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1950 Supreme(P&H) 31

HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB & HARYANA
HARNAM SINGH, J.
Jagan Nath
Versus
Moti Ram
Second Appeal No. 89 of 1948
Decided On : 07-06-1950

Advocates:
D.N. Aggarwal - for Applt.; F.C. Mital and H.L. Sarin - for Resps. Nos. 11 and 12.

To avail the protection of Section 11 of the Indian Soldiers Litigation Act, 1925, a soldier must prove that he was serving under "special conditions" as defined in Section 3 of the Act.

Headnote:

LIMITATION ACT - S. 11, INDIAN SOLDIERS LITIGATION ACT, 1925 - APPLICABILITY - SOLDIER SERVING UNDER SPECIAL CONDITIONS - PROOF REQUIRED.

Fact of the Case:

Jagan Nath, son of Tarbeni Sahai, filed a suit for a declaration that the sales of land made by his father were without consideration and legal necessity and would not affect his reversionary rights after his father's death. The contesting defendants resisted the suit on the ground that it was barred by time. The trial court granted the declaration, but the lower appellate court dismissed the suit as barred by time.

Finding of the Court:

The lower appellate court found that the plaintiff failed to prove that he was born on 2-1-1925, as claimed, and that he was not entitled to the protection of Section 11 of the Indian Soldiers Litigation Act, 1925, as he did not prove that he was serving under "special conditions" within the meaning of the Act.

Issues: 1. Whether the plaintiff was born on 2-1-1925, as claimed, to avail the protection of Section 11 of the Indian Soldiers Litigation Act, 1925? 2. Whether the plaintiff was serving under "special conditions" within the meaning of Section 3 of the Indian Soldiers Litigation Act, 1925?

Ratio Decidendi: 1. The plaintiff failed to provide sufficient evidence to prove his date of birth as 2-1-1925. The school leaving certificate, Ex. P. 13, was not considered reliable as there was no evidence to show on what material the entry about the plaintiff's age was made. 2. The plaintiff failed to prove that he was serving under "special conditions" within the meaning of Section 3 of the Indian Soldiers Litigation Act, 1925. He merely stated that he joined military service on 9-11-1943 and was discharged on 19-12-1946, but there was no evidence to show that he was serving out of India, under orders to proceed on field service, or serving with a mobilized unit.

Final Decision: The appeal was dismissed with costs, upholding the lower appellate court's decision that the plaintiff's suit was barred by time.

Judgment :- Tarbeni Sahai deft, 1 sold 3 bighas 14 biswas of land for Rs. 454 to Hira Lal. Mutation No. 1318 in respect of that sale was sanctioned on 6-12-1936. Tarbeni Sahai then sold 3 bighas, 3 biswas of land for Rs. 200 and mutation No. 2343 in respect of that sale was sanctioned on 5-9-1937.

2. Jagan Nath, son of Tarbeni Sahai instituted the suit of which this appeal has arisen on 7-11-1945, for a declaration that the sales set out in the preceding paragraph were effected without consideration and legal necessity and that the sales will not affect his reversionary rights after the death of Tarbeni Sahai alienor. The contesting defts. resisted the suit inter alia on the ground that the suit was barred by time. The trial Ct. granted the pltf. declaration to the effect that the sales in question were without consideration and legal necessity and would not be binding upon his reversionary rights after the death of deft. 1. In the trial Ct., the parties were left to bear their own costs. The contesting defts. then preferred an appeal from the decree passed by the trial Ct. on 21-1-1947. The lower appellate Ct. has allowed the appeal leaving the parties to bear their own costs in the appellate proceedings and his dismissed the suit as barred by time.

3. From the decree passed by the Senior Subordinate Judge on 18-10-1947, Jagan Nath pltf. has come up in further appeal under S. 41, Punjab Courts Act VI [6] of 1918.

4. Mr. D. N. Aggarwal, learned counsel for the applt. contends that the finding of the lower appellate Ct. on issue No. 2 is not sustainable. He then contends that the pltf. was entitled to the protection given by S. 11, Indian Soldiers Litigation Act, 1925

5. Now, the finding of the lower appellate Ct. on issue No. 2 proceeds upon the fact that the pltf. has not been able to prove that he was born on 2-1-1925. The sole question involved is one of fact, but Mr. D. N. Aggarwal contends that the finding of fact is vitiated for the reason that the lower appellate Ct. has excluded from consideration the document Ex. P. 13, school leaving certificate of Jagan Nath pltf.. applt. Counsel points out that in the School leaving certificate, Ex. P. 13, the date of birth of Jagan Nath pltf.-applt. is stated to be 2-1-1925. Mr. D. N. Aggarwal then contends that the oral evidence examined at the trial has also not been considered by the lower appellate Ct. in reaching a decision on issue No. 2.

6. With respect to the oral evidence the lower appellate Ct. said:

"The oral evidence adduced by the pltf. resp. in respect of his date of birth is vague and unsatisfactory."

7. Mr. D. N. Aggarwal argues that the discussion of the evidence by the lower appellate Ct. is unsatisfactory and contains an error. Now, I have perused the entire evidence given at the trial. Net "Ram p. W. 1, Sis Ram P. W. 2, Girdhari Lal P. W. 3 Rup Chand P. W. 4. Ram Kishan P. W. 5, Chaman Lal, P. W. 6, Raghbir Singh, P. W. 7 and Tarbeni Sahai P. W. 8, gave evidence at the trial on the point involved in issue No. 2. Net Ram P. W. 1 stated in examination-in-chief that the pltf. was 20 or 21 years old. In cross-examination he stated that he could not give the date of birth of the pltf. and when asked about the date of death of Prakash Wati, mother of the pltf. he stated that she died 26 years or 27 years or 30 years ago. Sis Ram P. W. 2, acted as the Mukhtar of the pltf. in the suit out of which this appeal has arisen and his evidence is open to the same objection. To similar effect is the evidence given at the trial by Girdhari Lal P. W. 3, Rup Chand P. W. 4 and Ram Kishan P. W. 5. Chaman Lal P. W. 6 gave evidence at the trial that Tarbeni Sahai P. W. 8 came to settle in Sonepat 24 years ago and that Jagan Nath pltf. was born to him within a year of his coming to Sonepat. He gave evidence at the trial on 20-11-1945. Now, if the evidence given by Chaman Lal be accepted the suit was clearly barred by time. Raghbir Singh P. W. 8, however, stated that Tarbeni Sahai came to liv














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