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1977 Supreme(All) 341

Allahbad High Court
B.N.SAPRU
Prabhoo - Appellant
Versus
Doodh Nath - Respondent
Decided On : 12/02/1977

Advocates:
Radha Krishna, for Appellant; Hyder Husain, for Respondents.

A co-owner has no right to appropriate land to himself out of a joint land against the consent of his co-owners.

Headnote:

INJUNCTION - JOINT PROPERTY - SECTION 54 OF THE TRANSFER OF PROPERTY ACT, 1882 - SUIT FOR INJUNCTION TO RESTRAIN THE DEFENDANT FROM MAKING CONSTRUCTIONS ON JOINT LAND - CIRCUMSTANCES TO BE CONSIDERED BY THE COURT IN GRANTING OR REFUSING INJUNCTION - DISCRETION OF THE COURT.

Fact of the Case:

The plaintiff-respondents filed a suit for injunction to restrain the defendant-appellant from making constructions on a plot of land which was found to be the joint property of the parties. The defendant-appellant claimed title to the land and contended that he was only reconstructing old constructions that had fallen down. The trial court and the lower appellate court decreed the suit for removal of the constructions.

Finding of the Court:

The High Court held that the defendant-appellant had no right to make the constructions against the wishes of the plaintiff-respondents and as they had instituted a suit as soon as possible after the constructions were started, they were entitled to a decree in their favour. The Court also held that in the peculiar facts of the case it was unnecessary to determine whether a plaintiff in a suit for demolition of constructions made over joint land, should prove special damage.

Issues: 1. Whether the defendant-appellant had the right to make constructions on the joint land against the wishes of the plaintiff-respondents? 2. Whether the plaintiff-respondents were required to prove special damage in order to obtain an injunction?

Ratio Decidendi: 1. A co-owner has no right to appropriate land to himself out of a joint land against the consent of his co-owners. 2. High-handed action by one co-owner cannot be encouraged by courts of law. 3. Unless some special equity is shown in favour of the defendant in a suit for demolition of constructions, which are in the process of being made by him without the consent of the co-owners a decree for demolition should not be refused especially when the co-owners have come to court at the earliest. 4. In the peculiar facts of the case, it was unnecessary to determine whether a plaintiff in a suit for demolition of constructions made over joint land, should prove special damage.

Final Decision: The appeal was dismissed with costs.

JUDGMENT :- The facts found by the courts below are that one Shanker had four sons, namely, Prabhoo, Gayadin, Surajdin and Ram Din (who died issueless). Prabhoo, the defendant appellant as mentioned earlier is the son of Shanker whereas the sons of Suraj Din and Gaya Din sons of Shanker are the plaintiff-respondents.

2. The plot in dispute has been found to be the joint property of the sons and grandsons of Shanker.

3. According to the plaintiff-respondents case the defendant appellant had started making constructions on khata no. 59 area 42 bighas 15 biswas which is the joint property of the parties to the suit, without the consent of the plaintiff-respondents and despite their protests. According to them they lodged a report to the police when the defendant respondent started laying the foundations on 20-1-1960. Despite their protests when the defendants started making constructions on 1-2-66, the plaintiffs filed the suit on 4-2-1966 praying for a mandatory injunction for the removal of the constructions on the land in suit.

4. On 4-2-1966 an application was made on behalf of the plaintiff-respondents praying that an interim injunction should be issued restraining the defendants from proceeding further with the constructions, and they also prayed that a Commissioner be appointed to serve the injunction order on the defendant-appellants. It was also further prayed that the Commissioner should also report about the position of the constructions.

5. The interim injunction prayed for was granted and the defendant appellant was ordered to desist from making further constructions. The Commissioner was also directed to serve the defendant-appellant and to report about the situation of the constructions. It may be added that subsequently, the injunction order was modified to the extent that the defendant-appellant was permitted to thatch the uncovered constructions.

6. The Commissioner served the injunction order and also submitted his report. According to the report the constructions were about a month or 6 weeks old and the constructions were only half complete and that they had not been roofed either. They were also reported to be " kachcha" that is not made of bricks.

.7. The defendant appellant had set up title in himself which plea has been negatived by the courts below and it has been held that the property was joint property of the sons of Shanker. The defence plea further was that there were old constructions on the site where the new constructions stood and that they had fallen down and that the defendant-appellant was making reconstruction over the site of the fallen down constructions. This plea has also been found to be without any basis and the constructions have been held to be new.

8. The trial court found that the plaintiff-respondents had their house immediately adjacent to the place where the defendant appellant was making his constructions on the joint land of the parties. It further held that as the plaintiff respondents house was adjacent to the area where the defendant appellant was making his constructions, this land was likely to go to the plaintiff-respondents share in the event of a partition of the land between the parties. It also observed that one of the accepted rules of partition is that when it comes to allotment of land, it should be allotted to a party which would be of maximum use to it considering other attendant circumstances. In these circumstances the trial court held that the plaintiff-respondent would suffer a loss which could not be compensated by allotment of any other portion of the land. The trial court also held that the plaintiff had filed the suit for injunction expeditiously without waiting for the constructions to be completed. Having recorded these findings the trial court decreed the suit for removal of the constructions.

9. The defendant-appellant filed an appeal. The lower appellate court was of the view that as the constructions were made over joint land and the suit had been file











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