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Sunday, February 17, 2013

under Section 100 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, (for short the ‘the CPC’) was limited to only deciding substantial questions of law which arise in a case - when material evidence is not considered, which if considered, would have led to an opposite conclusion, a substantial question of law arises for decision which the High Court can decide in a Second Appeal under Section 100 C.P.C. whether the plaintiff was the owner of the suit property and the first appellate court has held in C.A. No. 1721 on 20.03.2004 that the plaintiff has not been able to prove his ownership 16Page 17 over the suit property and has further held in C.A. No.16-T filed on 19.09.1990 that the plaintiff’s own admitted case in the plaint is that the appellants had purchased the suit property from Col. Girdhar Singh and his family members and were in possession of the same and hence the plaintiff was not entitled to declaration of his title, recovery of possession and injunction. In this case, therefore, the first appellate court had decided the core issue against the plaintiff and no substantial question of law arose for decision in this case by the High Court under Section 100, CPC. 13. In the result, these appeals are allowed and the impugned common judgment and decree of the High Court is set aside. Considering, however, the peculiar facts and circumstances of the case, the parties shall bear their own costs.


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Reportable
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION
CIVIL APPEAL No.   1276  OF 2013
(Arising out of SLP (C) No. 29198 of 2010)
 
Nasib Kaur and Ors.                                        … Appellants
Versus
Col. Surat Singh (Deceased)
through L.Rs & Ors.                                     … Respondents
WITH
CIVIL APPEAL No.   1277  OF 2013
(Arising out of SLP (C) No. 29205 of 2010)
 
Nasib Kaur and Ors.        …
Appellants
Versus
Mrs. Dulari Singh and Ors.                           … Respondents
J U D G M E N T
A. K. PATNAIK, J.
Leave granted.
2. These are the appeals against the common judgment
dated 11.11.2009 of the High Court of Punjab and HaryanaPage 2
in R.S.A. Nos. 2579 of 1997 and 2482 of 2008 by way of
special leave under Article 136 of the Constitution.
3. The facts very briefly are that Col. Surat Singh filed
Civil Suit No. 735-T on 18.04.1987 for declaration that the
plaintiff was the owner and was in possession of suit land.
The plaintiff’s case in the suit was that while he was in
joint holding of some land, he sold 2 bighas and 16 biswas
of land out of his share without specifying any khasra nos.
to Col. Girdhar Singh and his family members (defendant
nos. 1 to 4) and thereafter defendant nos. 1 to 4 sold the
land  in  pieces  to  defendant  nos.  5  to  8  in  the  suit
specifying the khasra nos. and mutation nos. 1120 and
1174.  As the plaintiff did not sell the land specifying the
khasra nos. to Col. Girdhar Singh and his son, they had no
right to sell specific pieces of land with specific khasra
nos.  The plaintiff’s further case in the plaint was that the
specific khasra nos. which had been mutated in favour of
defendant nos. 3, 4 and 5 were not in accordance with the
registered sale deed in favour of Col. Girdhar Singh and
his  family  members.   Defendant  Nos.  1  to  4  did  not
contest the suit, whereas defendant Nos. 5 to 8 appeared
2Page 3
and filed their written statements.  On the pleadings of the
parties, the trial court framed issues and by its judgment
and decree dated 20.02.2004 found that the areas of land
sold under the sale deed dated 17.07.1978 by the plaintiff
was less by        1 Biswas than the area in the mutation
entries and similarly the area of land sold by the plaintiff
as Attorney of Nanak Singh was less than the area shown
in the mutation entries.  The trial court, therefore, ordered
for correction of the mutation entries, but directed that
the corrections to be carried out would have no effect as
regards the possession of the suit property, which has to
continue as before and would be liable to be changed as
and when any partition proceeding is effected between
the co-sharers.  Col. Surat Singh filed an appeal C.A. No.
1721 on 20.03.2004 before the Additional District Judge,
Patiala, but by judgment and decree dated 18.03.2008 the
Additional District Judge, Patiala, dismissed the appeal.
4. Col.  Surat Singh  also filed Civil Suit No. 148-T on
09.03.1987  for  permanent  injunction  restraining  the
defendants  from  raising  any  construction  on  the  suit
property  or  alienating  the  same  in  any  manner
3Page 4
whatsoever.  The plaintiff’s case in the suit was that he
sold 2 bighas and 16 biswas of land out of the joint holding
of his own share without specifying any khasra nos. to one
Col. Girdhar Singh and his son on 17.07.1978 and Col.
Girdhar Singh has thus become a co-sharer to the extent
of  2  bighas  and  16  biswas  in  his  joint  holding  of  the
property.  Col. Girdhar Singh, however, did not file any
partition proceedings seeking partition of his share out of
the joint holding.  Thereafter, Col. Girdhar Singh sold the
share to the extent of 2 bighas and 16 biswas of land to
the defendants in February, 1987 and the defendants are
now threatening to raise a new construction near the farm
house of the plaintiff in a place of their choice on the plea
that they had purchased the land without specific khasra
nos. from Col. Girdhar Singh.  The defendants contested
the suit by filing a written statement and their plea in the
written statement inter alia was that their predecessor-ininterest (Col. Girdhar Singh and his son) had purchased
the suit property from the plaintiff and his uncle, Nanak
Singh, vide sale deeds dated 17.07.1978 and 19.07.1979
and the plaintiff has himself delivered possession of the
4Page 5
property  purchased  by  their  predecessor-in-interest
without  khasra  nos.   Their  further  plea  in  the  written
statement was that Col. Girdhar Singh had constructed his
kothi and quarters and planted Eucalyptus trees on the
suit property and the plaintiff has not raised any objection
and the plaintiff was, therefore, estopped by his act and
conduct  from  filing  the  suit.   On  the  pleadings  of  the
parties, the trial court framed issues and in its judgment
and decree dated 18.08.1998 held that the plaintiff has
sold 4 bighas and 16 biswas of land to Col. Girdhar Singh
and others which is in possession of the defendants and
hence  the  plaintiff  was  not  entitled  to  injunction.
Aggrieved, Col. Surat Singh filed an appeal C.A. No. 16-
T/1989-90 before the learned District Judge, Patiala, but
by judgment and decree dated 16.05.1997, the Additional
District Judge, Patiala, dismissed the appeal.
5. Aggrieved by the judgments and decrees passed by
the Additional District Judge, Patiala, dismissing the two
civil appeals, the wife of the plaintiff, Smt. Dulari Singh,
filed second appeals R.S.A. nos. 2579 of 1997 and 2482 of
2008 before the High Court and by the impugned common
5Page 6
judgment,  the High Court allowed the appeals and set
aside the judgments and decrees of the trial court and the
first appellate court in the two suits and decreed the suit
of  the  plaintiff  for  possession  qua  land  measuring  17
karams X 45 karams after declaring the plaintiff to be the
owner of the said property. The High Court has also held
that  the  plaintiff  was  entitled  for  relief  of  permanent
injunction  restraining  the  defendants  from  raising  any
construction in the said property or alienating the said
property.  Aggrieved, the defendants nos. 5 to 8 in Civil
Suit  No.735-T/18.04.1987  and  the  legal  heirs  of
defendants nos. 1 and 2 and the other defendants in Civil
Suit No. 148-T/09.03.1987 have filed these appeals.
6. Learned  counsel  appearing  for  the  appellants
submitted that in both the suits, the trial court recorded
findings  that  the  appellants  had  purchased  the  suit
property from Col. Girdhar Singh and his family members
to whom the plaintiff had himself delivered possession of
the suit property in the years 1978 and 1979 at the time
of  execution  of  the  two  sale  deeds  and  hence  the
appellants were in possession of the suit properties and
6Page 7
the first appellate court had also concurred with those
findings  and  dismissed  the  First  Appeals  of  the
respondents but the High Court reversed the judgments of
the trial court and the first appellate court.  He submitted
that the High Court’s jurisdiction under Section 100 of the
Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, (for short the ‘the CPC’)
was limited to only deciding substantial questions of law
which  arise  in  a  case  and  in  this  case  there  was  no
substantial question of law which arose for decision and,
therefore, the findings of the first appellate court affirming
the  findings  of  the  trial  court  could  not  have  been
disturbed by the High Court.
7. Learned counsel for the respondents, on the other
hand, submitted that this Court has held in  Ishwar Dass
Jain vs Sohan Lal [(2000) 1 SCC 434] that when material
evidence  is  not  considered,  which  if  considered,  would
have led to an opposite conclusion, a substantial question
of law arises for decision which the High Court can decide
in  a  Second  Appeal  under  Section  100  C.P.C.   He
submitted that the High Court had, therefore, framed a
substantial question  of law  in  the impugned judgment:
7Page 8
whether  the  courts  below  have  failed  to  consider  the
material evidence on record.  He submitted that the core
issue in this case is the very identity of the land sold by
the plaintiff as Attorney of Nanak Singh and the trial court
and the High Court had not addressed this core issue and
hence a substantial question of law had arisen for decision
by the High Court.  He relied on Achintya Kumar Saha vs.
Nanee Printers and Others [(2004) 12 SCC 368] in support
of  this  submisson.   He  submitted  that  the  High  Court
answered  the  aforesaid  substantial  question  of  law  in
favour of the respondents after considering the material
evidence led in the suit.  He submitted that the High Court
found on the basis of the evidence that was adduced in
the suit by the parties that Col. Surat Singh (plaintiff), as
Attorney on behalf of Nanak Singh, had sold two bighas of
land with regard to specific khasra nos. i.e. 167 min (1-10)
and  166  min  (0-10)  by  sale  deed  Ex.PW-7/2  and  the
appellants by virtue of the sale deed in their favour took
possession of the portion marked EHGF in the site plan
Ex.PW-9/A whereas the portion sold was in the western
side  of  portion  marked  ABCD  as  the  said  portion  was
8Page 9
owned by Nanak Singh.  He submitted that the High Court
has held in the impugned judgment that the portion on the
eastern side, i.e., marked with letters EHGF belongs to the
plaintiff Col. Surat Singh and has accordingly declared that
the land measuring 17 karams X 45 karams as depicted
with letters EHGF in site plan Ex.PW-9/A was owned by
plaintiff Col. Surat Singh and the plaintiff was entitled to
the  relief  of  permanent  injunction  restraining  the
defendant from raising any construction in the aforesaid
suit property or alienating the aforesaid suit property.
8. We  find  that  in  Civil  Suit  No.  735-T/18.04.1987,
plaintiff  Col.  Surat  Singh  had  prayed  for  declaration,
injunction and possession and the suit was partly decreed
for correction of some mutation entries but the trial court
clearly held that it would in no manner have any effect
upon the possession of the parties to the suit which may
be  determined  and  finalized  as  and  when  partition
proceedings  are  taken  up  and  decided.   Against  the
decree of the trial court, the plaintiff filed first appeal C.A.
No. 1721 on 20.03.2004 and the Additional District Judge
held by its judgment and decree dated 18.03.2008 that
9Page 10
the trial court is right in coming to the conclusion that
plaintiff had not produced cogent evidence that he was
the owner of the suit property.  Relevant extract from para
29  of  the  judgment  of  the  first  appellate  court  which
records the aforesaid findings and discusses the evidence
in support of the finding is quoted hereinbelow:
“It  was  incumbent  upon  the  plaintiff  to
produce  on  record,  the  revenue  record
relating  to  the  suit  property,  so  as  to
ascertain the share of the plaintiff, as alleged
by him.  The perusal of jamabandi Ex.PW-4/1
for the year 1978-79; jamabandi Ex.PW-7/V
for the year 1978-79; jamabandi Ex.PW-4/1
show  that  these  pertain  only  to  land
measuring  29  bighas  5  biswas,  which  is
recorded to be the ownernship of Col. Surat
Singh and other co sharers and in possession
of one Baghel Singh.  Jamabandi Ex.DW7/V
pertains  to  land  measuring  29  bighas  5
biswas + 9 bighas 12 biswas + 0-4 biswas
which is recorded to be the ownership of Col.
Surat  Singh  and other  co-sharers and only
land  measuring  9  bighas  12  biswas
comprised  in  khasra  No.165(3-1),  166(3-0),
167(1-16)  and  168(1-15)  is  recorded  in
exclusive possession of Col. Surat Singh.  The
trial court has rightly held that other than the
said revenue record no jamabandi of the suit
land has been produced by the plaintiff.  It
has  further  rightly  held  that  as  per  sanad
takseem  Ex.PW7/A  the  land  has  been
partitioned  between  different  co-sharers,
which is mentioned as 72 bighas 8 biswas of
which 15 bighas 12 biswas fell to the share of
Col. Surat Singh.  But even when the plaintiff
10Page 11
has filed the present suit for declaring his to
be owner in possession of the suit property,
he did not bring forth on file any revenue
record pertaining to the suit property except
jamabandies  Ex.PW4/1  and  Ex.PW7/V
pertaining to the year 1978-79 which are in
complete  and  do  not  depict  the  entire
property of Col. Surat Singh as a co-sharer
along with other co-sharers.  Trial court has
rightly  held  that  extent  of  ownership  and
possession of the plaintiff as alleged by him
was  to  be  proved  by  him,  by  brining  on
record  documents  from  which  he  drew  his
title over the suit property.  But no revenue
record  in  the  form  of  jamabandi has  been
produced on record, so as to prove the extent
of ownership and possession of the plaintiff,
so in the absence of any documentary proof
regarding ownership of the suit property and
the revenue record produced by the plaintiff
being  incomplete  and  relating  to  the  year
1978-79, whereas the present suit was filed
in  1987,  copy  of  the  sanad  Takseem
Ex.PW7/A depicting the share of Col. Surat
Singh,  are  not  sufficient  to  establish  the
extent  of  the  property  of  which  Col.  Surat
Sigh was the owner.  Though, Sanad Takseem
Ex.PW7/A was prepared on 30.8.92, but no
revenue record after the preparation of the
sanad takseem has been produced, so as to
prove that the possession has been delivered
and partition had been duly acted upon.”
9. We  find  that  in  Civil  Suit  No.  148-T/9-3-1987,  the
plaintiff  Col.  Surat  Singh  had  prayed  for  permanent
injunction  restraining  the  defendant  from  raising  any
construction or alienating in any manner whatsoever on
the suit property and on the basis of the pleadings of the
11Page 12
parties  one  of  the  issues  framed  was  whether  the
defendants  are  owners  and  are  in  possession  of  the
property purchased by them from Col. Girdhar Singh and
others  but  by  order  dated  08.08.1990  the  trial  court
deleted  this  issue  and  finally  by  judgment  dated
08.08.1990 dismissed the  suit.   The plaintiff  thereafter
filed  Civil  Appeal  No.16  on  19.09.1990  and  contended
before the Additional District Judge inter alia that the trial
court was not right in deleting Issue No.2 by order dated
08.08.1990 at the stage when the parties had already led
their evidence on that issue and the decision on this issue
was  necessary  for  deciding  the  suit  itself  but  the
Additional District Judge rejected this contention of the
plaintiff with the following reasons:
“The simple prayer of the plaintiff made in
the suit is that the defendants be restrained
from raising construction over the suit land,
or alienating the same.  He has admitted in
his  plaint  and  replication  that  the
predecessor-in-interest  of  the  defendants;
namely,  Girdhar  Singh,  purchased the land
from him and Nanak Singh, while the same
was still joint.  Naturally the defendants will
become  co-sharers  in  the  land  after
purchasing the same from Girdhar Singh, as
they  would  step  into  his  shoes.   In  these
circumstances,  there  was  no  necessity  for
12Page 13
framing an issue that the defendants are the
owners of the suit land.”
10. The aforesaid discussion of the findings of the first
appellate court in the two cases shows that in the suit for
declaration  of  title,  the  plaintiff  had  not  been  able  to
produce any evidence to prove his ownership over and
possession over the suit land.  Moreover, in the suit for
injunction,  the  first  appellate  court  had  held  that  the
plaintiff had admitted in plaint that Col. Girdhar Singh, the
predecessor-in-interest of the defendants, had purchased
the land from him and Nanak Singh while the same was
joint and hence there was no necessity for framing the
issue (issue No.2) that the defendants are owners and are
in possession of the suit land.  We find on a reading of the
sale deed dated 17.07.1978 (Ex.PW7/1) executed by the
plaintiff that possession of land measuring 2 bighas 16
biswas out of the share of the plaintiff was handed over to
Col. Girdhar Singh and his family members and it is not in
dispute that Col. Girdhar Singh and his family members
thereafter sold this land to the appellants.  We also find on
a reading of the sale deed dated 19.07.1979 (Ex.PW7/2)
13Page 14
executed by the plaintiff as Attorney of Nanak Singh that
the possession of the land measuring 2 bighas out of the
share of Nanak Singh was also given to Col. Girdhar Singh
and his family members and it is not in dispute that Col.
Girdhar Singh and his family members thereafter sold this
land to the appellants in 1987.  Thus, the appellants were
in lawful possession of the said areas of land by virtue of
the two sale deeds and the plaintiff had not been able to
establish  that  he  was  the  owner  of  the  suit  land  and
consequently  he  is  entitled  to  declaration  of  his  title,
recovery of possession and injunction.
11.    The  plaintiff,  however,  contended  in  the  second
appeal before the High Court that material evidence had
not been taken into consideration by the first appellate
court  and  the  High  Court  has  framed  the  following
substantial question of law:
“Whether  the  Courts  below  have  failed  to
consider the material evidence on record?”
Having framed the substantial question of law, the High
Court should have pointed out in the impugned judgment
the material evidence which had not been considered by
14Page 15
the first appellate court, which if considered, would have
established ownership of the plaintiff to the suit property.
Instead of pointing out the material evidence which has
not been considered by the first appellate court, the High
court has made its own assessment of the entire evidence
as if it was the first appellate court and held that the
plaintiff  was  the  owner  of  the  suit  property  and  was
entitled to possession of 17 karams X 45 karams of land
depicted in letters EHGF in the site plan Ex.PW-9/A and
that  he  was  also  entitled  to  the  relief  of  permanent
injunction  restraining  the  plaintiff  from  raising  any
construction in the said property or alienating the said
property.   The  High  Court  has  itself  noticed  in  the
impugned judgment that the land depicted in the site plan
Ex.PW-9/A as EHGF was delivered to Col. Girdhar Singh
and his family members at the time of execution of the
sale deed by the plaintiff as Attorney of Nanak Singh on
19.07.1979 and the appellants had taken possession of
the aforesaid land from Col. Girdhar Singh and his family
members in 1987.  The appellants were, thus, in legal
possession  of  the  suit  property  and  the  High  Court  in
15Page 16
exercise of its powers under Section 100 CPC could not
have reversed the findings of the trial court and the first
appellate court and decreed the suits for declaration of
title  and  for  recovery  of  possession  and  injunction  in
favour of the respondents so as to adversely affect such
legal possession of the appellants. 
12.    In  Achintya Kumar Saha vs.  Nanee Printers and
Others  (supra)  cited  by  learned  counsel  for  the
respondents, this Court found that the main issue around
which  the  entire  case  revolved  was  whether  the
agreement dated 05.07.1976 was a licence or a tenancy
and though this issue was before the trial court and the
agreement was held to be a licence, the lower appellate
court had not adjudicated upon this issue and this Court
held that when the core issue is not adjudicated upon, it
raises a substantial question  of law  under  section  100
CPC.
 In the present case, the core issue was
whether the
plaintiff was the owner of the suit property and the first
appellate court has held in C.A. No. 1721 on 20.03.2004
that the plaintiff has not been able to prove his ownership
16Page 17
over the suit property and has further held in C.A. No.16-T
filed on 19.09.1990 that the plaintiff’s own admitted case
in the plaint is that the appellants had purchased the suit
property from Col. Girdhar Singh and his family members
and were in possession of the same and hence the plaintiff
was not entitled to declaration of his title, recovery of
possession and injunction.  In this case, therefore, the first
appellate court had decided the core issue against the
plaintiff  and  no  substantial  question  of  law  arose  for
decision in this case by the High Court under Section 100,
CPC.    
13. In  the  result,  these  appeals  are  allowed  and  the
impugned  common  judgment  and  decree  of  the  High
Court is set aside.   Considering,  however,  the peculiar
facts and circumstances of the case, the parties shall bear
their own costs.
.……………………….J.
                                                           (A. K. Patnaik)
………………………..J.
(H. L. Gokhale)
New Delhi,
February 12, 2013.  
17