Citation : 2022 Latest Caselaw 7146 AP
Judgement Date : 19 September, 2022
HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE SUBBA REDDY SATTI
CIVIL MISCELLANEOUS APPEAL Nos.165 and 167 of 2022
COMMON JUDGMENT:
Appellant in A.S.No.6 of 2022 filed the above Civil
Miscellaneous Appeal under Order XLIII Rule 1 r/w Section
151 of CPC, against the order and decree dated 20.04.2022 in
I.A.No.187 of 2022 in A.S.No.6 of 2022 on the file of XIII
Additional District Judge, Gajuwaka.
2. For the sake of convenience, parties to this common
judgment are referred to as they are arrayed in the plaint.
3. Plaintiff filed suit O.S.No.475 of 2008 on the file of
Junior Civil Judge, Gajuwaka against the defendant for
perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from
meddling with the suit schedule property either by felling
trees or raising constructions therein or otherwise in any
manner and not to dispossess the plaintiff from the schedule
property.
4. Suit schedule property is an extent of Ac.0.49 cents in
S.No.13/4 and Ac.0.25 cents in S.No.13/2, totaling Ac.0.74
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cents situated in Akkireddypalem village, Gajuwaka Mandal,
Visakhapatnam District.
5. Plaintiff is the son of 2nd defendant. 1st defendant is
son-in-law of 2nd defendant. Thus, parties to the suit are
closely related.
6. Plaintiff filed suit O.S.No.475 of 2008 seeking
injunction asserting that 2nd defendant executed registered
gift settlement deed dated 27.02.2007. Plaintiff pleaded that
an extent of Ac.1.20 cents, out of Ac.2.00 cents was
purchased by the grandmother Varahalamma under a
registered sale deed dated 29.02.1952; that after demise of
Varahalamma, plaintiff's mother and 1st defendant got the
property separated between themselves, whereby 2nd
defendant got Ac.0.74 cents, out of Ac.1.20 cents i.e. plaint
schedule property; that plaintiff by virtue of gift deed has
been in absolute possession and enjoyment of property by
staying in thatched hut; that on 27.12.2008 when he visited
the plaint schedule property, he found thatched hut in item
No.1 of the suit schedule was removed and the property was
leveled and dug for construction of a structure therein; that
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plaintiff lodged a complaint before the Station House Officer;
that the defendants are trying to dispossess the plaintiff
forcibly and hence, suit was filed for perpetual injunction.
7. 1st Defendant filed written statement and contended
interalia that mother of defendants purchased the property
under a registered sale deed dated 29.05.1952 i.e. Ac.0.50
cents in S.No.13/12 and Ac.1.00 cents in S.No.13/4; that
subsequently, survey was conducted by settlement authority
in 1956 for the lands in Gajuwaka and patta was granted in
favour of mother of 1st defendant; that when the land was
measured, the extent was shown in the records is Ac.1.08
cents in S.No.13/4 and Ac.0.49 cents in S.No.13/12; that he
gifted Ac.0.21 cents under a registered gift settlement deed in
favour of his daughter and the remaining land is being
enjoyed by the 1st defendant; that 1st defendant is the title
holder of property and he has been in possession and
enjoyment of the property for the last 56 to 57 years and thus
prayed to dismissed the suit.
8. 2nd Defendant filed written statement and denied the
execution of gift deed. She further averred that she is nothing
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to do with the schedule property. She also pleaded that
passbook filed by the plaintiff showing the name of 2nd
defendant are false and fabricated and they stayed in the
house bearing Door No.1-2-134 of Akkireddypalem, but not
in the plaint schedule property. She further contended that
her daughter-in-law is practicing advocate, misrepresented
the facts and obtained her signatures and the gift deed is
fabricated and eventually prayed to dismiss the suit.
9. Pending the suit, I.A.No.1497 of 2008 was filed for
grant of ad-interim injunction restraining the respondents
from interfering with the peaceful possession and enjoyment
of the plaintiff over the plaint schedule property. Trial Court
granted ad interim injunction on 08.05.2009 and defendants
filed C.M.A.No.4 of 2009 on the file of Principal Senior Civil
Judge, Gajuwaka and the same was allowed by setting aside
the orders of the Junior Civil Judge, Gajuwaka. Plaintiff filed
C.R.P.No.1953 of 2010 before the composite High Court and
the composite High Court while disposing of the C.R.P, held
that "neither the petitioner nor the respondents shall make any
constructions over the suit schedule property or otherwise alter
its nature till the disposal of the suit".
10. Trial Court on consideration of oral and documentary
evidence, dismissed the suit of the plaintiff on 07.02.2022.
Trial Court recorded the finding that the plaintiff failed to
prove possession and enjoyment over the schedule property.
11. Aggrieved by the said judgment and decree, plaintiff
filed appeal A.S.No.6 of 2022. In the appeal, the appellants
filed I.A.No.187 of 2022 under Order XXXIX Rules 1 and 2 of
CPC for grant of temporary injunction restraining the
respondents 1 and 2 from interfering with the possession and
enjoyment of the appellant over the schedule property,
pending the appeal. Lower appellate Court on 22.03.2022
passed the following order:
"Hence, while granting time till 28.03.2022 for counters of R1 and R2 as requested, it is directed that neither petitioner nor respondents shall make any constructions over the plaint schedule property or otherwise alter its nature till counters are filed in the petition."
12. Lower appellate Court by order dated 20.04.2022
dismissed I.A.No.187 of 2022 and while dismissed the
petition, it observed that "any constructions that may be made
on the plaint schedule properties shall be subject to the result
of the appeal". Against the order of dismissal dated
20.04.2022 in I.A.No.187 of 2022 in A.S.No.6 of 2022, the
appellant filed C.M.A.No.165 of 2022.
13. Aggrieved by the observation made by the lower
appellate Court that "any constructions that may be made on
the plaint schedule properties shall be subject to the result of
the appeal", 1st respondent filed C.M.A.No.167 of 2022.
14. Since the nature of dispute involved in both the appeals
is one and the same, this Court deems it appropriate to
dispose of the same by a common judgment.
15. Heard Sri Narasimha Rao Gudiseva, learned counsel for
appellant and Sri N.Subbarao, learned senior counsel
appearing for the 1st respondent.
16. Learned counsel for the appellant would submit that
the appellant is the absolute owner of the property and the
observation of the trial Court regarding title and possession of
the appellant are, in fact, contrary to the evidence on record.
He would submit that lower appellate Court failed to consider
that prima facie case, balance of convenience and irreparable
loss sine qua non for grant of injunction. He would also
submit that the appeal being continuation of suit proceedings
the lower appellate Court ought to have made the ad-interim
order absolute. Thus, learned counsel prayed to allow the
CMA and prayed to dismiss the other CMA.
17. Learned senior counsel for 1st respondent while
supporting the order in I.A.No.187 of 2022 would submit that
lower appellate Court ought not to have made observations
that "any constructions that may be made on the plaint
schedule properties shall be subject to the result of the
appeal". He would also submit that in fact against the said
observations, 1st respondent filed C.M.A.No.167 of 2022
before this Court. He would submit that there are no merits
in this appeal and the same is liable to be dismissed.
18. Now the following point arise for consideration in these
appeals is:
Whether the appellant proved prima facie case, balance of convenience, or irreparable loss sine qua non for grant of injunction?
19. Undisputed facts are that Defendants 1 and 2 are son
and daughter of Varahalamma. 2nd defendant has got four
children, one among them is plaintiff. Plaintiff's sister
Satyavathi is married to 1st defendant.
20. It is pertinent to mention here that suit O.S.No.475 of
2008 was filed seeking permanent injunction restraining the
defendants from meddling with the suit schedule property
either by felling trees or raising constructions therein and
from dispossessing the plaintiff from the plaint schedule
property. 1st defendant in the suit contended that in fact, he
has been in possession of property and the plaintiff was never
in possession of the schedule property. Trial Court on
examination of both oral and documentary evidence came to
the conclusion that plaintiff failed to prove his possession
and enjoyment over the plaint schedule property either from
the date of filing of the suit or from the date of execution of
gift deed, as such the finding recorded by the trial Court is
based on evidence on record.
21. In appeal, I.A.No.187 of 2022 seeking temporary
injunction restraining the respondents 1 and 2 from
interfering with possession and enjoyment of the appellant
over the schedule property, pending the appeal. When the
possession of plaintiff was disbelieved by the trial Court on
merits i.e. on consideration of both oral and documentary
evidence, granting ad interim injunction restraining the
respondents from interfering with the possession pending the
appeal, does not arise. When the main relief sought for in the
suit was rejected by recording a finding that the plaintiff
failed to prove his possession over the plaint schedule
property, it is too early to record finding with regard to
possession of plaintiff in the interlocutory application pending
appeal. Whether, the appellant proved his possession or not
over the schedule property on the date of filing of the suit, is
a matter, will be decided in the appeal.
22. In fact, the lower appellate Court by taking into
consideration all the aspects and also equities while
dismissing the application made observation that "any
constructions that may be made on the plaint schedule
properties shall be subject to the result of the appeal". The
order under appeal does not call for any interference of this
Court. Hence, there are no merits in the civil miscellaneous
appeal and the C.M.A.No.165 of 2022 is liable be dismissed.
23. The observation made by the lower appellate Court that
"any constructions that may be made on the plaint schedule
properties shall be subject to the result of the appeal" is in the
interests of both parties and hence, there are no merits in the
civil miscellaneous appeal and the C.M.A.No.167 of 2022 is
liable be dismissed
14. Accordingly, the C.M.A.Nos.165 and 167 of 2022 are
dismissed. No order as to costs.
Since both the parties are close related to each other
and the suit is one filed for injunction, the lower appellate
Court shall dispose of the appeal as expeditiously as possible,
preferably within a period of six months from the date of
receipt of a copy of this common judgment.
It is made clear that the observations made by this
Court in the order above will not influence or come in the way
of the appellate Court in disposal of the appeal on merits.
As a sequel, all the pending miscellaneous applications shall stand closed.
_________________________ SUBBA REDDY SATTI, J 19th September, 2022 PVD
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