2005 Supreme(Ori) 665
High Court Of Orissa
L. MOHAPATRA
GHANASHYAM SAHOO - Appellant
Versus
KENDRAPARA MUNICIPALITY - Respondent
C. R. 75 Of 1999
Decided On : 09/30/2005
B.MISHRA, B.MOHANTY, B.RATH, BIJAY RAY, C.Choudhury, M.MISHRA, M.SAHU, P.K.DAS GUPTA, P.K.NANDI, R.C.RATH, S.Acharya, S.K.Panda, S.MOHANTY, S.PATTANAIK, U.C.Patnaik
The court emphasized the limited scope of review and the need for grounds to fall within the parameters set by the Apex Court for review petitions.
Headnote:
Hukumnama - Property Dispute - - Ext. 9 - The court discussed the genuineness of the Hukumnama and the claim of title by Kendrapara municipality. It also considered the transferability of land by a Sikim tenant and the interpretation of the law in this regard.
Fact of the Case:
Plaintiff claimed possession of a piece of land based on a Hukumnama executed in 1932. Kendrapara municipality claimed ownership through subsequent transfers. The trial court decreed the suit, but the appellate court dismissed it.
Finding of the Court:
The court dismissed the review petition, stating that the grounds for review did not fall within the parameters set by the Apex Court. It also found no reason to interfere with the original judgment based on the failure of the appellant to bring up the additional evidence during the appeal.
Issues: Interpretation of the genuineness of the Hukumnama, claim of title by Kendrapara municipality, transferability of land by a Sikim tenant, and the scope of review by the court.
Ratio Decidendi: The court held that the grounds for review must fall within the specified parameters set by the Apex Court and that failure to bring up additional evidence during the appeal cannot be a basis for review.
Final Decision: The review petition was dismissed.
( 1 ) THIS review is directed against the judgment and order dated 23rd of August, 1999 passed by the learned single judge of this Court in Second Appeal No. 280 of 1991.
( 2 ) PLAINTIFF was the appellant before this court against a reversing judgment. Case of the plaintiff is that one Giridhari Tripathy executed a Hukumnama on 10-7-1932 in respect of a piece of land measuring Ac. 2. 76 decimals authorizing him to reclaim the area and make it fit for cultivation and in return, plaintiff was to possess the same for a period of ten years and appropriate the usufructs. In the year 1935, the plaintiff started cultivation. After death of Giridhari, his son shyamasundar asked the father of the plaintiff to give up possession of the land in the year 1936. However, the father of the plaintiff did not agree and continued to possess the land till 1960. The plaintiff thereafter continued to remain in possession till 1984 without any interruption. In the year 1984, kendrapara municipality started construction of houses for the Sweepers' Colony in the suit land. In view of the above, the plaintiff filed the suit for declaration of title and confirmation of possession.
( 3 ) THE Kendrapara municipality filed written-statement stating therein that the land originally belonged to Girdhari Tripathy who had mortgaged the same under a registered mortgage deed dated 10-9-1929 in favour of one Sadhu Charan Behera. Giridhari Tripathy not being in a position to pay back the loan, sold the aforesaid mortgaged land to Sadhu charan Behera on 13-1-1939 under a registered sale deed. While sadhu Charan Behera was possessing the said land, he inducted Srimati Bewa, his widow sister-in-law as a sub-tenant in the year 1959. Said Srimati Bewa sold the land to Kendrapara municipality on 31-7-1964 and delivered possession. The suit was decreed by the trial Court and in appeal, the findings of the trial Court were reversed and the plaintiff's suit was dismissed.
( 4 ) SHRI Bijan Ray, learned Senior Advocate appearing for the appellant-petitioner, drew attention of the Court to Paragraphs 6 and 8 of the impugned judgment and submitted that a clear error of law has been committed by the learned single Judge while disposing of the appeal. It was also contended that an application for adducing additional evidence had been filed during pendency of the appeal and it was directed that the said petition shall be taken into consideration at the time of hearing of the appeal, but in the impugned judgment the said petition was not at all taken into consideration.
( 5 ) IN Paragraph 6 of the impugned judgment, it was held that the Hukumnama which was executed as Ext. 9 is a genuine document. On the basis of the said finding, it was contended by Shri Ray that the hukumnama having been found to be a genuine document, the necessary conclusion is that the appellant under the hukumnama was allowed to reclaim the land and make it fit for cultivation and also enjoy the same for a period of ten years. In paragraph 8 of the judgment, the question of claim of title by Kendrapara municipality was considered. The learned single Judge held that Srimati Bewa being a Sikim tenant was not competent to transfer the land in question and any such transfer by a Sikim tenant is void. The Court further held that there is no dispute with regard to the proposition of law laid down by this Court in this regard, but there is no bar for a Sikim tenant to transfer his possession. Shri Ray, learned counsel appearing for the appellant-petitioner, referring to the aforesaid observation, contended that the Court having found that a Sikimi tenancy is not transferable in one breath, could not have observed that there is no bar for a Sikim tenant to transfer his possession in the other breath. The learned counsel also relied on some decisions of this Court in this regard.
( 6 ) SHRI Manoj Mishra, learned counsel appearing for the respondent-opposite party no. 1, raised a preliminary objection with regar