1997 (1) JLJ 105
R.S. Garg, J.
Sabina @ Farida (Smt.) v. Mohd. Abdul Wasit
Civil Revn. No. 132 of 1992; against the order passed by 1st Addl. Judge to the Court of District Judge, Bhopal in Civil Suit No. (unregistered);
Decided on 3.1.1996.
It is settled law that if a person is in settled possession he cannot be evicted except in accordance with law. Such a person if claims a declaration of his title and injunction that the defendants be restrained from interfering with his possession then the relief of injunction is not a consequence of the declaration because even if the Court is of the opinion that the declaration cannot be made in favour of the plaintiff then too the Court will grant an injunction in favour of the person who is in settled possession. Such a person would be called upon to value both the reliefs separately and each of the reliefs would be independent of the other. In a suit of this nature the plaintiff is not seeking the relief of injunction as consequential relief but is entitled to claim the same because of his settled possession. In such a case section 7 (iv) (d) of the Court-fees Act would be applicable for valuing the relief of injunction and Article 17 of Schedule II of the Act would provide the court-fees for the said declaration. 1983 MPWN 66, 1977 (2) MPWN 306 relied on. AIR 1958 SC 245 distinguished. [Para 4
(2) Court fees Act, 1870 -- S. 7(iv)(c) -- test for determination whether or not the relief sought it consequential -- if relief can be claimed independently it is not consequential. AIR 1973 SC 2384 and AIR 1978 Delhi 114 relied on. [Paras 3 & 4
¼1½ U;k;ky; Qhl vf/kfu;e] 1870 && /kkjk 7 (iv) ¼x½ rFkk ¼?k½] nwljh vuqlwph] vuqPNsn 17 && LFkkfir dCts esa O;fDr && gd dh ?kks"k.kk rFkk O;kns‘k ds fy, okn Qkby fd;k tkuk && /kkjk 7 (iv) ¼x½ ds v/khu mica/k ykxw ugha && og ?kks"k.kk ds fy, dksbZ Hkh ewY; yxk ldrk gS rFkk ml ij] U;k;ky; Qhl dk lank; dj ldrk gS && O;kns‘k ds fy, og vuqrks"k dk ewY;kadu /kkjk 7 (iv) ¼?k½ ds v/khu dj ldrk gSA ;g LFkkfir fof/k gS fd ;fn dksbZ O;fDr LFkkfir dCts esa gS rc mls fof/k ds vuqlj.k ds vU;Fkk csn[ky ugha fd;k tk ldrkA ,slk O;fDr ;fn vius gd dh ?kks"k.kk dk rFkk O;kns‘k dk nkok djrk gS fd izfrokfn;ksa dks mlds dCts esa gLr{ksi djus ls vo:) fd;k tk, rc O;kns‘k dk vuqrks"k ?kks"k.kk dk ifj.kke ugha gS D;ksafd ;fn U;k;ky; dh jk; ;g Hkh gks fd ?kks"k.kk oknh ds i{k esa ugha dh tk ldrh rc Hkh U;k;ky; ml O;fDr ds i{k esa O;kns‘k eatwj djsxk ftldk dCtk LFkkfir gSA ,sls O;fDr ls nksuksa vuqrks"kksa dk i`Fkd~ ewY;kadu djus ds fy, dgk tk,xk rFkk izR;sd vuqrks"k nwljs ls Lora= gksxkA bl Lo:i ds okn esa oknh }kjk O;kns‘k dk vuqrks"k ifj.kkfed vuqrks"k ds :i esa bZfIlr ugha gS vfirq og vius LFkkfir dCts ds dkj.k mldk nkok djus dk gdnkj gSA ,sls ekeys esa O;kns‘k ds vuqrks"k ds ewY;kadu ds fy, U;k;ky; Qhl vf/kfu;e dh /kkjk 7 ¼2½ U;k;ky; Qhl vf/kfu;e] 1870 && /kkjk 7
1. The applicant-plaintiff being aggrieved by the order dated 21.2.92 passed in Civil Suit (unregistered) by the learned 1st Additional District Judge, Bhopal, directing the plaintiff to pay the proper Court fee, has preferred this revision.
2. The brief facts necessary for the present revision are that the plaintiff claiming to be an owner and title holder prayed for a declaration that the House No. 25 (the suit house) belongs to her exclusively and the defendant has no right and is not entitled to interfere with the possession of the plaintiff. For the purposes of the declaration the plaintiff valued the suit for Rs. Three Lacs but, however, paid the fixed Court fee under Schedule II Article 19 of the Court Fees Act and for the purposes of the injunction valued it for Rs. 300/- and paid Court fees Rs. 30/-, in all valued the suit for Rs. 3,00,300/- and paid Rs. 60/- as Court fees. The learned trial Court before registration of the suit, while checking the plaint came to the conclusion that the plaintiff has not properly valued the suit. It is note-worthy that in the order itself referring to State of M.P. v. Ramswarup [1977 (2) MPWN 306] the Court below has observed that the plaintiff is in possession of the property and the alleged declaration is in relation to her title only, therefore, the court-fees on the market value of the property is not required. However, the Court below referring to S.K.H. Rs. Sp. Sathappa Chettiar v. S.A.M. Sr. Rs. Ramanathan Chettiar (AIR 1958 SC 245), observed that the plaintiff must be given an opportunity to clear the ambiguity between the valuation of the suit and the Court fee.
Being aggrieved by this order the plaintiff has preferred this revision petition.
3. Shri Jain submitted that for attraction of section 7 (iv) (c) of the Court Fees Act the consequential relief must flow directly from the declaration or without such consequential relief either the declaration, or without the declaration such a consequential relief cannot be granted. According to him Article 17 of Schedule II would be applicable for the purposes of the Court fee and the plaintiff being the dominus-litis was entitled to put his own valuation of the property for the purposes of the pecuniary jurisdiction of the Court. On the other hand Shri Lalwani submitted that in the instant case the plaintiff could not have sought an injunction unless she was declared owner of the property and unless injunction is granted in her favour no declaration can be made. According to him section 7 (iv) (c) fully applies to the facts of the case.
3-A. Section 7 (iv) (c) refers to a prayer for a declaratory decree and consequential relief. Where the plaintiff wants to claim an injunction which is a consequence of declaration or where without declaration of right or status the injunction cannot be granted, section 7 (iv) (d) would apply with full force. Section 7 (iv) (c) relates to the relief of the injunction. Article 17 of Schedule II of Court Fees Act refers to certain suits wherein the fixed Court Fee is to be paid. It relates to such reliefs where the plaintiff seeks to obtain declaratory decree where no consequential relief is prayed. Section 7 (iv) (c) and Article 17 of Schedule II read together lead to only irrestitle conclusions that if no consequential relief is prayed for section 7 (iv) (c) would not be applicable and plaintiff is not liable to pay the court-fees on the market value of the property as a simple declaration would be sufficient. The Supreme Court in the matter of Shamshersingh v. Rajinder Prashad (AIR 1973 SC 2584) has observed as under :-
The expression ''consequential relief" means some relief, which would follow directly from the declaration given, the valuation of which is not capable of being definitely ascertained and which is not specifically provided for anywhere in the Act and cannot be claimed independently of the declaration as a "substantial relief". In the matter of Purshottam Dass v. Bar Narain (AI
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