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

2025 Supreme(Online)(Gau) 8292

IN THE HIGH COURT OF TRIPURA AT AGARTALA
Manik Saha, J
Renubala Nath v. Bikash Ranjan Dutta
Title Appeal No.28 of 2016



Advocates:
For the Appellants/Petitioners: Mr. S.M. Chakraborty
For the Respondents: None

Ownership established through valid title and boundary description prevails over administrative map errors in matters of injunction.

Headnote:(A) Title Suit - The law regarding injunction - The case revolves around the ownership and identification of land, with an emphasis on the necessity to clearly delineate property lines and provide documentary evidence in matters of claim. (Paras 2, 8, 12, 18)

(B) Civil Procedure Code, 1908 - Order XLI Rule 27 - Assessment of additional evidence by appellate courts is permissible, contingent upon proper documentation and challenges to earlier proceedings. (Paras 10, 11)

Facts of the case:
The appellant purchased land in 2007 and subsequently faced threats from respondents leading to suit for injunction, alleging ownership via a sale deed, but faced dismissal in lower courts due to unclear boundaries and challenges to the deed's validity.

Findings of Court:
The courts below failed to recognize the plaintiff's ownership rights based on valid documents and misapplication of land descriptions, leading to wrongful dismissal of the injunction claim.

Issues: The primary issue was determining valid ownership and the legal right to claim possession despite administrative errors in land records.

Ratio Decidendi: Revenue Authority inaccuracies should not penalize an innocent purchaser, and ownership must be established through valid legal means. The courts must not dismiss cases based solely on procedural or administrative errors.

Result: Appeal allowed; plaintiff's suit for injunction is decreed, granting relief against defendants.

Table of Content
1. overview of ownership and possession claims. (Para 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 12 , 16)
2. discussion on legal proceedings and requirements. (Para 8 , 10 , 11 , 17)
3. final observations regarding ownership maintenance. (Para 9 , 18 , 20)

1. The appeal arises out of the judgment dated 16.09.2023 passed by the learned Additional District Judge, North Tripura, Dharmanagar in Title Appeal No.28 of 2016 by dismissing the appeal.

2. The appellant (hereinafter referred to as the plaintiff) instituted Title Suit No.24 of 2014 in the Court of the Civil Judge (Jr. Division), Dharmanagar against the respondents (hereinafter referred to as the defendants) praying for a perpetual injunction for restraining the defendants, their men and agents from entering into the suit land and from disturbing the possession of the plaintiff therein in respect of the land measuring 0.04 acres of Class - Nal recorded in the Khatian No.743 of Mouja - Panisagar falling within R.S. Plot No.1331, corresponding to old CS Plot No.531/1008(P) with the following boundaries:

North : Self (plaintiff)

South : Foot track of village.

East : Biresh Das known as Biresh Sen

West : Assam - Agartala Road

3. The claim of the plaintiff is that she purchased the suit land from one Smt. Basana Rani Nath and others vide registered sale Deed No.1-3033 dated 15.12.2007 (Exbt.1 series) and since purchase she has been possessing the suit land peacefully. Khatian has also been mutated in her name. But on 15.05.2014, in the morning, the defendants threatened her not to cultivate the suit land and that they would cultivate the same after taking possession thereof. Similar incident, according to the plaintiff, occurred again on 26.05.2014 and therefore, she instituted the suit to protect her possession.

4. The defendants contested the suit and according to them, the plaintiff did not purchase the suit land from Basana Rani Nath by above said sale deed. According to them, the suit land is not identifiable, for, in the trace map RS Plot No.1333 is situated at the adjacent North of suit plot as per Khatian but as per trace map, RS plot No.9823 is situated at the adjacent North. They also contended that the purchased plot of the plaintiff bearing R.S. Plot No.1331 as per the map was situated far away from plot No.1330 and 1332 keeping so many plots existent in between without any basis, which further creates doubt about correctness of location of these plots in the trace map. It is also stated that the suit land was ancestral property of the defendants along with the co - sharers and they have been jointly possessing the suit land with other lands without any interruption from any corner. Their predecessor sold out 0.21 acres of land to one Bimal Sen which is situated adjacent eastern boundary of the suit land appertaining to plot No.9300. Accordingly, the land measuring 0.10 acres including the suit land which is situated adjacent west to the land of said Bimal Sen is still recorded in the name of the predecessor of the defendants.

5. It is also contended by the defendants that the vendor of plaintiff has no right, title and possession in the land wrongly shown in the trace map as against plot No.1331. In this regard, the defendants have also submitted a petition to the SDM, Panisagar for correction of trace map which is still pending.

6. During trial, the plaintiff examined herself as PW - 1 and also examined other 2(two) witnesses, namely Sri Arabinda Debnath and Sri Anathbandhu Das as PW - 2 and PW - 3 respectively and also proved few documents into the evidence, such as, her title deed, Khatian No.743 and certified copy of trace map.

7. The defendant No.1, Sri Bikash Ranjan Dutta examined himself as DW - 1 and other two witnesses, namely Sri Dayamay Datta and Sri Manna Dey as DW - 2 and DW - 3 respectively. He also proved the copy of his application dated 30.05.2014 submitted before the SDM, Panisagar for correction of the map, certified copy of demarcation report dated 14.02.2014 and anot

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