1997 Supreme(All) 104
HIGH COURT OF ALLAHABAD
R.K.Mahajan
ANWAR SINGH
Versus
PARWATI
Decided On : 04 February 1997
Second Appeal No. 771 of 1991
K.P.Bajpai, N.S.Chaudhary, PRAKASH KRISHNA,
A Civil Court lacks jurisdiction to entertain a suit challenging the sale of agricultural land where the matter is pending before the Revenue Court under Section 229-B of the U. P. Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act, 1950.
Headnote:
JURISDICTION - U. P. ZAMINDARI ABOLITION AND LAND REFORMS ACT, 1950 - SECTIONS 229-B, 331, 333, 333-A - SUIT FOR DECLARATION OF RIGHTS AS ASAMI - JURISDICTION OF CIVIL COURT - BARRED.
Fact of the Case:
Plaintiffs filed a suit challenging the sale of agricultural land by Smt. Kiranta Devi, widow of Harsukh, to Defendant-appellant Anwar Singh. They claimed that Smt. Kiranta Devi was not entitled to inherit the property as she had remarried after Harsukh's death and the sale was therefore invalid.
Finding of the Court:
The trial court dismissed the suit, but the appellate court accepted the appeal, holding that Smt. Kiranta Devi had remarried and the sale was invalid.
Issues: 1. Whether the appellate court was justified in carving out a new case for the plaintiff-respondent which was neither pleaded nor proved by the plaintiff-respondents? 2. Whether the appellate court was justified to ignore the mutation order passed in the year 1968 and also to ignore the plea of the plaintiff-respondent in the declaratory suit and in the proceeding under Section 145 Cr. EC. that Smt. Kiranta Devi had re-married after the death of Harsukh? 3. Whether the appellate court was justified to hold that no ceremonies are required for remarriage and no ceremonies were performed relating to the alleged re-marriage and the trial judge has rejected the theory of remarriage on the basis of oral and documentary evidence? 4. Whether the appellate court was justified in setting aside the findings recorded by the trial judge without dealing with those reasons which the trial judge has discussed in detail in view of law laid down in AIR 1972 SC1716?
Ratio Decidendi: 1. The suit was not cognizable by the Civil Court as the matter was pending before the Revenue Court under Section 229-B of the U. P. Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act, 1950, which deals with declaratory suits by persons claiming to be an asami of a holding or part thereof. 2. The Civil Court lacked inherent jurisdiction to entertain the suit, and the doctrine of election to choose the right remedy and lack of inherent jurisdiction debars the plaintiff to agitate the matter in the Civil Court. 3. The legislature has created a special forum under the special enactment and the plaintiff has chosen that forum and it is still pending. The Civil Court cannot give a finding on the same facts indirectly what has been prohibited directly by the statute.
Final Decision: The appeal was allowed, and the decrees and judgment of the lower courts were set aside as they were without jurisdiction.
Shri Harsukh and Shri Dull Chand are brothers. Dull Chand died during the pendency of the suit and he is now represented by wife Smt. Parwati and his sons and a daughter. They hail from Mohalla Katra Fateh Mamoor Khan, District Etawah. Harsukh was married to Smt. Kiranta Devi, on 10-5-1977 Smt. Kiranta Devi sold one acre of land in favour of Defendant-appellant Anwar Singh. The sale was challenged by way of suit by Duli Chand that he is entitled to inherit the agricultural land on the ground that Smt. Kiranta Devi was enticed by one Ram Bux of village Bharthana and case No. 244 of 1991 was registered under Section 498 IPC and the certified copy of the FIR is on record as paper No. 18-C. It appears that the accused were acquitted in appeal.
2. The plea of the plaintiffs in the suit is that the property in question was acquired on 26-7-1945 after Kiranta Devi left her husband Harsukh. Harsukh died in the year 1967. So in view of leaving her husband Har Sukh and performing marriage with Shri Ram Bux she is not entitled to inherit the property and sale in dispute dated 18-5-1977 is inoperative, ineffective and nonest. The lower court dismissed the suit of the plaintiff but the appellate court accepted the appeal holding that Smt. Kiranat Devi re-married and sale is invalid and the appellate court decreed the suit.
3. This is how the present Second Appeal has been filed against the judgment and decree dated 30-4- 1991 passed by Shri Sattidin, Family Judge, Etawah in Civil Appeal No. 61 of 1985 Smt. Parwati and others v. Smt. Kiranta Devi and another by virtue of which the judgment of the lower court dated 11-4- 1985 passed by Shri Rameshwar Singh, Munsif First, Etawah in Original Suit No. 500 of 1978 Duli Chand v. Kiranta Devi and another. At the time of admission of the present Second Appeal the following substantial questions of law numbered as 1, 3, 5 and 6 were allowed to be framed-
"1. Whether the appellate court was justified to carve out a new case for the plaintiff-respondent which was neither pleaded nor proved by the plaintiff-respondents ?
2. Whether the appellate court was justified to ignore the mutation order passed in the year 1968 and also to ignore the plea of the plaintiff-respondent in the declaratory suit and in the proceeding under Section 145 Cr. EC. that Smt. Kiranta Devi had re-married after the death of Harsukh ?
3. Whether the appellate court was justified to hold that no ceremonies are required for remarriage and no ceremonies were performed relating to the alleged re-marriage and the trial judge has rejected the theory of remarriage on the basis of oral and documentary evidence ?
4. Whether the appellate court was justified in setting aside the findings recorded by the trial judge without dealing with those reasons which the trial judge has discussed in detail in view of law laid down in AIR 1972 SC1716?"
9. Shri N. S. Chaudhary, learned counsel for the appellant submitted that the lower appellate court has fell into an error by holding that Smt. Kiranata Devi re-married in 1941 ignoring the admission of written statement of Duli Chand in 145 Cr. PC. proceedings and also ignoring the acquittal of Ram Bus in 498 IPC proceedings. He further submitted that Duli Chand had filed a revenue suit under Section 229-B of U. P. Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act, 1950 (hereinafter referred to as the Act of 1950) for declaring of his rights regarding this land and the matter is still pending before the Board of Revenue and civil suit does not lie in view of Section 331 of Act of 1950 and has relied upon Supreme Court decision which would be referred during the discussion. He has further submitted that Harsukh died in the year 1967 and Smt. Kiranta Devi re-married Ram Bux and there is no question of divesting the property once the property has been vested and no ceremonies are required for re-marriage. He has also submitted that in para No. 6 of the written statement of Duli Chand there is a mentio