IN THE HIGH COURT OF ALLAHABAD
Kailash Prasad, J.
JANKI KOERI - Appellant
Versus
JAMUNA KOERI - Respondents
Second Appeal 1103 Of 1958
Decided On : 09/21/1962
U.P. Z. A. AND L. R. ACT - SECTION 21 (1) (D) - MORTGAGEE IN POSSESSION - STATUS OF ASAMI - SUIT FOR EJECTMENT - JURISDICTION OF CIVIL COURT - AMENDMENT OF SCHEDULE 11 - RETROSPECTIVE EFFECT - SECTION 332-B - REFERENCE TO REVENUE COURT - NECESSITY - SECTION 202 (C) - SUIT UNDER - RELIEF CLAIMED - SPECIFICATION OF SECTION IN PLAINT - NECESSITY - SATISFACTION OF MORTGAGE MONEY - DEPOSIT IN COURT - PRE-REQUISITE TO FILING OF SUIT.
Fact of the Case:
Plaintiffs filed a suit for possession of a plot of land mortgaged to the defendants' predecessor-in-interest in 1920. The lower courts decreed the suit on payment of the mortgage money to the defendants within a specified time. The defendant-appellant, a successor-in-interest of the original mortgagee, appealed, contending that the mortgage being void, he was a trespasser and could only be ejected by a suit under Section 180 of the U.P. Tenancy Act in the Revenue Court.
Finding of the Court:
The court held that the mortgagee in possession under the invalid mortgage was not a trespasser but an Asami under Section 21 (1) (d) of the U.P. Z. A. and L. R. Act, and could be ejected only by a suit in the Revenue Court under Section 202 (c) of the Act. However, the court also held that the amendment of Schedule 11 of the U.P. Agriculturists Relief Act in 1955, which conferred jurisdiction on the Revenue Court to entertain such a suit, would not have retrospective effect and would not apply to the present suit, which was decided by the Civil Court before the amendment came into force.
Issues: 1. Whether the mortgagee in possession under an invalid mortgage is a trespasser or an Asami under Section 21 (1) (d) of the U.P. Z. A. and L. R. Act? 2. Whether a suit for ejectment of an Asami under Section 202 (c) of the U.P. Z. A. and L. R. Act can be filed in the Civil Court or only in the Revenue Court? 3. Whether the amendment of Schedule 11 of the U.P. Agriculturists Relief Act in 1955, which conferred jurisdiction on the Revenue Court to entertain such a suit, would have retrospective effect and apply to a suit decided by the Civil Court before the amendment came into force? 4. Whether the plaintiff is required to specify the section under which he files a suit in the plaint? 5. Whether satisfaction of mortgage money is a pre-requisite to the filing of a suit under Section 202 (c) of the U.P. Z. A. and L. R. Act?
Ratio Decidendi: 1. A mortgagee in possession under an invalid mortgage is not a trespasser but an Asami under Section 21 (1) (d) of the U.P. Z. A. and L. R. Act. 2. A suit for ejectment of an Asami under Section 202 (c) of the U.P. Z. A. and L. R. Act can be filed in the Civil Court if the suit was instituted before the amendment of Schedule 11 of the U.P. Agriculturists Relief Act in 1955, which conferred jurisdiction on the Revenue Court to entertain such a suit. 3. The amendment of Schedule 11 of the U.P. Agriculturists Relief Act in 1955, which conferred jurisdiction on the Revenue Court to entertain suits for ejectment of Asamis under Section 202 (c) of the Act, would not have retrospective effect and would not apply to a suit decided by the Civil Court before the amendment came into force. 4. A plaintiff is not required to specify the section under which he files a suit in the plaint. 5. Satisfaction of mortgage money is not a pre-requisite to the filing of a suit under Section 202 (c) of the U.P. Z. A. and L. R. Act.
Final Decision: The appeal was dismissed with costs.
( 1 ) THIS is a defendants second appeal which arises from a suit for possession. The two Courts below found that Dhari Koeri, ancestor of plaintiffs and Sit Basant were the occupancy tenants of the holding in which the plot in suit was included and they granted an usufructuary mortgage of the plot in suit in favour of Rekha Koeri, predecessor-in-interest of defendants 1st set, in the year 1920. The Courts below, therefore, decreed the plaintiffs claim for possession over the plot in suit on payment of the mortgage money to defendants 1st set within a specified time.
( 2 ) THE present appeal has been filed by one of the successors-in-interest of the original mortgagee. One of the points raised by the appellant is that the mortgage of occupancy holding being void, the position of the defendant-appellant became that of a trespasser and he can be ejected, if at all, only by a suit under Section 180 of the U. P. Tenancy Act in the Revenue Court. The contention has no force. It has been consistently held by this Court that though the mortgage of an occupancy holding is void, yet the position of the mortgagee inducted to the property under the invalid mortgage is not that of a trespasser. His position, though not strictly that of a mortgagee under the provisions of the Transfer of Property Act, is nonetheless analogous to it. In lallu Singh v. Ram Nandan, 1930 All LJ 153 at p. 161 : (AIR 1930 All 136 at p. 139), Mukerji, j. , interpreting an earlier Full Bench decision of this Court, pointed out that a sub-tenant and an usufructuary mortgagee can be placed on the same footing. Niamatullah, J. , who was also a member of that Full Bench, observed that the transaction of an usufructuary mortgage of an occupancy holding was not valid as a mortgage with all its incidents and subject to the provisions of law relating to usufructuary mortgages, but is valid only so far that the mortgagee could retain possession and enjoy it, as agreed between the parties, a feature which is not peculiar to usufructuary mortgage as such, but was also one of sub-lease or other arrangement under which possession of occupancy holding was made over by the tenant to another without creating an interest or charge in favour of the transferee. In the light of these abundant authorities it is perfectly clear that an usufructuary mortgagee of occupancy tenancy is not a trespasser. Although the mortgage of occupancy holding is not permitted under law, yet the creditor who enters into possession under the invalid mortgage cannot prescribe to any title or rights different from or greater than those created under the invalid transaction through which he was inducted to the property.
( 3 ) ANOTHER contention of the appellants, and in tact the one on which main stress was laid by his counsel, is that the mortgagees became Asamis under Section 21 (1) (d) of the U. P. Z. A. and L. R. Act and as such they cannot be ejected from the plot in dispute except by a suit in the Revenue court under Section 202 (c) of U. P. Z. A. and L. R. Act. In the appeal before the lower appellate Court the defendant raised this point, but the learned Civil Judge held that a mortgagee who was in possession under the invalid mortgage prior to the date of vesting, could not claim to be an Asami under Section 21 (1) (d) of the U. P. Z. A. and L. R. Act. This view does not appear to be correct. I have already held in Bishwanath Singh v. Sunder, S. A. No. 737 of 1958, D/5-9-1962 (All), that mortgagee in possession within the meaning of Section 21 (1) (d) does not necessarily refer to a creditor who enters into possession under a valid mortgage. The expression mortgagee in the section has been used by the legislature to describe the factual relationship irrespective of the fact whether the transaction is or is not valid as a mortgage with all its incidents and characteristics of a legally valid mortgage. I, therefore, hold that the mortgagees in the instant case acquired the status of
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