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2021 Supreme(Telangana) 322

IN THE HIGH COURT FOR THE STATE OF TELANGANA AT HYDERABAD
Chillakur Sumalatha, J.
Puli Laxmi, W/o. Narayana – Petitioner
Versus
Dasari Narsaiah S/o. Komuraiah (Died) and others – Respondents
Civil Revision Petition No.1787 of 2017
Decided On : 22-12-2021

Advocates:
Advocate Appeared:
For the Petitioner: Mr. Ramchander Rao

Headnote:

Civil Procedure Code,1908 - order XXI Rule 11 - Limitation Act - Articles 136 and 135 - Suit for declaration of title, for possession and for mandatory injunction - Seeking the Court for executing the decree - Execution petition, which stood moved by the decree-holder under order XXI Rule 11 CPC seeking Court for executing the decree that was passed and thereby to pull down structures present in the suit schedule property - Judgment debtors resisted the execution petition mainly on ground that said execution petition (EP) is barred by limitation - Petitioner herein filed a suit for declaration of title, for possession and for mandatory injunction relief of mandatory injunction was sought for to direct the defendants to the suit to pull down the hut and other structures, which are present in suit schedule property - Trial Court decreed the suit reliefs sought for by the revision petitioner/plaintiff were granted in toto - Defendants were directed to pull down the structures, which were constructed by them in the suit land - execution of the decree should not be made futile on mere technicalities which does not, however, mean that where a decree is incapable of being executed under any provisions of law it should, in all cases, be executed non-with-standing such bar or prohibition - Decree is granted for two reliefs and the second relief is contingent upon the first, a rational approach is necessitated keeping in view prolonged factum of litigation resulting in passing of a decree in favour of a litigant - Policy of law is to give a fair and liberal and not a technical construction enabling the decree holder to reap the fruits of his decree - When decree is passed in respect of two reliefs for which different period of limitation is prescribed and if the second relief is separable from the first relief, then in that case bar of limitation for enforcing that part of the decree will come in the way of the decree holder - Decree is for possession and compensation and if decree for recovery of amount of compensation is not enforced within the prescribed time limits, then enforcement of said part of the decree would be barred by limitation - Second part of decree is inseparable from the first part of the decree i.e. if the second relief is inseparable from the first relief as in the present case of recovery of possession coupled with mandatory injunction to demolish the house then the period of limitation for enforcement of the main relief should be treated for enforcement of such type of decree by giving fair and liberal and not technical construction to enable the decree holder to reap the fruits of his decree – Court hold that decree of possession coupled with mandatory injunction, though the enforcement of decree for mandatory injunction is not claimed within three years prescribed under Article 135 of Schedule of Limitation Act - Suit schedule property and the defendants were directed to pull down the structures present in the suit schedule property within two months - Main relief granted and second consequential / ancillary relief given are inseparable. Therefore, as discussed above and indicated through the decision of the High Court of Bombay - revision petition is allowed.

ORDER :

The order of the Court of Junior Civil Judge, Sulthanabad, in E.P. No.2 of 2012, dated 14.12.2016 is under challenge.

2. Decree-holder to the execution petition has challenged the impugned order.

3. Heard the submission of the learned counsel for the revision petitioner and gave anxious consideration to the contents of the decisions relied upon by the learned counsel.

4. In spite of service of notice upon the respondents 2 and 3, they failed to make their appearance and submit.

5. The execution petition, which stood numbered as E.P. No.2 of 2012, was moved by the decree-holder under order XXI Rule 11 CPC seeking the Court for executing the decree that was passed in O.S. No.63 of 1999 and thereby to pull down the structures present in the suit schedule property. The judgment debtors resisted the execution petition mainly on the ground that the said execution petition (EP) is barred by limitation. Considering the stand taken by the judgment debtors, coming to a conclusion that the E.P. is barred by limitation, the executing Court dismissed the execution petition. Aggrieved by the said order of dismissal, decree holder approached this Court challenging the order of dismissal.

6. Strenuously arguing that the dismissal of E.P. No.2 of 2012 is unsustainable under law, the learned counsel for the revision petitioner submitted that as per Article 136 of the Limitation Act, an execution petition can be filed for executing a decree finally within its purview within a period of 12 years but the executing Court under the impression that for enforcement of a bare decree of mandatory injunction, the period of limitation is only 3 years and therefore, the E.P. is not within the period of limitation, dismissed the E.P. and if the period of limitation is taken as 12 years, the order would have been otherwise and therefore, the said order of the executing Court is challenged.

7. The learned counsel took the Court to the provisions contained in Articles 135 and 136 of the Limitation Act and submitted at length with regard to the distinction between those two Articles.

8. As per the material available on record, it is clear that the revision petitioner herein filed a suit for declaration of title, for possession and for mandatory injunction. The relief of mandatory injunction was sought for to direct the defendants to the suit to pull down the hut and other structures, which are present in the suit schedule property. The trial Court decreed the suit on 04.05.2001. The reliefs sought for by the revision petitioner/plaintiff were granted in toto. The defendants were directed to pull down the structures, which were constructed by them in the suit land within two months from the date of judgment. Therefore, the defendants ought to have removed those structures by 05.07.2001. On the ground that those structures were not removed, the plaintiff filed the execution petition on 04.05.2012. Observing that the execution petition is filed after 11 years and thereby it is barred by limitation, the Court dismissed the execution petition.

9. Thus, the point that arises for consideration is

whether the execution petition (EP), which was filed on 04.05.2012 for execution of the decree dated 04.05.2001 is within the period of limitation.

10. Article 135 of the Limitation Act prescribes the period of limitation as 3 years for enforcement of a decree granting mandatory injunction. The period of 3 years begins to run from the date of decree or when a date is fixed for performance, such date.

11. Coming to Article 136 of the Limitation Act, it prescribes 12 years for execution of any decree or order of civil Court other than the decree granting mandatory injunction, which is covered under Article 135. However, it is provided that for an application for enforcement or execution of a decree granting perpetual injunction, the said period does not apply.

12. With an observ

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