SupremeToday Landscape Ad
Back
Next
Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation
Listen Audio Icon Pause Audio Icon
judgment-img

1980 Supreme(All) 222

IN THE HIGH COURT OF ALLAHABAD
T. S. Misra, J.
KU.AAMINA SAADAT ALI - Appellant
Versus
MUNICIPAL BOARD, BAHRAICH - Respondents
Second Appeal 185 Of 1965
Decided On : 04/18/1980

Advocates Appeared:
MOHD.ABIN, R.P.SINGH, S.RAHMAN, SAHDEV SINGH, SIGHAN SINGH, ZABID ALI

A person who has suffered special damage on account of public nuisance on a public street can maintain a suit for demolition of the constructions causing the nuisance.

Headnote:

PUBLIC NUISANCE - PUBLIC STREET - U. P. MUNICIPALITIES ACT, 1916 - SECTION 116 (G) - OWNERSHIP OF SOIL - RIGHT TO MAINTAIN ACTION FOR TRESPASS - RIGHT OF ACCESS TO PUBLIC ROAD - SPECIAL DAMAGE - SECTION 91, C. P. C. - SUIT FOR DEMOLITION OF CONSTRUCTION ON PUBLIC STREET - MAINTAINABILITY.

Fact of the Case:

Plaintiff, claiming ownership of certain plots, filed a suit for injunction to restrain the Municipal Board from making any construction on the said plots and for demolition of the constructions already made, alleging that the land belonged to him. The trial court decreed the suit, but the appellate court dismissed it, holding that the land in dispute was a public street and vested in the Municipal Board.

Finding of the Court:

The court found that the land in dispute was a public street and vested in the Municipal Board for the purpose of maintaining, controlling, and repairing it as a public street. The court also found that the constructions made by the Municipal Board on the land amounted to a public nuisance, but the plaintiff could not ask for possession of any part of the land which was used as a public street.

Issues: 1. Whether the land in dispute is a public street? 2. Whether the plaintiff can ask for demolition of constructions made by the defendant on the public street? 3. Whether the plaintiff has suffered special damage on account of public nuisance on the public street created by the defendant?

Ratio Decidendi: 1. A public street vests in the Municipality by virtue of Section 116 (g), U. P. Municipalities Act, but the Municipality does not own the soil. It has the exclusive right to manage and control the surface of the soil and so much of the soil below and of the space above the surface as is necessary to enable it to adequately maintain the street as a street. 2. Any person who has a house abutting on a public road or lane is entitled to access to the road or lane from the house and no person or authority can destroy that right. If an obstruction is made by any person or authority of such public way which affects the ingress or egress, special damage to the owner of the property must be presumed. 3. A suit for demolition of constructions on a public street can be maintained by a person who has suffered special damage on account of public nuisance created by the constructions.

Final Decision: The appeal was dismissed, but the parties were directed to bear their own costs throughout.

T. S. MISRA, J.

( 1 ) THIS appeal is directed against the judgment and decree passed by the appellate court below whereby the suit of the plaintiff was dismissed. Raja Syed Mohd. Saadat All Khan had tiled the suit alleging that he was the Zamindar of Mohal Abu Jafar in the city of Bahraich, that plots Nos. 6454, 6455 and 6456 of the First Settlement of 1857 lay in the said Mohal and were owned and possessed by him and that the Municipal Board, Bahraich, without any right threatened to make certain constructions over the plots in question. Hence the suit was initially filed on 25th october, 1962 for a permanent injunction to restrain the Municipal Board from making any construction on the said plots of land. However, during the pendency of the suit the Municipal board constructed certain shops over the said land. The plaint was consequently got amended and a relief for delivery of possession by removal of the offending constructions was sought for.

( 2 ) THE suit was contested by the Municipal Board on a variety of grounds. It was alleged, inter alia, by the Municipal Board that the offending constructions did not lie on the plots in question, that the land in suit had been a public street and was managed by the Municipal Board, Behraich, and that the ownership of the road and patri vested in the Municipal Board and it was within its right to make constructions. The trial court on the pleadings of the parties framed a number of issues. It held that the plaintiff was the owner of the plots in suit and the offending constructions lay on the same. It also found that the land in suit is a public road which vests in the Municipal board, but as the land was not being used as public street but was used for other purposes, namely, for raising constructions thereon, the property in the land revested in the Zamindar, namely, the plaintiff. It, therefore, decreed the suit against the Municipal Board. An appeal was thereupon preferred by the Municipal Board in the court of the District Judge, Behraich. That appeal was ultimately heard and decided by the learned Civil Judge, Bahraich. The appeal was allowed and the suit was dismissed by the appellate court below. Aggrieved, the plaintiff filed this second appeal. During the pendency of the appeal Raja Syed Mohd. Saadat Ali Khan died and Kumari Aamina Saadat AH was substituted in his place as appellant.

( 3 ) ON 13th February, 1978, this appeal was placed before me for hearing. When I heard this appeal, I remitted the following issue to the appellate court below for its findings:-"whether the constructions in dispute lie on any plot of Mohal Abu Zafar? If so, its effect?" the appellate court below has remitted its finding dated 31st July, 1978 as below:-

"in view of the above discussion I am of the opinion that plots in suit previously existed in mohal Mohammad Monisin. He executed will in favour of Abu Zafar. Hence after him Abu zafar became its owner and it existed later on in Abu Zafar Mohal. "

Neither the appellant nor the respondent has presented any memorandum of objection to the said finding. I have gone through the finding returned by the court below and I find no reason to disagree with the same. It has been established that the plots in suit exist in Abu Zafar Mohal.


( 4 ) THE plaintiff claimed a relief of injunction to restrain the defendant from making any construction on the land in dispute and also for a relief of demolition of the constructions which the defendants had already made on the said land alleging that the land belonged to him and he was the owner thereof. Both the courts below have, however, concurrently held that the land in dispute on which the alleged constructions have been mads by the defendant is a public street. This finding has been assailed before me on the ground that the courts below have not properly appreciated the evidence relating thereto. The finding that the land in dispute is a public street is a finding of fact. It cannot be interfered with in secon









Click Here to Read the rest of this document

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
SupremeToday Portrait Ad
supreme today icon
logo-black

An indispensable Tool for Legal Professionals, Endorsed by Various High Court and Judicial Officers

Please visit our Training & Support
Center or Contact Us for assistance

qr

Scan Me!

India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!

For Daily Legal Updates, Join us on :

whatsapp-icon telegram-icon
whatsapp-icon Back to top