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1952 Supreme(All) 181

HIGH COURT OF ALLAHBAD
MISRA, J.
Ram Bharosey
Versus
Mahadeo Singh
Second Appeal No.470 of 1948
Decided On : 06-08-1952

Advocates:
B.K. Dhaon - for Appellant; R.B. Lal and R.B. Chaudhri-for Respondents.

Headnote:

Mortgage - Amendment of Final Decree - Interpretation of U.P. Debt Redemption Act

Fact of the Case:

The mortgagee appealed against the order for amendment of a final mortgage decree under S.8, U.P. Debt Redemption Act. The preliminary decree for sale was made before the Act came into force, and the final decree was passed after the Act came into force. The amendment application was filed after the final decree, reducing the decretal sum.

Finding of the Court:

The court held that the judgment-debtor cannot benefit from S.8 or S.9 if the preliminary decree is superseded by a final decree for sale. The final decree cannot be amended as it is passed after the Act came into force. The decision of the Courts below amending the decree was deemed wrong and without jurisdiction. The appeal was allowed, and the application for amendment under S.8 was rejected.

Issues: The issues involved the interpretation of the U.P. Debt Redemption Act in relation to the amendment of a final mortgage decree, the applicability of S.8 and S.9, and the timing of the amendment application.

Ratio Decidendi: The judgment-debtor cannot benefit from S.8 or S.9 if the preliminary decree is superseded by a final decree for sale. The final decree cannot be amended as it is passed after the Act came into force. The amendment application must be made during the pendency of the suit to benefit from S.9 (1).

Final Decision: The appeal was allowed, the decision of the Courts below was set aside, and the application for amendment under S.8, U.P. Debt Redemption Act was rejected. The appellant was entitled to costs.

Judgment.:- This is a mortgagees second appeal against the appellate order of the learned District Judge of Bara Banki upholding the order for amendment of a final mortgage decree which was passed by the learned Munsiff, Ramsanchighat under S.8, U.P. Debt Redemption Act. A preliminary decree for sale was made on 08-12-1938, that is to say before the U.P. Debt Redemption Act came into force in 1941. The decree was against the three sons of the original mortgagor, Lachhman Singh and two transferees, Sanoman Singh and Mata Prasad Singh. Proceedings for making the decree absolute took place after the commencement of the Act, but the mortgagors did not claim the benefits of the U.P. Debt Redemption Act at that time with the result that the final decree was passed on 26-08-1944, for Rs.1102-15-7. An application for amendment under S.8 which gives rise to this appeal was filed subsequently on 09-9-01947, and it was opposed, amongst others, on the ground that the amendment was not warranted by the provisions of the Act. The two Courts below repelled the objection and reduced the decretal sum from Rs.1102-15-7 to Rs.575. The decree-holder has come up by way of second appeal. In view of the recent Full Bench decision in Ram Kishore v. Shayaur Sunder Lal, AIR 1951 All 155 (FB), it cannot now be disputed that where a preliminary decree in a mortgage suit passed before the commencement of the U.P. Debt Redemption Act is superseded by a final decree for sale, the judgment-debtor cannot get the benefit of either S.8 or S.9. The preliminary decree cannot be amended because after the passing of the final decree, it is no longer an active or enforceable order having already served its purpose and exhausted itself. The liabilities of the parties are thereafter regulated only by the decree absolute. The final decree is incapable of amendment because it is passed after the Act come into force. It was further held by the Full Bench that the judgment-debtor cannot get the benefit of S.9 (1) since the application for amendment was not made during the pendency of the suit. In this view, the decision of the Courts below amending the decree is obviously wrong and without jurisdiction.

2. The respondents concede that on merits they have no case left but they raise a preliminary objection to the hearing of the appeal on the ground that the entire appeal has abated by reason of its abatement against Sanoman Singh, one of the transferees of a portion of the hypothecated property. It is urged that by reason of the abatement against Sanoman Singh, his liability has now been finally determined and it cannot be disturbed for if the appeal succeeds it will bring into existence a conflicting decree, an eventuality which must be avoided. I regret I am unable to accept the argument. There are three answers for it and each of them in my opinion is sufficient for overruling the contention. They are : (1) The mere fact that the success of the appeal might bring into effect two conflicting decrees is by itself hardly a reason for ordering the abatement of the appeal. As held in Lachmi Narain v. Musaddi Lal, AIR.1942 oudh 155 :

"The law Courts as far as possible will avoid inconsistency but it is their business to do justice between parties, and if by a pedantic adherence to consistency injustice will be done, they will prefer justice to consistency……….and therefore inconsistency is not an absolute test. "

(2). The interest of Sanoman Singh in the mortgage deed and therefore in the decree is separate and refusal to amend the decree so far as the other respondents are concerned will not necessarily affect the rights of Sanoman Singh adversely, and (3) That the amendment was made at the instance of a Mahadeo Singh alone. The other debtors were not shown to be entitled to the benefits of the Debt Redemption Act and were not made parties to the proceedings under S.8. The amendment of the decree, therefore, must be deemed to be for his benefit alone. Sanoman Singh and the ot


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