2009(3) LAW HERALD (P&H) 2207
IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA
Before
The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Vinod K. Sharma
R.S.A. No. 1809 of 2009 (O&M)
Ranjit
v.
Lilu Ram
{Decided on 30/04/2009}
Vinod K. Sharma, J. (Oral).:-This regular second appeal is directed against the judgment and decree dated 5.2.2009 passed by the learned Courts below, vide which the suit filed by the plaintiff/respondent for possession by way of pre-emption, stands decreed.
2. The plaintiff/respondent brought a suit for possession by way of pre-emption to pre-empt the sale of land measuring 2 kanals 13 marlas, sold in favour of the defendant/appellant, by claiming superior right of pre-emption being tenant over the suit property. It was also pleaded that the sale consideration depicted in the sale deed was not correctly depicted with a view to defeat the right of pre-emption.
3. The suit was contested by the defendant/appellant on the plea that the plaintiff/respondent did not have superior right of pre-emption, for the reason that he was co-sharer in the property in dispute and, therefore, could not seek right of pre-emption against other co-sharer. The plea was also raised that the plaintiff/respondent was not tenant over the property in dispute, as he was not recorded as tenant in the revenue record and, therefore, could not be said to have superior right of preemption.
4. The learned Courts below decreed the suit by holding, that the plaintiff/respondent was tenant over the suit property and, therefore, had a preferential right of pre-emption.
5. The learned counsel appearing on behalf of the appellant contends that the appeal raises the following substantial questions of law: -
“1. Whether a suit for possession by way of pre-emption against a co-sharer is competent by other co-sharer?
2. Whether the judgment and decree passed by the learned Courts below suffers from mis-reading of oral and documentary evidence in holding the plaintiff/respondent to be a tenant over the suit property, thus, perverse?”
6. In support of the first substantial question of law, the learned counsel for the appellant contends, that it was not in dispute that the plaintiff/respondent had purchased a part of the land, resultantly acquired the status of a co-sharer in the suit property, therefore, the suit filed by him for seeking possession by way of pre-emption was not competent. In support of this contention, the learned counsel for the appellant has placed reliane on the judgment of this Court in Rajinder Singh and others Vs. Pirthi and others, 2007(1) RCR (Civil) 552, wherein this Court was pleased to lay down as under: - “
16. In the present case, Nagina was the exclusive owner. He had sold specific khasra numbers to respondent Nos.1 and 2 and conferred rights of exclusive ownership of those khasra numbers on respondent Nos.1 and 2. The respondents did not get any right of partition with Nagina. It may be that Khewat was the same or Rectangle was the same but it does not make respondent Nos.1 and 2 to be joint owners or co-sharers with Nagina who was the exclusive owner of some land out of which he sold specific part of the land to the respondents by specific khasra numbers. If Nagina had sold half share in the land owned by him to respondents No. 1 and 2 then these vendees would have become co-sharers and they would have acquired a right to seek partition with Nagina. But since Nagina had sold specific khasra numbers to respondent Nos.1 and 2, he had conferred full rights of ownership of those khasra numbers. The khewat and khatauni numbers would have been changed in the next Jamabandi after the sale to respondent Nos.1 and 2 and therefore, respondent Nos.1 and 2 cannot claim to be the joint owners or cosharers with Nagina merely because the khewat or the Rectangle was the same as they had purchased specific khasra numbers and exclusive ownership was conferred on them with regard to those khasra number by Nagina. This Court is, therefore, of the opinion that by purchasing specific khasra numbers vide sale deed dated 7.7.1988, respondent Nos.1 and 2 had not become co-sharers with Nagina. They had no right to seek partition from Nagina as they had becom
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