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2025 Supreme(UK) 60

IN THE HIGH COURT OF UTTARAKHAND AT NAINITAL
SHARAD KUMAR SHARMA, J.
Prem Chandra Singhal - Appellant
Versus
State of Uttarakhand and Others – Respondents
Second Appeal No. 53 of 2015
Decided On : 21-08-2019
Advocates Appeared :
For the Appellant : Mr. Puran Singh Rawat
For the Respondent : Mr. I.P. Kohli

The Second Appellate Court cannot substitute findings of the lower courts without properly framed issues, emphasizing the need for procedural adherence in legal determinations.

Headnote:(A) Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 - Sections 100, 9, and 96 - U.P. Road Side Land Control Act, 1960 - Second Appeal concerning mandatory injunction regarding property ownership and construction - Trial Court decreed suit in favor of plaintiff amidst claims of construction by defendants on state-owned land. First Appellate Court reversed without properly framing issues, violating procedural norms as the substantive legal questions weren't appropriately addressed. (Paras 1, 15, 19, and 20)

(B) Appeals, procedural propriety - Second Appellate Courts should refrain from substituting findings of lower courts unless errors of law or procedure are evident. Appellate Courts are bound by the issues raised in lower courts and should not drift beyond the scope of arguments presented. (Paras 1, 12, and 18)

Facts of the case:
The appellant claimed rights to a property purchased via a sale deed in 1977, which allegedly had construction initiated by the respondents despite being within regulated limits under the U.P. Road Side Land Control Act. The respondent's defense claimed governmental ownership of the land and adherence to the Act's restrictions.

Findings of Court:
The Court found no substantive issues framed by either the Trial or First Appellate Court concerning the applicability of the U.P. Road Side Land Control Act, leading to procedural flaws and necessitating remand.

Issues: Whether the First Appellate Court's findings regarding land ownership and use conformed to procedural requirements and addressed all relevant legal standards.

Ratio Decidendi: The lack of framed issues by the Appellate Court concerning the U.P. Road Side Land Control Act meant that their findings were flawed, resulting in the necessity of remanding the case for proper consideration.

Result: Second Appeal allowed; impugned judgments set aside.

Table of Content
1. procedural limitations on appeal authorities (Para 1 , 2 , 5 , 10)
2. claim to property based on purchase and possession (Para 3 , 4 , 6)
3. opposition to claim under u.p. road side land control act (Para 7 , 8 , 9)
4. judicial scrutiny on procedural flaws in appellate decisions (Para 11 , 12 , 13 , 14)
5. remand for proper determination on appeal litigation (Para 15 , 16 , 17 , 19)
6. finding limitations on appellate court's authority (Para 18)
7. order to remand for fresh consideration of case (Para 20)

JUDGMENT :

Sharad Kumar Sharma, J.

1. There are certain circumstances, under which, the Court at times is also cornered from taking any particular specific view while adjudicating a lis between the parties and that difficulty is, particularly, faced by the Courts, while exercising its superior power of Appeal, as vested in it under Section 100 of the C.P.C., particularly, when the issue, which otherwise ought to have been a subject matter of determination of the controversy under Section 9 or 96 of Code of Civil Procedure is either not considered by the Trial Court or the Appellate Court, then, while exercising the powers under Section 96 of the C.P.C., in such cases, the Second Appellate Court is constraint that the Second Appellate Court could not have substituted the finding beyond the finding, which has been recorded by the Trial Court or the Appellate Court, while adjudicating a lis, as it is settled law that the Second Appellate Court cannot travel beyond the case as pleaded and argued before the Courts below and, which has been taken into consideration while deciding the case.

2. This is one of those peculiar case, dealing with the peculiar circumstance, which has chanced in the present Second Appeal. Though, this Court despite of being conscious of the fact that the suit itself, which has been instituted by the plaintiff/appellant, herein, being Suit of 1979 was registered as Suit No. 61 of 1979, Prem Chandra Singhal Vs. State of U.P. and others , which was instituted as back as on 10th March, 1979, wherein, the plaintiff/appellant has sought a relief in the nature of a decree of mandatory injunction as against the defendants/respondent, herein, to the effect that by the decree to be rendered by the Court, they may be evicted from the property, in question, and after the removal of the construction, which has been raised by the defendant/respondents, over the dispute land, they may also be directed to hand over with the vacant possession of property, which as per the plaint averments is shown to be detailed in appendix-2, in the description of the property as given in the plaint, which the plaintiff/appellant claims to have th acquired his rights over it, in pursuance to the sale deed dated 8 March, 1977, executed and registered in his favour, wherein, he contends that he has purchased a piece of land, lying in khasra No. 71/3, having an area of 3350 square yard, i.e. equivalent to about 0.69 acres situated in village Rishikesh, Pargana Parwadoon, Dehradun. The boundaries of the property in dispute for which the relief was sought by way of a suit for mandatory injunction was described at the foot of the plaint, which is quoted hereunder :-

3. It was the case of the plaintiff/appellant in the suit, that it was the property, which was falling to be within the area of the property, which was purchased by him by the sale deed dated 8th March, 1977, under the strength of which, he contends that the sale deed, which was executed in his favour on 08.03.1977, it was based on the agreement for sale, which was executed by the predecessors/owners in favour of the plaintiff/appellant on 4th March, 1977, and as a consequence of the execution of the sale deed, he was placed in possession over the property, in question. The case of the plaintiff/appellant in the Suit, was that when he was out of town in relation to his business purposes and when he returned back on 9th March, 1979, he found that the construction of Export

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