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2023 Supreme(All) 1760

IN THE HIGH COURT OF ALLAHABAD
J.J. MUNIR, J.
Jeera Devi and Another - Petitioners
Versus
Additional District Judge, Court No.12, Varanasi and Others - Respondents
Matters Under Article 227 No. 4747 of 2019
Decided On : 09-05-2023

Advocates Appeared:
For the Petitioner: Brij Raj Counsel.
For the Respondent: Shambhu Nath, Pratik J. Nagar, Triveni Shanker.

Headnote:(A) Constitution of India - Article 227 - Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 - Order XXIII Rule 1 and Order XXII Rule 10 - Rights of a third party in a suit after the withdrawal application by the plaintiff - The court emphasized that the mere filing of a withdrawal application does not equate to the automatic termination of the suit; a specific order from the court is required to effectuate such withdrawal. Substitutes and assignees pendente lite should not be denied their right to intervene, especially to avoid substantial injustice and multiplicity of proceedings. (Paras 10, 14, 15, 30, 31)

Facts of the case:
The petitioners, having acquired interest in the suit property during its pendency, challenged the withdrawal application filed by the original plaintiff, arguing that their rights should not be compromised without a trial. The court reviewed the legal principles surrounding the automatic nature of withdrawal and substitution rights.

Findings of Court:
The court ruled in favor of the petitioners, asserting the necessity of a court order for withdrawal to be effective and reinforcing the rights of third parties.

Issues: The primary issue was whether a third party can continue a suit despite the original plaintiff’s withdrawal application.

Ratio Decidendi: The court found that withdrawal does not occur automatically with merely filing an application; hence, it reaffirmed the principle of preventing unjust outcomes for third parties.

Result: Petition allowed.

Table of Content
1. petition under article 227 with factual background. (Para 1 , 2)
2. chronology of legal actions in the suit. (Para 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7)
3. main legal questions presented by the petitioners. (Para 10 , 11 , 12 , 13)
4. discussion on withdrawal applications and rights of parties. (Para 14 , 16 , 17 , 18)
5. final conclusions and directions from the court. (Para 19 , 21 , 22)

JUDGMENT :

This is a petition under Article 227 of the Constitution of India preferred by Smt. Jeera Devi and Ghanshyam Patel, third parties to Original Suit No. 154 of 1999, Munnan Devi v. Smt. Amrawati Devi , who have been denied leave to continue the suit on the basis of assignment pendente lite and further, are faced with an order permitting withdrawal of the suit by the plaintiff. This order turning tables for the petitioners has been passed in an appeal by the Additional District Judge, Court No. 12, Varanasi, reversing the Trial Court, which had granted leave to the petitioners to continue the suit and declined permission to the plaintiff to withdraw it.

2. The facts giving rise to this petition, in necessary detail, are these :

Plot No. 40 admeasuring 0.243 hectare and Plot No. 156 admeasuring 0.72 decimal, situate in Village Mauza Saraimugal, Pargana Athagaon, Tehsil Pindra, District Varanasi was recorded in the name of one Smt. Munnan Devi. She was a co-sharer in the two plots to the extent of a half share along with her co-tenure holder, Smt. Ramdei Devi, wife of Ramdas. One Smt. Amrawati Devi, wife of Late Panna Lal, claimed that Smt. Munnan Devi had executed a sale deed of her half share in the plots of land above mentioned on 09.10.1998. Smt. Amrawati Devi got her name recorded as a co-tenure holder along with Smt. Ramdei Devi, after mutating out the name of Smt. Munnan Devi in the revenue records on 11.08.1999. This was done on the basis of the sale deed dated 09.10.1998. On 08.02.1999, Smt. Munnan Devi brought a prompt action against Smt. Amrawati Devi, seeking a declaration that the sale deed dated 09.10.1998 was null and void, with a prayer that the declaration granted be communicated to the Sub-Registrar, where the deed had been registered for recording the declaration. A permanent injunction was also claimed against Smt. Amrawati Devi to the effect that the defendant be restrained from interfering with the plaintiff's title and possession in the suit property or otherwise creating an obstruction in any manner, and further not to destroy the standing crops in the suit property. The aforesaid suit brought by Smt. Munnan Devi against Smt. Amrawati Devi was numbered on the file of the Civil Judge (Junior Division) Haveli, Varanasi as Original Suit No. 154 of 1999. The short case of Smt. Munnan Devi in the suit was that the impugned conveyance dated 09.10.1998 was not her deed. It had been got executed by Smt. Amrawati Devi through the agency of an imposter, a woman, different from Smt. Munnan Devi. The sale deed was, therefore, impugned as a void document.

3. On 03.07.2000, a written statement was filed by Smt. Amrawati Devi, contesting the plaintiff's case. It would not be material, for the purpose of this petition, to enumerate what her defence was. Smt. Munnan Devi put in a replication on 29.08.2000. On 30.08.2000, the Trial Court struck issues, a total of seven. What the issues were is also not relevant for the purpose of this petition. The sole plaintiff, Smt. Munnan Devi, was examined as P.W.1. She testified in the dock on 11.02.2003 and 17.07.2003. Pending suit, Smt. Munnan Devi executed two sale deeds one in favour of Smt. Jeera Devi, conveying her half share in Plot No. 156, that is to say, the area of 0.298 hectare out of the total of 0.596 hectare; and the other in favour of Ghanshyam Patel, conveying her half share in Plot No. 40 admeasuring 0.121 hectare out of the total of 0.243 hectare. Both these sale deeds were executed on 21.05.2011 and admitted to registration by the Sub-Registrar, Pindra, Varanasi on 23.05.2011. O

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