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2007 Supreme(MP) 681

A.K. Shrivastava, J.
Ashok Kumar Gehani and another v. Ramhet Agrawal and another
Civil Revision No. 433 of 2006 (J); Decided on 16.7.2007.*

Advocates:
Ashok Aradhe for applicants; Vikram Singh for respondent No.1.

Headnote:(1) Court-fees Act, 1870 - Sch. II Art. 17 and S. 7 (iv) (c) -- Specific Relief Act, 1963 -- S. 34 - plaintiff not party to the sale deed nor claiming through vendor -- call sue for mere declaration -- not liable to pay advalorem court-fees. 1970 JLJ 290 (FB) and 1976 JLJ 703 relied on.[Para 3

        (2) Civil P.C., 1908 -- O. 7 R. 11 -- application for rejection of plaint -- only plaint averments are required to be seen. [Para 5

        (3) Specific Relief Act, 1963 -- Ss. 38 and 34 -- determination whether a reliefis consequential or not -- if such relies will be claimed independently it is not consequential relief AIR 1973 SCC 384 followed. [Para 6

        (4) Court-fees Act, 1870 -- S. 7 (iv) (c) -- Specific Relief Act, 1963 -- Ss. 34 and 38 -- expression "consequential relief" in S. 7 (iv) (c) of 1870 Act --means some relief which follows strictly from declaration -- valuation of which is not capable of being ascertained. [Para 6

        (5) Court-fees Act, 1870 -- S. 7 (iv) (c) and Sch. II Art. 17 -- relief of injunction not consequential to relief of declaration -- any valuation may be put to such relief -- plaintiff not bound to pay advalorem court-fees. 1997 (l) JLJ l05 and 1998 (2) MPLJ 79 relied on. [Para 7

        ¼1½ U;k;ky; Qhl vf/kfu;e] 1870 && vuqlwph 2] vuq- 17 rFkk /kkjk 7 (iv) ¼10½ && fofufnZ"V vuqrks"k vf/kfu;e] 1963 && /kkjk 34 && oknh fodz; foys[k esa i{kdkj ugah vkSj u fodzsrk ds ek/;e ls nkok fd;k && ek= ?kks"k.kk ds fy, okn yk ldrk gS && ewY;kuqlkj U;k;ky; Qhl dk lank; djus ds fy, nk;h ugha gSA 1970 ts ,y ts 290 ¼iw.kZ U;k;ky;½ rFkk 1976 ts ,y ts 703 voyafcrA ¼iSjk 3½

        ¼2½ flfoy izfdz;k lafgrk] 1908 && vk- 7 fu- 11 && okni= ukeatwj fd, tkus ds fy, vkosnu && dsoy okni= ds izdFkuksa ij fopkj fd;k tkuk vko‘;d gSA ¼iSjk 5½

        ¼3½ fofufnZ"V vuqrks"k vf/kfu;e] 1963 && /kkjk 38 rFkk 34 && fofu‘p; fd vuqrks"k ikfj.kkfed gS vFkok ugha && ;fn ,sls vuqrks"k dk Lora=rkiwoZd nkok fd;k tk ldrk gS rks ;g ikfj.kkfed vuqrks"k ugha gSA , vkb vkj 1973 ,l lh 2384 vuqlfjrA ¼iSjk 6½

        ¼4½ U;k;ky; Qhl vf/kfu;e] 1870 && /kkjk 7
(iv) ¼10½ fofufnZ"V vuqrks"k vf/kfu;e] 1963 && /kkjk 34 rFkk 38 && 1870 ds vf/kfu;e dh /kkjk 7 ¼10½ esa vfHkO;fDr Þikfj.kkfed vuqrks"kß && ,slk vuqrks"k rkRif;Zr gS tks loZFkk ?kks"k.kk dk ifj.kke gS && ftldk ewY;kadu vfHkfuf‘pr ugha fd;k tk ldrkA ¼iSjk 6½

        ¼5½ U;k;ky; Qhl vf/kfu;e] 1870 && /kkjk 7
(iv) ¼10½ rFkk vuqlwph 2] vuq- 17 && O;kns‘k dk vuqrks"k ?kks"k.kk dk ikfj.kkfed vuqrks"k ugha && ,sls vuqrks"k ds fy, dqN Hkh ewY;kdau fd;k tk ldrk gS && oknh ewY;kuqlkj U;k;ky; Qhl dk lank; djus ds fy, vkc) ugha gSA 1997 ¼1½ ts ,y ts 105 rFkk 1998 ¼2½ ,e ih ,y ts 79 voyafcrA ¼iSjk 7½

ORDER

1. This revision petition has been directed against the impugned order passed by learned trial Court, dismissing the application under Order 7 Rule 11, CPC filed by petitioners/defendants.

2. Instant suit has been filed by plaintiff/respondent No. 1 for declaration that the sale-deed dated 7.5.2004 which was registered on 21.5.2004, is null and void. The other relief which has been prayed by the plaintiff is for permanent injunction that on suit property defendants may not raise any construction. According to the plaint averments, in the sale-deed dated 7/21 May, 2004, plaintiff is not a party. Shri Aradhe, learned senior counsel for petitioners/defendants also admits that plaintiff is not the party in the said sale-deed.

3. On going through the averments made in the plaint, it is gathered that the sale-deed was executed by defendant No.3 in favour of defendants No.1 and 2, but plaintiff is not the party in the said deed. Ramhet Agrawal who is plaintiff is also not deriving or claiming any right, title and interest from Bhagwandas Agrawal, defendant No. 3 who sold the property to defendants No.1 and 2. Thus, I am of the view that since plaintiff is not a party in the sale-deed and is also not claiming his right from defendant No.3 who is vendor of defendants No.1 and 2, therefore, in view of Full Bench decision in Santosh Chandra and others v. Cyan Sunder Bai and others [1970 JLJ 290] he is not liable to pay ad valorem court fees and mere declaration that sale deed is void would suffice. The decision of this Court in Pratap and another v. Punia Bai and others [1976 JLJ 703] is clear on the point in issue as to whether the plaintiff is bound to pay ad valorem court fees if he seeks mere relief of declaration. This Court has categorically held in Pratap (supra) that if the transaction is voidable, and plaintiff is trying to avoid the voidable transaction, he is liable to pay ad valorem court fees but, if the transaction is void a mere declaration that the sale-deed is void would suffice and it is not necessary for the plaintiff to seek the relief of setting aside something which has no existence in the law. Shri Aradhe, learned senior counsel is also not disputing this well settled proposition of law. However, his contention is that the relief of injunction is consequential to the declaratory relief sought by plaintiff and since the plaintiff has valued his plaint for Rs. one crore of the land for purpose of declaration therefore, the same valuation ought to have been made for the purpose of obtaining a decree of injunction. In this context he has invited my attention to section 8 of the Suits Valuation Act. In support of his contention learned senior counsel has placed reliance on the Single Bench decision of this Court Raj Kaur w/o Garumukh Singh Randhawa v. M/s. Kinetic Gallery and another [2000 (I) JLJ 67 = 2000 (2) MPLJ 72].

4. Considered this argument.

5. It is well settled in law that at the time of consideration of an application under Order 7 Rule 11 CPC only the averments made in the plaint is required to be seen. On going through the plaint averments made in para 7 (e) it is gathered that plaintiff is seeking relief of injunction not to raise construction so that his right to access may not be obstructed. Thus he has valued the suit for Rs. 500/- for the purpose of injunction. I am of the view that proper valuation has been made by the plaintiff for the purpose of obtaining decree of injunction and proper court fee has been paid on this relief.

6. The true test in determining whether a relief is consequential or not is that if such relief can be claimed independently, then it cannot be said to be a consequential relief Shamsher Singh v. Rajinder Prasad [AIR 1973 SC 2384]. I may further add that the expression (c) consequential relief, in section 7 (iv) (c) of the Court-fees Act means some relief which would follow strictly from the declaration given, the valuation of which is not capable of being definitely ascertaine











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