2005 Supreme(Ori) 651
High Court Of Orissa
M. M. Das
RASAMANI DEI - Appellant
Versus
NABA KISHORE ACHARYA - Respondent
Writ Appeal 58 Of 2005
Decided On : 09/28/2005
Important Points
Subject
Civil Law - Civil Procedure
Act Referred
Headnote
Fraud - Civil Procedure - Section 47 of the C. P. C. - Section 115 of the Code of Civil Procedure - Article 227 of the Constitution of India
Fact of the Case:
The respondent filed a suit to set aside a sale deed, alleging fraud and coercion. The appellant challenged the decree through various appeals and revision petitions. The appellant then filed a writ application, which was dismissed by the single Judge. The appellant appealed against this order.
Finding of the Court:
The court held that the writ appeal against the single Judge's order was not maintainable, citing relevant legal provisions and case law. The court emphasized the limitations of the supervisory jurisdiction under Article 227 of the Constitution of India and the amendments to the Code of Civil Procedure.
Issues: The main issue was the maintainability of the writ appeal against the single Judge's order under Article 227 of the Constitution of India and the Letters Patent.
Ratio Decidendi: The court emphasized that the power under Article 227 is limited and should be used sparingly, and that the recent amendments to the Code of Civil Procedure aimed to attain finality in litigation.
Final Decision: The court held that the writ appeal was not maintainable and dismissed the appeal.
ASHOK MUKHERJI, G.MUKHERJEE, N.C.MISHRA, P.K.SWAIN, S.K.MISHRA, S.Nanda, S.P.Mishra
M. M. DAS, J.
( 1 ) THIS writ appeal has been filed under Clause-10 of the Letters Patent against an order dated 1. 7. 2005 of the learned single Judge passed in O. J. C. No. 17341 of 2001.
( 2 ) THE brief facts of the case are that respondent no. 1 filed Title Suit No. 164 of 1979 against the appellant to set aside a sale deed, which was executed and registered by one ganjendra Acharya in favour of the appellant with respect to the 'a' Schedule property of the plaint for a consideration of Rs. 2000/ -. The grounds taken in the plaint were that the sale deed was obtained by playing fraud and coercing the vendor. The appellant's case was that the plaintiff-respondent No. 1 realising that the suit would be dismissed got a compromise petition filed in the suit, which according to the appellant was obtained by the respondent no. 1 by playing fraud on the appellant. However, on the Court causing an enquiry under order 23, Rule 3 of the CPC, held that the compromise was lawful and the same was made a part of the decree. The said decree was challenged by the appellant in Title Appeal No. 21 of 1982, which was being dismissed. Second appeal No. 109 of 1984 was preferred by the appellant before this Court. The said Second appeal was also dismissed. Thereafter, the respondent no. 1 levied execution of the decree in Execution Case No. 2 of 1991. During the pendency of the said execution case, the appellant filed a misc. case under Section 47 of the C. P. C. being Misc. Case No: 52 of 1992 challenging the executability of the decree. During pendency of the said mics. case, the appellant filed an application to amend the said misc. case filed under Section 47 of the C. P. C. The prayer for amendment being rejected, the appellant filed a Civil Revision against the said order of rejection of the application for amendment. The said Civil Revision was also dismissed and the appellant challenging the said order of dismissal passed in the Civil Revision filed O. J. C. No. 17341 of 2001. The learned single Judge by the impugned order dated 1. 7. 2005 after analysing the facts of the case in detail dismissed the writ application holding that it is devoid of merits. Aggrieved, the appellant has preferred this writ appeal for appropriate relief.
( 3 ) AT the outset, Mr. S. P. Mishra, learned counsel for respondent No. 1 contended that the writ appeal against the order dated 1. 7. 2005 of the learned Single Judge is not maintainable. In support of his contention, he relied upon a Division Bench decision of this court in the case of Chunta Nayak and fifty ors. v. State of Orissa, represented by collector, Kendrapara and five Ors. . Mr. Mukharjee, learned counsel for the appellant, on the other hand, contended that the ratio of the aforesaid decision is not applicable to the facts of the present case as the facts of the said case are distinguishable from that of the present case.
( 4 ) IN order to appreciate the rival contentions of the parties and keeping in view the fact that this is a Letters Patent Appeal, Clause 10 of the Letters Patent is quoted hereunder :"an appeal shall lie. . . . from the judgment (not being a judgment passed in exercise of appellate jurisdiction in respect of a decree or order made in exercise of the appellate jurisdiction by a court subject to the superintendence of high Court. . . . and not being an order made in exercise of revisional jurisdiction. . . . .) of one Judge of the said High court. . . . . . . . and in exercise of appellate jurisdiction in respect of a decree or order made in exercise of appellate jurisdiction by a Court subject to the superintendence of the said High Court where the Judge who passed the judgment declares that the case is a fit one for appeal. "interpreting the above clause 10 in case of m/s. New Kenilworth Hotel (P) Ltd. v. Orissa state Finance Corporation and Ors. , the Supreme Court in paragraph 7 of the judgment held as follows:"it would, thus, be seen that Clause 10 of the Letters Pat