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1984 Supreme(Ori) 3

High Court Of Orissa
B. K. Behera, J.
PURUSHOTTAM LAL MANG (SIC)URAM - Appellant
Versus
MST.JORO BAI - Respondent
Civil Revn.  135  Of  1983
Decided On : 01/02/1984

Advocates Appeared:
DEEPAK MISRA, G.RATH, R.N.NAIK, S.S.BASU, S.S.RAO

The legal representatives of a deceased decree-holder can continue the execution proceeding under Section 146 of the CPC without a succession certificate under Section 214 of the Succession Act.

Headnote:

EXECUTION OF DECREE - CONTINUANCE OF EXECUTION PROCEEDING BY LEGAL REPRESENTATIVES OF DECEASED DECREE-HOLDER - MAINTAINABILITY - SECTION 146 OF THE CODE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE, 1908 - ORDER 21, RULE 16 OF THE CODE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE, 1908 - SUCCESSION CERTIFICATE UNDER SECTION 214 OF THE SUCCESSION ACT, 1925 - NOT REQUIRED.

Fact of the Case:

The petitioner, a judgment-debtor, challenged the maintainability and continuance of an execution proceeding initiated against him by the legal representatives of the deceased decree-holder, Devidutta Agarwalla, under the Orissa House Rent Control Act. The petitioner had unsuccessfully challenged the eviction order in various legal proceedings, including a revision petition before the High Court. The petitioner raised objections under Section 47 of the Civil Procedure Code (CPC) and filed a suit alleging creation of a new tenancy, which was later dismissed. The legal representatives of Devidutta applied to continue the execution proceeding under Section 146 of the CPC, which was allowed by the executing court. The petitioner filed a revision petition challenging this order.

Finding of the Court:

The High Court held that the legal representatives of the deceased decree-holder were entitled to continue the execution proceeding under Section 146 of the CPC. The court observed that Section 146 enables the legal representative of a deceased decree-holder to be brought on record to carry on a pending execution proceeding and that it is wider in its amplitude than Order 21, Rule 16 of the CPC, which is confined to persons who have succeeded to the interest of the decree-holder by assignment in writing or by operation of law. The court further held that a succession certificate under Section 214 of the Succession Act is not required for the legal representatives to continue the execution proceeding.

Issues: 1. Whether the legal representatives of the deceased decree-holder can continue the execution proceeding under Section 146 of the CPC? 2. Whether a succession certificate under Section 214 of the Succession Act is required for the legal representatives to continue the execution proceeding?

Ratio Decidendi: 1. Section 146 of the CPC enables the legal representative of a deceased decree-holder to be brought on record to carry on a pending execution proceeding. 2. Section 146 is wider in its amplitude than Order 21, Rule 16 of the CPC and enables the person who has succeeded to the interest of the decree-holder-in whole or in part to execute the decree. 3. A succession certificate under Section 214 of the Succession Act is not required for the legal representatives to continue the execution proceeding.

Final Decision: The revision petition was dismissed, and the legal representatives of the deceased decree-holder were allowed to continue the execution proceeding.

B. K. BEHERA, J.

( 1 ) THIS revision has been directed against the order passed by the learned Munsif, Sambalpur, rejecting the objections raised by the petitioner being the judgment-debtor in Execution Case No. 2 of 1975 with regard to the maintainability and continuance of the proceeding against him by the opposite parties for his eviction in pursuance of the order passed in November, 1974, under the Orissa House Rent Control Act initiated by Devidutta Agarwalla. The petitioner had unsuccessfully moved the appellate authority under the Act and had without success moved this Court in O. J. C. No. 644 of 1977 for quashing the order of eviction which was dismissed on December 1, 1977.

( 2 ) THE petitioner made an application under Section 47 of the Civil P. C. (for short, the 'code') in the aforesaid Execution Case alleging that proper enquiry regarding the insanity of Devidutta under Order 32, Rule 15 of the Code had not been made. This application was rejected by the executing court in April, 1978 and Civil Revision No. 264 of 1978 directed against that order of rejection was dismissed by this Court. The petitioner instituted Title Suit No. 3 of 1979 in the court of the Munsif, Sambalpur, alleging creation of a new tenancy on the basis of an oral agreement and obtained an interim order of stay of further proceeding in the Execution Case in February, 1979, which was made absolute on April 25, 1979. Against that order, the landlord Devidutta came to this Court in Civil Revision No. 284 of 1979 which was allowed on Mar. , 6, 1981 and the order of stay was vacated. The suit instituted by the petitioner was dismissed for default on April 29, 1982. The petitioner raised an objection under Section 47 of the Code in Miscellaneous Case No. 16 of 1981 stating inter alia that the Execution Case was no more maintainable as the land on which the rented house stood had been resumed by the Stale Government. That case was dismissed on July 4, 1981 and the Civil Revision No. 369 of 1981 directed against that order was withdrawn by the petitioner on September 20, 1982.

( 3 ) THE landlord Devidutta died on Oct. 20, 1982 and on his death the present opposite parties, being his heirs and legal represeniatives, made an application under Section 146 of the Code to continue the execution proceeding initialed by Devidutta, This application was resisted by the petitioner on the grounds that (a) an application for substitution was not maintainable and a fresh Execution Case had to be instituted by the legal representatives of the decree-holder in the event of his death; (b) Smt. Sita Dei, one of the legal representatives, had not signed the application and (c) the property for which the execution was levied had been resumed by the State Government and therefore, the opposite parties, having lost their right, if any, could not continue the execution proceeding.

( 4 ) AFTER hearing both the sides and on a consideration of the materials placed before him, the learned Munsif allowed the application made by the opposite parties and rejected the objections raised by the petitioner. It is thus that the petitioner has come to this Court in this revision.

( 5 ) MR. Deepak Misra, appearing for the petitioner, has raised the same three grounds and has submitted that the Learned Munsif committed an illegality by allowing the application made by the opposite parties. Mr. S. S. Basu has submitted on behalf of the opposite parties that none of the contentions raised on behalf of the petitioner can prevail and this revision has been directed against the impugned order only to protect the proceedings so that the opposite parties are precluded from evicting the peti-tioneer in due course of law in the execution proceeding.

( 6 ) THE objection that Smt. Sita Devi, one of the legal representatives, had not signed the application cannot be maintained as she had examined herself and had stated that she had signed the application. The executing court rightly overruled












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