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2001 Supreme(P&H) 1235

PUNJAB AND HARYANA HIGH COURT
M.M. Kumar, J.
Ismail (Deceased) and ors. - Appellants
Versus
Shame Singh and ors. - Respondents
Regular Second Appeal No. 2088 of 1980.
Decided On : 2 November, 2001

Advocates Appeared:
For the Appellants :Shri V.K. Jain, Senior Advocate with Ms. Bhawna Walia, Advocate.
For the Respondents:Shri Sanjay Majithia, Advocate.

The right to sue survives to legal representatives of plaintiffs. One co-owner can file a suit for permanent injunction even if no other co-owner has joined as a plaintiff.

Headnote:

Evacuee Property Act - Ownership Dispute - Section 16 of the Administration of Evacuee Property Act - 1/4th share of agricultural land restored to plaintiffs under Section 16 of the Administration of Evacuee Property Act - Plaintiffs claimed right of pre-emption as tenants - Defendants contested the suit - Trial court decided vital issues in favor of the plaintiffs - Plaintiffs granted decree for permanent injunction - Additional District Judge affirmed the findings - Plaintiffs appealed - Right to sue survives to legal representatives of plaintiffs - Decree of the trial court restored

Fact of the Case:

Plaintiffs claimed ownership of 1/4th share of agricultural land restored to them under Section 16 of the Administration of Evacuee Property Act. They also claimed right of pre-emption as tenants. Defendants contested the suit. Trial court decided vital issues in favor of the plaintiffs and granted them a decree for permanent injunction. Additional District Judge affirmed the findings. Plaintiffs appealed.

Finding of the Court:

The right to sue survives to legal representatives of plaintiffs. Decree of the trial court is restored.

Issues: Ownership dispute, right of pre-emption, jurisdiction of the Civil Court, locus standi, estoppel, pre-emption money

Ratio Decidendi: The right to sue survives to legal representatives of plaintiffs. One co-owner can file a suit for permanent injunction even if no other co-owner has joined as a plaintiff. The estate of the deceased was sufficiently represented before the court.

Final Decision: The appeal is allowed and the modification ordered by the lower appellate Court in the decree of the trial Court is set aside. The decree of the trial Court is restored. The parties are left to bear their own costs.

JUDGMENT

M.M. Kumar, J. - This is plaintiffs second appeal directed against the judgment and decree passed by the Additional District Judge, Gurgaon on 4.2.1980. The learned Addl. District Judge partially modified the judgment and decree dated 30.11.1978 passed by the learned Senior Sub Judge, Gurgaon.

2. The case set up by the plaintiff-appellants (for brevity "the plaintiffs) before the trial Court is that they were owners of 1/4th share of agricultural land measuring 88 bighas 8 biswas bearing Khewat No. 92 Khatauni numbers 201 to 210 situated in the revenue estate of village Sakatpur, Tehsil and District Gurgaon. The afore-mentioned land at one stage was shown to be evacuee property and the plaintiffs were restored the aforementioned land in pursuance to an order passed on 11.7.1950 by the Deputy Custodian, Gurgaon under Section 16 of the Administration of Evacuee Property Act, 1950 and the revenue Patwari was directed to make necessary corrections in the revenue record. It was claimed that they continue to be owners of the afore-mentioned land. It was further asserted that during consolidation the land bearing Khewat No. 281 Khata No. 320 Rect. No. 39 Killa No. 19/2 (1-5), 21/1 (4-0), Rect. No. 44 killa No. 2/1 (3-12), Rect. No. 49 Killa No. 25/4 (1-10) total 10 Kanals 7 Marlas was allotted in lieu of the land comprised in Khatauni Nos. 201 to 210. A challenge has been made to the revenue record where defendant-respondent No. 5 (for brevity "the defendant) has been wrongly shown to be owner of the land despite the restoration order and it is claimed that the afore-mentioned defendant No. 5 has no title to the land. It is, therefore, claimed that the plaintiffs are owners and in possession of the above land and are entitled to remain in possession as its owner.

3. On the basis of the allegations that in consolidation proceedings they were allotted substituted land as referred to herein above and hence they are entitled to be the owner and continue in possession of the aforementioned land, it is asserted by the plaintiffs that defendant No. 1 has, without any right, sold the aforementioned substituted land to defendant Nos. 2 to 5 by way of registered sale deed dated 27.2.1969 for an ostensible consideration of Rs. 3, 500/-. In the alternative, the plaintiffs claimed right of pre-emption on the basis that they were tenants of the vendor Smt. Bhagwan Devi, defendant No. 5. Defendant Nos. 1 to 5 contested the suit and filed their written statement. Various preliminary objections were taken like that 1/5th of the sale price of the property was not deposited and the suit for pre- emption cannot proceed in the absence of the requisite deposit of 1/5th sale price which is a condition precedent. On merits, it was claimed that there was no order ever passed restoring the land by the Deputy Custodian to the plaintiffs nor any land was allotted to them by the consolidation authorities substituting the old land. On the basis of these assertions, the defendants claimed that suit of the plaintiffs was liable to be dismissed.

4. In so far as the claim of the plaintiffs for claiming pre-emption as tenant against defendant No. 5 Smt. Bhagwan Devi is concerned, it was claimed that the plaintiffs were never her tenants and the land allotted to her was free from all encumbrances.

5. In order to prove their case, the plaintiffs produced Rehmat as PW 1 and tendered in evidence documents Ex. P.1 to Ex. P.21. Defendants also produced DW 1 who is defendant No. 4 and also tendered in evidence document Ex. D1 which is certified copy of the sale deed dated 27.2.1969. Document Ex. P1 is an order passed by the Government of Punjab restoring evacuee land under Section 16 of the Administration of Evacuee Property Ordinance (XXVII of 1949). This order has been passed on 11.7.1950. Ex. P.2 is an order of the Naib Tehsildar-cum-Assistant Collector 2nd Grade, Gurgaon correcting khasra girdawari in respect of the land comprised in Khasra Nos. 39, 19/2, 22/1 me




























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