SupremeToday Landscape Ad
Back
Next
Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation
Listen Audio Icon Pause Audio Icon
judgment-img

1958 Supreme(MP) 209

IN THE HIGH COURT OF MADHYA PRADESH
V.R. NEVASKAR, J.
Sewaram Raghunath Mali
Vs.
Swami Atmanand Guru Nirbhayanand
S.A. No. 377 of 1952
Decided On: 10.09.1958

Advocates appeared:
For Appellant/Petitioner/Plaintiff: K.A. Chitale
For Respondents/Defendant: D.C. Bharucha

JUDGMENT

V.R. Nevaskar, J.

Only question involved in this second appeal is whether the licence of the Defendant had or had not become irrevocable in view of the provisions of Section 60 of the Indore Easement Act which is identical with the Indian Act on the subject.

Facts giving rise to this appeal are as follows:

The Plaintiff held a Pattedari land in Mauza Dongargaon bearing Khasra No. 177 measuring 0.66 acres. At the time of filing of this suit on 16-8-1947 the land stood in Plaintiff's name in the revenue records. The Plaintiff, in order to protect himself from the acts of trespass of 'Banda Gavalis' of Mhow and their cattle upon his field resulting in damage and loss to his produce, introduced one Sadhu named Bhajan Guru who constructed a hut and developed a garden there on a piece of land measuring 0.2 acres as described in the plaint. After his death on 20-11-1938 the Plaintiff introduced the Defendant in that hut and permitted the Defendant to have the use of the adjoining well. The Defendant repaired the well and constructed two rooms of permanent character up to 1944-45. The Defendant got along well and did not assert his right. In that year he began to challenge Plaintiff's right to the property and claimed exclusive right in himself. The Plaintiff therefore moved the revenue department for securing his ejectment. There the Defendant put forward his possession under an agreement of sale. The Plaintiff thereupon gave him a notice to vacate revoking the licence and filed the present suit for ejectment. The Defendant in answer to the Plaintiff's claim, based on his own title and the position of the Defendant whose licence had been revoked, denied Plaintiff's title to the land and the property situated thereon including the cottage, well and garden. He asserted that he was in possession of the land as the chela of Bhajan Guru and was entitled to tack on his possession to that of his Guru. He pleaded adverse possession and bar of limitation and lastly he contended that he had spent about Rs. 3,000 in constructing certain rooms to the knowledge of the Plaintiff. He denied his status as a licensee and pleaded in the alternative that the licence had become irrevocable inasmuch as he had made improvements of permanent character worth Rs. 3,000.

The trial Court found Plaintiff's title to the property established. It further found the Defendant to be a licensee who was neither in adverse possession of the property in suit nor was entitled to tack on his possession to that of Bhajan Guru. It was further held relying upon the decision in Gujrat Ginning and Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Ahmedabad v. Motilal Hirabhai Spinning and Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Ahmedabad, AIR 1936 PC 77, that the Defendant was not entitled to assert Irrevocability of the licence in view of the provisions of Section 60 of the Easement Act. Repairing of the well and construction of rooms of permanent character at his own expense by the Defendant was held not established in view of the evidence on record to the effect that other people of Mhow contributed in this improvement. The trial Court in view of these findings decreed the Plaintiff's suit.

On appeal the learned District Judge reversed the decision holding that although the Defendant had been rightly held to be a licensee the licence had become irrevocable due to his having acted upon the licence and executing works upon the property of permanent character. According to the learned Judge it made no difference whatever whether the Defendant spent his own money or spent money secured by him as contribution in charity from other people. He accordingly allowed the appeal and dismissed the suit with costs.

This is a second appeal against that decision.

Mr. Chitale, the learned Counsel for the Appellant, said that the only question in this case is whether the acts of improvements by constructing a building of permanent character and repairing and improving the well can be said to have been done by the Defendant acting up
















Click Here to Read the rest of this document

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
SupremeToday Portrait Ad
supreme today icon
logo-black

An indispensable Tool for Legal Professionals, Endorsed by Various High Court and Judicial Officers

Please visit our Training & Support
Center or Contact Us for assistance

qr

Scan Me!

India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!

For Daily Legal Updates, Join us on :

whatsapp-icon Back to top