2023 Supreme(Online)(KAR) 13767
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NC: 2023:KHC:30084
WP No. 17859 of 2023
IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU
DATED THIS THE 23RD DAY OF AUGUST, 2023
BEFORE
THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE S.G.PANDIT
WRIT PETITION NO. 17859 OF 2023 (GM-CPC)
BETWEEN:
M NARASIMHAMURTHY
S/O LATE MUNIYAPPA,
AGED ABOUT 56 YEARS,
R/OF CHIKKABASTHI VILLAGE,
KENGERI HOBLI,
BENGALURU SOUTH TALUK,
BENGALURU- 560056.
…PETITIONER
(BY SRI. M S NAGARAJA, ADV.)
AND:
1.
SRI RAMU
S/O LAKSHMAN RAO,
AGED ABOUT 63 YEARS,
2.
SRI VENKOB RAO
S/O LAKSHMAN RAO,
AGED ABOUT 59 YEARS,
3.
SRI CHANDRASHEKAR
S/O LAKSHMAN RAO,
AGED ABOUT 55 YEARS,
RESPONDENTS NO.1 TO 3 ARE
R/OF CHIKKABASTHI VILLAGE,
KENGERI HOBLI,
BENGALURU SOUTH TALUK,
BENGALURU- 560056.
4.
SRI UMESH BHAT
AGED ABOUT 50 YEARS,
R/AT NO.170, 14TH CROSS,
Digitally signed by
GURURAJ D
Location: High
Court of
Karnataka
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NC: 2023:KHC:30084
WP No. 17859 of 2023
1ST BLOCK, RAJAJINAGAR,
BENGALURU -560010.
5.
SMT. NARASAMMA
SINCE DEAD BY HER LRS
KAMALA BAI
D/O LATE MUNIYAPPA,
AGED ABOUT 53 YEARS,
R/AT GARAGESHWARA VILLAGE,
KUDUR HOBLI,
MAGADI TALUK-560060.
6.
SMT. BHAGYAMMA
W/O NARAYANA,
AGED ABOUT 51 YEARS,
R/AT ULLALA BASTHI,
YESHWANTHPURA HOBLI,
BENGALURU NORTH TALUK-560060.
7.
SRIDHAR MURTHY
S/O SRI VENKATARAMANAPPA
AGED ABOUT 48 YEARS,
R/AT MARUTHINAGARA,
KENGERI HOBLI,
BENGALURU SOUTH TALUK-560060.
8.
SRI PRAKASHA
AGED ABOUT 46 YEARS,
S/O SRI VENKATARAMANAPPA,
BANGALORE SOUTH TALUK
R/AT MARUTHINAGARA,
KENGERI HOBLI-560060.
9.
SMT. LEELAVATHI
W/O ANJAN KUMAR,
AGED ABOUT 44 YEARS,
R/AT ULLALA BASTHI
YESHWANTHPURA HOBLI,
BENGALURU NORTH TALUK-560060.
10. MR. VENKATESH
S/O LATE MUNIYAPPA
AGED ABOUT 60 YEARS,
R/AT CHIKKABASTHI VILLAGE,
ULLALA UPPANAGARA,
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NC: 2023:KHC:30084
WP No. 17859 of 2023
KENGERI HOBLI,
BANGALORE- 560056.
11. SMT JINUBAI
W/O LATE M NAGARAJ
AGED ABOUT 48 YEARS
12. PAVAN RAJU M
S/O LATE M NAGARAJ
AGED ABOUT 27 YEARS
RESPONDENTS 11 & 12 ARE
R/AT NO.1, NEAR NICE ROAD,
MANGANAHALLI, SULIKERE POST,
BANGALORE-560060.
13. M LOKESH
S/O LATE MUNIYAPPA
AGED ABOUT 42 YEARS,
14. M. SATISH
S/O LATE MUNIYAPPA
AGED ABOUT 40 YEARS,
RESPONDENTS 13 & 14 ARE
R/AT CHIKKABASTHI VILLAGE,
ULLALA UPPANAGARA,
BANGALORE-560056.
…RESPONDENTS
(BY MS. S AISHWARYA, ADV. FOR
SRI RAJESHWARA P N, ADV. FOR R1 TO R3;
V/O DATED 23.08.2023 NOTICE TO R4 TO R14 D/W)
THIS PETITION IS FILED UNDER ARTICLE 227 OF THE
CONSTITUTION OF INDIA, PRAYING TO QUASH THE IMPUGNED
ORDER PASSED BY THE LEARNED II CIVIL JUDGE BENGALURU
RURAL DIST. BENGALURU IN OS NO.254/2002 ON IA NO.1/22 FILED
U/O 26 RULE 9 OF CPC DATED 15.07.2023 VIDE ANNX-G AND
CONSEQUENTLY
ALLOW
THE
APPLICATION
FILED
BY
THE
PETITIONER U/O 26 RULE 9 OF CPC FOR APPOINTMENT OF
COMMISSIONER IN OS NO. 254/2002 ON THE FILE OF II ADDL.
CIVIL JUDGE BENGALURU RURAL DIST BENGALURU.
THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR PRELIMINARY HEARING,
THIS DAY, THE COURT MADE THE FOLLOWING:
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NC: 2023:KHC:30084
WP No. 17859 of 2023
The petitioner/plaintiff No.4 in O.S.No.254/2002 on
the file of the II Additional Civil Judge (Jr. Dvn), Bengaluru
Rural District, Bengaluru (for short, ‘Trial Court’) is before
this
Court
questioning
order
dated 15.07.2023
on
I.A.No.1/2022 rejecting the application filed under Order
26 Rule 9 of CPC.
Heard the learned counsel Sri.M.S.Nagaraja for
petitioner/plaintiff
No.4
and
learned
counsel
Ms.S.Aishwarya for Sri.Rajeshwara.P.N., learned counsel
for respondents No.1 to 3. Perused the writ petition
papers.
Learned counsel for the petitioner/plaintiff No.4
would submit that after completion of recording of
evidence, petitioner/plaintiff No.4 filed I.A.No.1/2022
under Order 26 Rule 9 of CPC praying to appoint Court
Commissioner for conducting survey of schedule property
and to prepare sketch by identifying the encroached
portion of land measuring 0.37 guntas in Sy.No.20/2 and
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20/3 of Sonnenahalli Village, Kengeri Hobli, Bengaluru
South Taluk. Learned counsel would submit that as the
defendants have encroached western portion of the suit
schedule
property,
it
has
become
necessary
for
petitioner/plaintiff No.4 to file application for appointment
of Commissioner to find out the encroachment. Learned
counsel would submit that similar application was filed on
earlier occasion and the said application for appointment
of Commissioner was rejected. The said rejection of
application for appointment of Commissioner was the
subject matter of W.P.No.26530/2017. This Court by order
dated 05.07.2017, dismissed the writ petition observing
that there is no specific averment made in the plaint and
no material is produced to prove the encroachment and on
the ground that appointment of Commissioner sought is
not to find out encroachment as alleged. Learned counsel
would submit that subsequently, amendment application
to incorporate the allegation with regard to encroachment
was filed and the said amendment was allowed by order
dated 16.12.2019. The said allowing amendment is not
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challenged by defendants and it has become final.
Subsequently, petitioner/plaintiff No.4 filed I.A.No.1/2022
under Order 26 Rule 9 of CPC praying for appointment of
Commissioner to conduct survey and to find out the
encroachment. The Trial Court committed an error in
dismissing the said application that too, when the
petitioner’s prayer is for appointment of Commissioner to
find out encroachment. Learned counsel would submit that
if the Commissioner report is obtained with regard to
encroachment,
it
would
aid
the
Court
in
proper
adjudication of the dispute between the parties. Learned
counsel would submit that the Trial Court failed to exercise
its jurisdiction under Order 26 Rule 9 of CPC. Further,
learned counsel for the petitioner/plaintiff No.4 places
reliance on the decision of Co-ordinate Bench of this Court
in W.P.No.20127/2022 dated 24.01.2023 and in terms of
the said order, he prays for allowing the writ petition and
to
appoint
the
Court
Commissioner
to
find
out
encroachment.
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Per contra, learned counsel Ms.S.Aishwarya for
Sri.P.N.Rajeswhara, learned counsel for respondent Nos.1
to 4 would support the order passed by the Trial Court and
submit that as the application for appointment of Court
Commissioner was rejected on an earlier occasion,
petitioner/plaintiff No.4 could not have filed one more
application praying for appointment of Court Commissioner
under Order 26 Rule 9 of CPC. Further, learned counsel
would submit that the parties have completed their
evidence and the material on record would be sufficient to
decide the issue involved in the suit and it would not be
necessary to get the Commissioner’s report. Thus, she
prays for dismissal of the writ petition.
Having heard the learned counsel appearing for
the parties and on perusal of the writ petition papers, I am
of the view that Trial Court ought to have allowed
I.A.No.1/2022 filed under Order 26 Rule 9 of CPC and
ought to have appointed Commissioner to conduct survey
of th