Civil Court, Chennai, dismissed the above Applications. Aggrieved over the same, the present Civil Revision Petitions have been filed.

4. Mr.K.V.Babu, the learned counsel appearing for the Petitioner / Plaintiff would submit that, if at all the 1st Respondent is seeking for recovery of possession, he should have resorted to file a separate suit for recovery of possession or otherwise should have filed a counter claim with a cause of action and payment of necessary court fees for such recovery of possession. The Court below ought not to have appreciated the Memo filed by the 1st respondent seeking to frame additional issues touching upon the title of the property, when the Suit is for a bare injunction. The Court below ought not to have concluded that the present Applications filed after lapse of 19 years and written statement of 1st Defendant was filed after a period of 18 years during 2022 and when the additional issues framed only on 22.06.2023. The trial Judge is wrong in gone into the issue of maintainability of the Suit on the ground that the suit is not par with the Pecuniary Jurisdiction, when the application is filed only for the purpose of striking off the additional issues which framed after a period of 19 years. The learned counsel for the petitioner, in support of his contentions, has relied on the Judgment of the Hon'ble Apex Court in Karan Kapoor Vs. Madhuri Kumar reported in (2022) 10 SCC 496; Uttam Singh Dugal and CoLtd. Vs. Union Bank of India reported in (AIR 2000 SC 2740); Jeevan Diesels and Electricals Ltd., Vs.Jasbir Singh Chadha reported in (2010) 6 SCC 601; Parivar Seva Sansthan Vs. Veena Kalra reported in AIR 2000 Del. 349; Union of India Vs. Ibrahim Uddin and Anr reported in (2012) 8 SCC 148 and Jitta Anjy Reddy Vs Ahmed Alikhan reported in (1990) SCC OnLine AP 430

5. Mr.N.S.Sivakumar, the learned counsel for the Respondents / Defendants would submit that the present Revisions are filed only to protract the trial proceedings inspite of time limited stipulated twice by this Court arise out of the proceedings in C.R.P.(PD)No.6 of 2014, dated 17.02.2021 and C.R.P.No.82 of 2023, dated 13.03.2023 wherein six months' time stipulated by this Court to complete the trial. The Petitioner Club has no role to play when the Suit scheduled property hit by and Urban Land Ceiling Act , 1979 and the same was repealed in the year 1999 and the Government of Tamil Nadu did not use the suit scheduled property for any public use hence upon the struck down of Urban Land Ceiling Act , the Suit scheduled property vested back to t

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