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1991 JLJ 23
(FULL BENCH)
Dr. T.N. Singh. K.K. Varma and S.K. Dubey, JJ.
Imrat and others v. Lanjua and others
M.P. No. 643 of 1988;
Decided on 8.3.1990
A "lender of money" need not be a person registered under M.P. Money Lenders Act, the Legislature rather meant clearly that he may be a person who may not be advancing loan in the regular course of business. Legislature intended to bring within the purview of the Adhiniyam all persons who had lent money and contracted a prohibited transaction of loan, irrespective of the fact that he was not engaged in the business of money-lending.
A stray transaction of loan does not form part of "regular business" of any person and he need not, therefore, be registered under the law. It is with this object that the Legislature has advisedly used the term "lender of money" and in that context it has also said that the loan transaction may be made by a person who may or may not be registered as a money-lender under the Act.
If clauses (d) and (f) of section 2 of the Adhiniyam are read together and the object of the Adhiniyam is kept in view, there is no scope for any ambiguity about the purport of the definition of the term "lender of money". There is no scope for imparting the concept of plurality to the "transaction" contemplated under those provisions. 1989 JLJ 245 and 1985 JLJ 437 overruled. 1985 JLJ 696 and 1984 JLJ 206 referred to. [Para 13
(2) Words and Phrases --- word "advance" --- means "loan" when used as noun. [Para 11
(3) Words and Phrases --- phrase "advancing loan" -- is regarded as implying a "process" of advancing of loan. [Para 11
(4) Interpreta1ion of Statutes --- intention of the Legislature should be gathered from the words used by it --- words used are to be construed in their setting and context. (1975) 1 SCC 76, AIR 1950 SC 165, AIR 1960 SC 675, AIR 1965 SC 1358, AIR 1974 SC 1818 and AIR 1987 SC 1454 followed. [Para 13
(5) Interpretation of Statutes --- preamble may assist in ascertaining the meaning --- it does not affect clear words in statute. (1957) 1 All E.R. 49, AIR 1970 SC 540, AIR 1961 SC 954 and AIR 1966 SC 361 followed. [Para 16
¼1½ lekt ds detksj oxksZa ds d`f"k Hkwfe /kkjdksa dk m/kkj nsus okyksa ds Hkwfe gM+ius laca/kh dqpØksa ls ifj=k.k rFkk eqfDr vf/kfu;e] 1976 ¼e-iz-½ && /kkjk 2¼x½] 2¼?k½ ,oa 2¼p½ && ^^/ku m/kkj nsus okyk** && dkjckj ds fu;fer vuqØe esa m/kkj nsuk vko‘;d ugha gS && /kkjk 2¼x½ esa ;Fkk ifjHkkf"kr d`f"k Hkwfe /kkjd ,oa m/kkj nsus okys ds chp m/kkj dk dksbZ ,dy laO;ogkj Hkh ;fn og /kkjk 2¼p½ dh vis{kkvksa dh rqf"V djrk gS rc vf/kfu;e dh fjf"V esa vkrk gSA /ku m/kkj nsus okys dks e-iz- lkgwdkjh vf/kfu;e ds v/khu jftLVªhd`r gksuk vko‘;d ugha gS] fo/kku eaMy dk Li"V vk‘k; ;g Fkk fd og O;fDr ,slk Hkh gks ldrk gS tks dkjckj ds fu;fer vuqØe esa m/kkj u nsrk gksA fo/kku eaMy dk vk‘k; mu lHkh O;fDr;ksa dks vf/kfu;e dh O;kfIr esa ykus dk Fkk ftUgksaus /ku m/kkj fn;k Fkk rFkk m/kkj ds izfrf"k) laO;ogkj dh lafonk dh Fkh] blls fujis{k fd og /ku m/kkj nsus ds dkjckj esa ugha yxk FkkA m/kkj dk ,d ,dy laO;ogkj fdlh O;fDr ds fu;fer dkjckj ds Hkkx dk :i ugha ysrk blfy, ml O;fDr dk fof/k ds v/khu jftLVªhd`r gksuk vko‘;d ugha gSA fo/kku eaMy us ml mís‘; ls tkucw> dj ‘‘kCn ^^/ku m/kkj nsus okyk** iz;qDr fd, gSa ,oa ml lanHkZ esa mlus ;g Hkh dgk gS fd m/kkj dk ;g laO;ogkj ml O;fDr }kjk fd;k x;k gks ldrk gS ftldk jftLVªhdj.k vf/kfu;e ds v/khu m/kkj nsus okys ds :i esa gks vFkok ughaA ;fn vf/kfu;e dh /kkjk 2 ds [kaM ¼?k½ ,oa ¼p½ ,d lkFk i<+s tk,¡ ,oa vf/kfu;e dk mís‘; fopkj esa j[kk tk, rc ‘‘kCn ^^/ku m/kkj nsus okyk** dh ifjHkk"kk ds rkRi;Z esa fdlh n~O;FkZdrk dk volj ugha gSA bu mica/kksa esa vuq/;kr ^^laO;ogkj** esa vusdRo dh ladYiuk iznku djus dk dksbZ volj ugha gSA 1989 ts ,y ts 245 ,oa 1985 ts ,y ts 437 myVk x;kA 1985 ts ,y ts 696 ,oa 1984 ts ,y ts 206 fufnZ"VA ¿ iSjk 13 ¼2½ ‘‘kCn vkSj okD; && ‘‘kCn ^^vf/knk;** && laKk ds :i esa iz;qDr gksus ij rkRi;Z ^^m/kkj** gSA ¿ iSjk 11 ¼3½ ‘‘kCn vkSj okD; && okD; ^^m/kkj dk vf/knk; djuk** && foo{kr :i esa m/kkj nsus dh ^^izfØ;k** ekuh tkrh gSA ¿ iSjk 11 ¼4½ fof/k dk fuoZpu && fo/kku eaMy ds vk‘k; dk fu"d"kZ mlds }kjk iz;qDr ‘‘kCnksa ls fudkyk tkuk pkfg, && iz;qDr ‘‘kCnksa dk vFkkZUo;u muds foU;kl ,oa lanHkZ ds vuq:i djuk gksrk gSA ¼1975½ 1 ,l lh lh 76] , vkb vkj 1950 ,l lh 165] , vkb vkj 1960 ,l lh 675] , vkb vkj 1965 ,l lh 1358] , vkb vkj 1974 ,l lh 1818 ,oa , vkb vkj 1987 ,l lh 1454 vuqlfjrA ¿ iSjk 13 ¼5½ fof/k dk fuoZpu && mn~nsf‘kdk rkRi;Z ds vfHkfuf‘p;u esa lgk;d gks ldrh gS && ;g vf/kfu;fefr ds Li"V ‘‘kCnksa dks izHkkfor ugha djrhA ¼1957½ 1 vkb bZ vkj 49] , vkb vkj 1970 ,l lh 540] , vkb vkj 1961 ,l lh 954 ,oa , vkb vkj 1966 ,l lh 381 vuqlfjrA ¿ iSjk 16
Dr. T.N. Singh, J. -- 1. The occasion for this reference arose on petitioner's counsel citing two Bench decisions of this Court and placing implicit reliance thereon when the matter came before two of us sitting in a Division Bench. He contended that interpretation therein of the relevant statutory provisions was binding on us and the law therein laid down was based on valid and sound propositions. That position being disputed and finding apparent merit in the challenge to the views taken in the decisions cited, this reference was made.
2. It is not necessary to deal or decide any fact except to outline briefly petitioner's case. Respondent No. 1 had executed a registered sale-deed in his favour on 30.12.1978 in respect of an area of 3.125 hectares of agricultural land for a consideration of Rs.2,000/-. Out of that amount Rs.200/- had been paid earlier and Rs.1,800/- was paid at the time of registration. Petitioners got possession of that land and had been cultivating the same. On 11.4.1984, the said respondent moved an application under M.P. Samaj Ke Kamjor Vargon Ke Krishi Bhumidharakon Ka Udhar Dene Walon Ke Bhumi Hadapane Sambandhi Kuchakron Se Paritran Tatha Mukti Adhiniyam, 1976, for short the Adhiniyam, before the Sub-Divisional Officer, Shivpuri (respondent No.3) for relief contemplated thereunder. On that being allowed, an appeal was taken by the petitioners before the Collector, Shivpuri (respondent No.2). That failed. Precisely, petitioners' case is that they were not money-lenders by profession and that the sale transaction evidenced by the sale-deed was not a "prohibited transaction of loan". Interpretation of clauses (d) and (f) of section 2, defining respectively the terms "lender of money" and "prohibited transaction of loan", is the first question to which we have to address ourselves.
3. Accordingly, these provisions, clause (d) in extenso, but of clause (f) the relevant part is extracted:
"(d) "lender of money" means a person advancing loan to a holder of agricultural land, whether registered under the Madhya Pradesh Money Lenders Act, 1934 (No. 13 of 1934) or not;
"(f) "prohibited transaction of loan" means a transaction in which a lender of money advances loan to a holder of agricultural land against security of his interest in land, whether, at the time of advancing the loan or at any time thereafter during the currency of the loan in any of the following modes, namely:--" (Emphasis added )
The "modes" above-referred, itemised (i) to (iv) include, inter alia, agreement to sell land with or without delivery of possession and outright sale of land with or without delivery of land accompanied by separate agreement to resell it. Sub-clause (v) of clause (f) being the residuary "modes", deserves to be quoted:
"(v) Transaction in any modes other than those specified in clauses (i) to (iv) affecting Interest In land including fraudulent transaction designed to defeat the provisions of any law regulating money lending or interest, for the time being in force, and includes all those transactions in which a lender of money has after the appointed day but on or before the date of publication of this Act in the Gazette, obtained possession of land of the holder of agricultural land through Court or by force or otherwise or obtained a decree for such possession towards satisfaction of loan." (Emphasis added)
4. The benefit envisaged under the Adhiniyam is indeed limited to the specified class of persons called "holder of agricultural land" and that is defined in clause 2(c), which we quote:
"(c) "holder of agricultural land" in the weaker sections of the people means a holder of land used for purposes of Agriculture not exceeding eight hectares of un-irrigated land or tour hectares of irrigated land within the State whether as a Bhumiswami or an occupancy tenant or a Government lessee either in anyone or all of the capacities together within the meaning of the Code."
5. We may profitably sum up succinctly some o
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