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2009 Supreme(All) 438

[2009(2) ADJ 193]
ALLAHABAD HIGH COURT
BEFORE : SUNIL AMBWANI, J.
Smt. MURTI DEVI AND OTHERS .........Petitioners
Versus
Vth ADDL. DISTRICT JUDGE AND OTHERS .......Respondents
(Civil Misc. Writ Petition No. 2888 of 1999, decided on 6th February, 2009)

Advocates:
Counsel :
M.K. Gupta for the Petitioners; Ravi Agrawal for the Respondents.

Headnote:Code of Civil Procedure, 1908—Sections 47, 151, 115 and 11—Provincial Small Cause Courts Act, 1887—Section 25—Hindu Succession Act, 1956—Section 14—Suit for ejectment by petitioner-landlady against defendants—In her Misc. Case, objections under Sections 47/151, were partly allowed by Civil Judge, holding that decree of ejectment, was held not to be executable—Also, dismissal of her Revision by A.D.J.—Hence, petition—Issue whether there was any relationship of landlord and tenant between parties, was considered and decided after taking evidence—Plaintiff was landlady—Objection to the execution of decree, was considered and decided by trial Court—And, thereafter, in suits, filed by defendant judgment-debtor, injunction application were rejected—Thus, principles of res judicata, clearly attracted in instant case, in which decisions taken by Court of competent jurisdiction between same parties, would be binding on them—That issue could not be re-opened, or re-agitated again—In instant case, fact that original owner of disputed property, pre-deceased wife of original tenant, thus, widow of original owner, would not give any benefit of Section 14 of Hindu Succession Act of 1956 to widow of original tenant—And she was neither owner of property, nor could have inherited it—She was only occupying property as a tenant—And that her tenancy rights, could not have fructified into ownership under said Section 14—Thus, ejectment decree has become final with finding of landlord and tenant’s relationships between parties—And first set of objection under Section 47 of execution of decree were rejected, will estop executing Court to consider issue again on same facts—Held, impugned judgments, set aside—And executing Court, directed to proceed with execution of ejectment decree and to deliver possession to decree-holder. [Paras 2, 10, 14, 15 and 16]

       

JUDGMENT

Hon’ble Sunil Ambwani, J.—Heard Shri M.K. Gupta, learned counsel for the petitioners. Shri Ravi Agrawal appeared on behalf of respondents.

2. This writ petition arises out of an order passed by Civil Judge, Ghaziabad on 20.1.1989 in Misc. Case No. 301 of 1988, Smt. Maya Devi v. Smt. Murti Devi, in which the objections under Section 47 read with Section 151 of Code of Civil Procedure were partly allowed and the decree of ejectment was held not to be executable. By the judgment and order dated 23.11.1990 the Vth Additional District Judge, Ghaziabad, dismissed Civil Revision No. 32 of 1989 under Section 25 of the Provincial Small Causes Court Act read with Section 115 of CPC.

3. Brief facts, giving rise to this writ petition are that Smt. Murti Devi filed a JSCC No. 976 of 1997 against Smt. Maya Devi for eviction. The suit was decreed on 20.1.1978. In Execution Case No. 712 of 1988 Smt. Maya Devi filed objections under Section 47 of the Code of Civil Procedure (Misc. Case No. 48 of 1988) claiming that the decree was a nullity. The objections were rejected by the Civil Judge on 16.10.1988, against which the Revision No. 259 of 1988 was dismissed on 17.10.1981.

4. Smt. Maya Devi-the judgment debtor thereafter filed an Original Suit No. 326 of 1981 in the Court of Munsif, Hapur claiming to be the owner of the property and applied for an ad-interim injunction. The application for injunction was rejected. In appeal the Additional District Judge, Ghaziabad granted interim injunction on the ground that she is not liable to be ejected from the disputed property till the disposal of the Suit No. 326 of 1981. Later on it was found that the Munsif, Hapur had no jurisdiction to entertain the suit. The plaint was returned for presenting to appropriate Court, on which Maya Devi filed OS No. 199 of 1988 in the Court of Civil Judge, Hapur and again applied for injunction. Her application was rejected. She again filed objections under Section 47, C.P.C read with Section 151 on 21.12.1988 in the execution proceedings of the decree of ejectment.

5. Smt. Maya Devi in her objections as well as supplementary objection under Section 47/151, C.P.C claimed herself to be the owner of the suit property. The executing Court held that she has perfected her rights under Section 14 of the Hindu Succession Act, 1956, and thus until the suit filed by her is decided, she is not liable to be evicted from the premises in dispute.

6. The revisional Court, relying upon Bhawan Watch and others v. Solanki Hanuji Khodaji Mansang and others, AIR 1972 SC 1371, held that though the executing Court cannot go behind the decree under execution, it is the duty of the executing Court to find out the true effect of the decree. In appropriate cases it can take into consideration the pleadings as well as the proceedings leading up to the decree. The executing Court to consider the circumstances under which the words in the decree are used and that if the Court feels in discharge of its duty that the decree is not executable, it will be deemed to have jurisdiction vested in it to consider the issue.

7. The revisional Court thereafter recorded the findings that in the present case Shri Shiv Charan Das had three sons, Prabhu Dayal; Ram Kishan and Prahlad Saran. Shri Shiv Charan Das executed a Will dated 9.3.1985 (paper-73-C) by which the property devolved on Shri Prahlad Saran and after death of Prahlad Saran his wife Anguri Devi. Since Prahlad Saran predeceased Anguri Devi. The property automatically devolved upon Smt. Anguri Devi on which Maya Devi as daughter of Anguri Devi became the owner of the property. Shri Shiv Charan died in 1960; the wife of Shiv Charan died in March 1970; Shri Prabhu Dayal died on 14.1.1966; Smt. Anguri Devi died on 20.12.1970 and Prahlad Saran died on 22.7.1970. Prahlad Saran died before Anguri Devi and thus under Section 14 of the Hindu Succession Act, Smt. Maya Devi became absolute owner of the property. In the judgment dated 24.5.1982 in Misc. Case















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