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2023 Supreme(P&H) 1865

IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH
ALKA SARIN, J.
Assa Singh – Petitioner
Versus
Rajvir Singh & Anr. – Respondents
CR No.1484 of 2019 (O&M)
Decided On : 17-01-2023

Advocates Appeared:
For the Petitioner: Mr. Sandeep Arora.
For the Respondent: Mr. G.S. Nagra.

Headnote:(A) Article 227 of the Constitution of India - Specific Relief Act, 1963 - Section 38 - Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 - Order VII Rule 11 - Application for rejection of plaint dismissed - The plaintiff sought permanent injunction against any construction over joint property - The defendant claimed exclusive possession but failed to substantiate this from the plaint - The court emphasized that only the contents of the plaint are relevant for such applications. (Paras 1-8)

(B) The court found that the plaint asserted joint ownership and the electricity connection was in the father's name, countering the claim of exclusive possession by the defendant. (Paras 7-8)

Facts of the case:
The plaintiff filed a suit against the defendant to prevent construction on property jointly owned, asserting joint ownership despite the defendant's claims of exclusive possession.

Findings of Court:
The court found no merit in the defendant's claim of exclusive possession and upheld the trial court's decision to dismiss the application for plaint rejection.

Issues: The main issues addressed were whether the plaintiff's claims warranted rejection of the plaint under Order VII Rule 11 and whether the defendant's assertion of exclusive possession was valid based on the plaint.

Ratio Decidendi: The court ruled that the exclusive possession claims made by the defendant were not grounded on the plaint’s contents, hence the dismissal of the plaint rejection was justified.

Result: Revision petition dismissed.

Table of Content
1. background of the property dispute (Para 1 , 2 , 3)
2. arguments on possession of property (Para 4 , 5)
3. court's analysis on plaint contents (Para 6 , 7)
4. dismissal of the revision petition (Para 8)
5. final dismissal order (Para 9)

JUDGMENT :

(Alka Sarin, J.)

The present revision petition has been filed under Article 227 of the Constitution of India challenging the order dated 05.12.2018 vide which the application filed by the petitioner for rejection of the plaint under Order VII Rule 11 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 has been dismissed.

2. The brief facts relevant to the present lis are that plaintiff-respondent No.1 filed a suit under Section 38 of the SPECIFIC RELIEF ACT , 1963 for permanent injunction restraining the defendants from raising any type of construction over the property measuring 10 marlas, which is joint property of Mohinder Singh father of plaintiff and defendant No.1, Assa Singh, situated in the abadi/Lal Lakir of village Khurampur, Mehatpur, Tehsil Nakodar, as described in detail in the plaint. Para 2 of the plaint reads as under:

    "2. That in this property Assa Singh and his family resides in ground floor of the house whereas the Mohinder Singh and his family resides at first floor. Elect. connection is in the name of Mohinder Singh. Mohinder Singh at present residing abroad and plaintiff is looking after his property being son. Photocopies of three elect. bills and receipts, photocopy of Aadhaar card of plaintiff and Mohinder Singh, photocopy of Ration card and voter card of Mohinder Singh are attached."

3. An application was filed by the defendant-petitioner for rejection of the plaint on the ground that the defendant-petitioner was in exclusive possession of the property and that the plaintiff-respondent No.1 had not approached the Court with clean hands and was guilty of suppressing material facts. Vide the impugned order the said application was dismissed by the Trial Court.

4. Learned counsel for the defendant-petitioner would contend that the defendant-petitioner is in exclusive possession of the property and the present suit has been filed only to harass the defendant-petitioner.

5. Per contra learned counsel for the plaintiff-respondent No.1 would contend that the application has rightly been dismissed and that no ground of allowing the application under Order VII Rule 11 CPC is made out.

6. Heard.

7. It is trite that while deciding an application under Order VII Rule 11 CPC only the contents of the plaint are to be seen. The stand of defendant-petitioner that he is in exclusive possession of the property is not a fact which can be ascertained from a meaningful reading of the plaint. In fact a categoric assertion has been made in the plaint that the property is the joint ownership of the parties as the property belongs to the father of the parties and the electricity connection is also in the name of the father of the parties. On a pointed query to learned counsel for the defendant-petitioner as to whether from a meaningful reading of the plaint it could be ascertained that the defendant-petitioner was in exclusive possession of the property, the response is in the negative.

8. In view of the above, I do not find any illegality or infirmity in the impugned order passed by the Trial Court. The present revision petition being devoid of any merit is accordingly dismissed. Pending applications, if any, also stand disposed off. It is made clear that any observation made herein shall not be treated as an expression of opinion of this Court on the merits of the case.

9. Dismissed.

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