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1955 Supreme(All) 89

IN THE HIGH COURT OF ALLAHABAD
Raghubar Dayal and V. D. Bhargava, JJ.
ANANT RAM - Appellant
Versus
BASDEO SAHAI - Respondents
Second Appeal 1524 Of 1947
Decided On : 05/04/1955

Advocates Appeared:
G.P.BHARGAWA, N.C.VAISH, SATISH CHANDRA

Headnote:

LIMITATION ACT, 1908 - ARTICLE 182 - EXECUTION OF DECREE - DATE OF DECREE - MISTAKE IN MENTIONING DATE IN DECREE - EFFECT - ORDER 20, RULE 7, CIVIL PROCEDURE CODE, 1908 - APPLICABILITY.

Fact of the Case:

The decree-holder filed an execution application more than three years after the date of the order for the preparation of the final decree but within three years of the date mentioned in the final decree as the date of the decree. The judgment-debtor objected to the execution on the ground of limitation.

Finding of the Court:

The court held that the execution application was within time as the date of the decree was the date mentioned in the decree itself and not the date of the order for the preparation of the final decree.

Issues: Whether the date of the decree for the purpose of limitation is the date mentioned in the decree or the date of the order for the preparation of the final decree.

Ratio Decidendi: Article 182 of the Limitation Act, 1908 provides that the period of limitation for filing an application for execution of a decree begins to run from the date of the decree. Order 20, Rule 7 of the Civil Procedure Code, 1908 provides that the decree shall bear the date on which the judgment was pronounced. However, in the present case, the order for the preparation of the final decree was not a judgment and, therefore, Order 20, Rule 7 did not apply. The final decree was passed when it was prepared, and the date of the decree was the date on which it was prepared.

Final Decision: The appeal was dismissed and the order of the court below was upheld.

RAGHUBAR DAYAL, J.


( 1 ) THIS is an execution second appeal by the judgment-debtor against the order of the court below that the execution application by the decree-holder respondent for execution of the final decree under Order 34, Rule 5, Civil P. C. , was filed within time.

( 2 ) THE order for the preparation of the final decree was passed on 8-7-1937. The final decree was actually prepared on 23-7-1937. The decree mentions at the end: "it is issued today the 23rd july, 1937 under my signatures and seal of the court. " Below this appear the signatures of the civil Judge with the same date, 23-7-1937 as the date of his signing this decree.

( 3 ) THE first execution application was presented on 17-7-1940 within three years of the date the final decree bore, but beyond three years of the date on which the order for the preparation of the final decree was passed. These proceedings became infructuous though the office had reported that the execution application was filed beyond time and the decree-holder had replied that the application was within limitation on account of the provisions of the Temporary Postponement of Execution of Decrees Act, 1937 (Act X of 1937 ). On 4-3-1942, the decree-holder filed the present execution application. The papers were ordered to be sent to the Collector for further proceedings on 11-8-1942 without issuing any notice of the execution application to the judgment-debtor. The judgment-debtor subsequently filed an objection under Section 47, Civil P. C. , to the execution of the decree on the ground of limitation. The execution court agreed with the Judgment-debtor and held the execution to be barred by time. On appeal by the decree-holder, the court below held that the application was within time because the decree-holder was misled by the date of the decree being mentioned as 23-7-1937 in the decree itself. He relied on two cases in support of his view. The cases are: Nalini Kanta v. Kamaraddi, AIR 1933 Cal 239 (A) and Kali Prasad v. Mt. Bibi Aziz Fatma, AIR 1938 Pat 149 (B ). Against the order that the execution should proceed, the application for execution being within limitation as the first application had been filed within limitation, the Judgment-debtor preferred the present appeal.

( 4 ) THE period for filing an application for execution begins to run from the date of the decree in view of the provisions of Article 182 of the 1st Schedule, of the Limitation Act. The date of decree, according to the decree, itself, is 23-7-1937 and, therefore, the first execution application filed on 17-7-1940 was within time irrespective of the question whether the decree-holder had been misled or not about the date of the decree on the supposition that the date of the decree should have been 8-7-1938 on which date the order of the preparation of the final decree was passed.

( 5 ) THE contention for the appellant is that as Order 20, Rule 7, Civil P. C. , provides that the decree shall bear the date on which the judgment, was pronounced the date of decree should be taken to be the date of judgment and not the date which the decree happens to bear erroneously. Order 20, Rule 7 just provides what date be given to the decree, It does not provide that if a different date is given in the decree, then that date should be ignored and the parties or court should always go to the judgment to find out what the date of the decree should be and must be held to be. If the decree bears a wrong date, that date should be the date for purposes of construing Article 182 of the First Schedule, Limitation Act.

( 6 ) IT further appears to us that Order 20, Rule 7 Civil P. C. , does not apply to the present case. The order for the preparation of a final decree is not a judgment. It does not adjudicate upon the rights of the parties. The rights of the decree- holder, in case the judgment-debtor makes defaults in making payments, are decided and laid down in the preliminary decree. What the court has to decide sometimes after the








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