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2026 Supreme(Ori) 679

IN THE HIGH COURT OF ORISSA AT CUTTACK
A.C.BEHERA, J.
Vikas Kumar Saha and others - Appellants 
Versus
Sunil Kumar Saha and others – Respondents
RSA No.360 of 2023
Decided On : 17-03-2026

Advocates Appeared:
For the Appellants :Mr. D. Mohapatra, Sr. Advocate assisted by Mr. M.R. Pradhan, Advocate
For the Respondents:Mr. B. Bhuyan, Sr. Advocate assisted by Ms. S. Sahoo, Advocate

A plaint may be rejected if it does not disclose a clear cause of action, particularly when the matter has been conclusively decided in a prior arbitral award.

Headnote:(A) Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 - Order 7 Rule 11 - Rejection of plaint - Plaint rejected by Trial Court as it was held to be vexatious and lacking cause of action due to a prior arbitration award determining property rights. The appeal against rejection confirmed by the Appellate Court since the plaintiff had not challenged the award and the issues in the plaint did not disclose a clear right to sue. (Paras 9, 12, 28)

(B) Civil Procedure - Res Judicata - The Appellate Court highlighted that matters finally disposed of by the arbitration cannot be reopened in civil court. The suit properties had already been allocated by the Arbitrator and this allocation was deemed final. The principles of civil procedure guide the rejection of suits that are essentially a revisit to matters already adjudicated. (Paras 25, 28, 29)

Facts of the case:
The initial plaintiff, following a Supreme Court arbitration awarding property to the defendants, sought to establish title over property claimed to belong to him. The suit was challenged on grounds that it was barred by res judicata and the plaint was consequently rejected for lacking actionable claims.

Findings of Court:
The court maintained that the rejection of the plaint was justified as the issues had been already determined by the Arbitrator, thus making the case incomprehensible under the current suit.

Issues: The main issues were whether the plaint could be rejected based on the existing arbitral award, the applicability of limitation, and the res judicata doctrine regarding the previous arbitration determining property rights.

Ratio Decidendi: The court, focusing on the plaint's allegations, emphasized that a suit cannot proceed if it merely seeks to challenge a matter decisively dealt with in a prior adjudication. Therefore, the rejection of the plaint was essential to avoid frivolous litigation.

Result: 2nd appeal dismissed.

Table of Content
1. ownership dispute and historical context (Para 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6)
2. defendants' petition for rejection of plaint (Para 7 , 8)
3. appeal's context and parties' substitution (Para 11 , 12)
4. jurisdiction limitations regarding plaint rejection (Para 17 , 18)
5. rejection of meaningless litigation under order-7 rule-11 (Para 19 , 27)
6. final dismissal of the appeal (Para 30 , 31)

JUDGMENT :

A.C. Behera, J.

This 2nd appeal has been preferred against the confirming judgment.

2. The predecessor of the appellants in this 2nd appeal, i.e., Naresh Prasad Saha, was the sole plaintiff before the learned trial court in the suit vide C.S. No.290 of 2005 and after the death of Naresh Prasad Saha his legal heirs preferred the 1st appeal vide RFA No.16 of 2018 being the appellants.

The parents of the respondents in this 2nd appeal were the defendants before the learned trial court in the suit vide C.S. No.290 of 2005 and the respondents before the learned 1st appellate court in the 1st appeal vide RFA No.16 of 2018. When, during the pendency of the 1st appeal, the parents of the respondents expired, then, the respondents in this 2nd appeal were substituted in their places.

3. The properties described in Schedule-A of the plaint, i.e., Plot Not.257(gharabari, dokan ghara) A.0.16 decimals under Khata No.137 in Mouza-Baripada Town, Unit-6, Purunahatsahi in the district of Mayurbhanj are the suit properties.

4. The predecessor of the appellants in this 2nd appeal, i.e., Naresh Prasad Saha filed a suit vide C.S. No.290 of 2005 being the plaintiff against the parents of the respondents in this 2nd appeal in the court of the learned Civil Judge(Sr. Division), Baripada praying for a declaration that,

“he is the absolute owner of the suit premises described in Schedule-A of the plaint, to restrain the defendants from entering into the suit properties/premises through municipality, to injuct the defendants permanently from coming into the suit premises/properties described in Schedule-A and to pass a decree for recovery of possession of the suit properties, if he(plaintiff) is found to be dispossessed from the suit properties during the pendency of the suit.”

As per the averments made in the plaint of the plaintiff, Munilal Saha was their common ancestor. The said Munilal Saha died leaving behind his three sons, i.e., Ramdayal Saha, Raghunandan Saha and Jogeswar Saha.

Ramdayal Saha died leaving behind his six sons, i.e., Sibasankar Saha, Mangal Saha, Mohesh Saha, Sahadev Saha, Ranjeet Saha and Susil Saha. The said six sons of Ramdayal Saha were not made parties in the suit.

The 2nd son of Munilal Saha, i.e., Raghunandan Saha died leaving behind his only son Hariprasad Saha.

Hariprasad Saha and his wife Shantilata Saha died on dated 05.12.2009 and 29.11.2009 respectively leaving behind the defendant nos.1(a) and 1(b), 2(a) and 2(b) as their successors.

The 3rd son of Munilal Saha, i.e., Jogeswar Saha died leaving behind his two sons, i.e., Ganesh Prasad Saha and Naresh Prasad Saha. Naresh Prasad Saha is the plaintiff in the suit vide C.S. No.290 of 2005.

According to the case of the plaintiff Naresh Prasad Saha, there was long standing dispute between three sons of Munilal Saha, i.e., Ramdayal Saha, Raghunandan Saha and Jogeswar Saha and their litigation vide Civil Appeal No.1068 of 1999 reached before the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India. The Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in that Civil Appeal No.1068 of 1999 appointed a sole Arbitrator and the said sole Arbitrator allotted lands and buildings including the business of the parties, i.e., both the movable and immovable properties with assets and liabilities thereof between the three sons of Munilal Saha separately.

In that allotment, the market building inside Baripada town fell in the share of Hariprasad Saha(defendant no.1) and motor parts business, which was running in that market building fell in the share of the plaintiff.

On the basis of that settlement/allotment as per the order/direction of the H

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