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2014 Supreme(All) 3357

ALLAHABAD HIGH COURT
Anjani Kumar Mishra, J.
Kila Begum - Appellant
Versus
D.D.C. - Respondent
Writ-B No. 50605 of 2014
Decided On : 19-09-2014

Advocates Appeared:
For the Appellant : Manu Khare
For the Respondents: C.S.C.

The court has the jurisdiction to recall an order passed ex parte and grant an interim order staying the operation of the ex parte order.

Headnote:

Interim Order - Restoration Application - The court has the jurisdiction to recall an order passed ex parte and grant an interim order staying the operation of the ex parte order. The court found no merit in the petitioner's submissions and dismissed the writ petition, directing the Settlement Officer to dispose of the restoration application expeditiously.

Fact of the Case:

The petitioner filed an appeal in title proceedings, and the contesting respondents filed a restoration application the day after the appeal was decided, alleging that the appeal order was ex parte. The Settlement Officer granted an interim order on the restoration application, which was challenged by means of a revision.

Finding of the Court:

The court found that the interim order was granted to stay the operation of an ex parte order against the person who filed the restoration application. The court dismissed the writ petition but directed the Settlement Officer to dispose of the restoration application expeditiously.

Issues: The issues included the jurisdiction of the Settlement Officer to grant an interim order on the restoration application, the lack of reasons assigned for granting the interim order, and the failure of the Deputy Director of Consolidation to address all points raised by the petitioner before the revisional Court.

Ratio Decidendi: The court held that every court has the jurisdiction to recall an order passed ex parte and grant an interim order staying the operation of the ex parte order. The court found no merit in the petitioner's submissions and directed the Settlement Officer to dispose of the restoration application expeditiously.

Final Decision: The writ petition was dismissed, and the Settlement Officer was directed to dispose of the restoration application expeditiously, preferably within a period of three weeks from the date of production of a certified copy of the order before him.

JUDGMENT

Anjani Kumar Mishra, J.

1. It has been stated by Sri Manu Khare, learned Counsel for the petitioner, that in title proceedings, against the order passed by the Consolidation Officer, an appeal was preferred. The appeal was decided by the order dated 12.2.2014. The next day on 13.2.2014, the contesting respondents are said to have filed a restoration application, alleging therein that the order dated 12.2.2014 was ex parte and had been passed without hearing them. The Settlement Officer, Consolidation on 15.2.2014 granted an interim order on the restoration application filed by the contesting respondents. This interim order was challenged by means of a revision, which has been dismissed by the impugned order. Submission of learned Counsel for the petitioner is that once the Settlement Officer, Consolidation had decided the appeal, he becomes functus officio and no order could have been passed, till such time the restoration application itself was allowed. The second submission of learned Counsel for the petitioner is that no reason has been assigned while granting the interim order. The third submission of learned Counsel for the petitioner is that the Deputy Director of Consolidation has failed to address all the points that were raised by the petitioner before the revisional Court.

2. Learned Counsel for the petitioner has relied upon the following three judgments

1. Jagdhari and others v. Vth Additional District Judge, Azamgarh and another AIR 1992 (All.) 368.

2. Thressia @ Kochu Thressia v. Vareetha Thressamma 2010 Law Suit (Ker.) 960.

3. Rajesh Jain v. Devender Kumar Saigal and others 2012 Law Suit (Del.) 2676.

3. Perusal of the judgments cited reveals that the judgments of the Kerala and the Delhi High Courts have been passed placing reliance on the judgment of this Court in the case of Jagdhari (supra).

The facts of the case are that in a suit for permanent injunction, the Trial Court granted interim injunction. The suit was dismissed for default. The restoration application was filed for setting aside the order for dismissal for default. The Trial Court declined to grant temporary injunction, which order was affirmed in appeal holding that since the suit had been dismissed for default, no temporary injunction could be granted unless the suit is restored.

4. Since the other two judgments cited, follow the ratio laid down in the case of Jagdhari (supra), the same are not being dealt with in detail.

5. Relevant portion of paragraph 4 of the judgment in case of Jagdhari (supra) relied upon by the learned Counsel for the petitioner, is quoted below

"In my opinion, the impugned orders are correct and call for no interference. Once the suit is dismissed, whether for default or otherwise, all interim orders came to an end. Since there is no suit pending at present, hence there is no question of grant of any interim injunction."

6. The facts in the instant case are different. In the instant case, the appeal was filed by the petitioner. The allegation in the restoration application is that the order is ex parte. In case the submission of learned Counsel for the petitioner is accepted that once a Court passes a final order, it become functus officio, no recall application can be entertained by it. This can never be the case. Every Court has jurisdiction to recall an order, which has been passed ex parte and it is, therefore, clear that the interim order, which has been granted merely stays the operation of an order, which is said to be ex parte against the person, who filed the restoration application. The interim order has been granted not in the appeal but in the restoration application and I see no illegality in the same. The facts of the case relied upon by the learned Counsel for the petitioner are clearly distinguishable. Submissions made by learned Counsel for the petitioner lack force.

7. Since the submissions of the learned Counsel for the petitioner have been found to be without force and the judgments relied upon by him is


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