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2025 Supreme(P&H) 1662

IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH
PANKAJ JAIN, J.
Smt. Indrawati – Appellant
Versus
Ram Pat and others – Respondents
RSA No.2769 of 1995
Decided On : 16-05-2025 

Advocates Appeared:
For the Appellant :Mr. M.L. Sarin, Sr. Advocate with Ms. Hemani Sarin, Advocate and Mr. Jagnoor Singh, Adv.
For the Respondents: Mr. Rajinder Goel, Adv.

The Appellate Court must provide detailed reasoning for its decisions, failing which the judgment is subject to remand for re-evaluation.

Headnote:(A) Limitation Act, 1963 - Article 59 - Challenge to gift deed - Plaintiff alleged fraud and misrepresentation in the execution of a gift deed by defendants. Courts below dismissed the suit as barred by limitation, relying on knowledge of the deed gained by the plaintiff in 1978. (Paras 8, 18)

(B) Appellate Procedure - Order XLI Rule 31 CPC - Court's duty to provide reasons for affirming lower court's findings. The Appellate Court failed to assign reasons in its judgment for affirming dismissal of the suit, necessitating a remand for fresh consideration. (Paras 18, 20)

Facts of the case:
The plaintiff, alleging fraud in obtaining a gift deed executed in favor of defendants on 01.06.1977, filed suit in 1982, claiming lack of knowledge until receiving notice from the Income Tax Department. The First Instance Court found the suit barred by limitation.

Findings of Court:
The Appellate Court, while upholding the dismissal of the suit, failed to provide adequate reasoning for its conclusions regarding the execution of the gift deed and the issue of limitation.

Issues: The principal questions addressed included the validity of the gift deed amid allegations of fraud and whether the suit was time-barred.

Ratio Decidendi: The court held that the Appellate Court's findings lacked the necessary rationale as mandated by law, thus the case must be reconsidered in accordance with requirements of judicial procedure.

Result: Appeal allowed; case remanded for fresh adjudication.

Table of Content
1. plaintiff's ownership claim and fraud argument. (Para 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6)
2. appellate court affirmed the trial court's dismissal. (Para 8 , 9 , 10)
3. appellant's arguments against the findings. (Para 11 , 12 , 13)
4. observations on the appellate court's reasoning. (Para 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18)
5. remanding the case for fresh adjudication. (Para 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23)

JUDGMENT :

PANKAJ JAIN, J.

Plaintiff is in second appeal. For convenience, the parties hereinafter are referred to by their original position as before the Court of the First Instance i.e. the appellant as the plaintiff and the respondents as defendants.

2. Plaintiff filed suit seeking decree of declaration with the consequential relief of permanent injunction. Plaintiff Devi Dutt (now deceased) filed suit for declaration claiming that he is owner in possession of 31 Kanals 18 Marlas of land as detailed out in para No.1 of the plaint. He has only one daughter namely Indrawati as his legal heir. Defendants belong to family of the plaintiff. Earlier in order to grab his land, they got a registered Will dated 26.06.1973 executed from him, in their favour misrepresenting the facts. The same was later on cancelled vide registered document dated 20.08.1975. Plaintiff claimed that about six years back Roshal Lal, respondent No.6, approached him expressing his need to avail loan on his share of the land. He claimed that consent of the plaintiff being co-sharer was required. Plaintiff was directed to say ‘yes’ in reply to the questions posed by the Executive Officer. Plaintiff believing the representation of Roshan Lal, came to Rewari on 01.06.1977. His thumb- impressions were obtained and documents were executed. To his shock, he received notice from Income Tax Department in the month of April, 1982 and came to know that defendants got a gift deed executed in their favour from him on 01.06.1977 on the pretext of ‘no objection’.

3. Plaintiff claimed that the gift deed is a result of fraud and misrepresentation played upon him. The same does not vest defendants No.1 to 5 with any right, title or interest in the suit property.

4. Suit was contested by defendants No.1 and 3 to 6. It was denied that the gift deed was executed by playing fraud and misrepresentation. It was claimed that the contents of the gift deed were read over and explained by Deed Writer as well as Sub Registrar to the plaintiff. Admitting the contents thereof as correct, he thumb-marked the same. Mutation regarding gift deed was also sanction in favour of defendants No.1 to 5 on 14.06.1982.

5. Suit filed by the plaintiff was put to trial by the Court of the First Instance framing the following issues:

“1. Whether the plaintiff is the owner in possession of the suit land? OPP

2. Whether the impugned gift deed dated 1.6.77 is illegal, void and not binding upon the plaintiff? OPP

3. Whether the suit is properly valued for the purpose of court fee and jurisdiction (onus objected to)? OPP

4. Whether the plaintiff has no locus-standi to file the present suit? OPP

5. Whether the suit is not maintainable in its present form? OPD.

6. Whether the suit is bad for mis-joinder of parties? OPD.

7. Whether the suit is within limitation? OPD.

8. Relief.”

6. While returning finding on issues No.1 and 2, Court of the First Instance held that the plaintiff failed to prove that he is owner in possession of the suit land and that the gift deed dated 01.06.1977 is result of fraud and misrepresentation of facts.

7. Issues No.3, 4, 5 and 6 were decided against the defendants.

8. While deciding issue No.7, Court of the First Instance held that the limitation to challenge gift deed is governed by Article 59 of the Limitation Act. Limitation is 3 years. PW6 Indrawati admitted that her father told her about the gift deed one year after its execution. The plaintiff having acquired knowledge of the gift deed in the year 1978, the suit instituted on 29.07.1982 was barred by limitation. The suit filed by the plaintiff was dismissed.

9. Un

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