Citation : 2023 Latest Caselaw 4913 Kant
Judgement Date : 27 July, 2023
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RFA No. 634 of 2018
IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU
DATED THIS THE 27TH DAY OF JULY, 2023
BEFORE
THE HON'BLE DR. JUSTICE H.B.PRABHAKARA SASTRY
REGULAR FIRST APPEAL NO. 634 OF 2018 (INJ)
BETWEEN:
Smt G. Ambika
D/o. Late Gaviyappa,
51 years,
R/o.No.337, Lakshmi Road,
7th Cross, Shantinagar,
Bengaluru-560 027.
...Appellant
(By Sri.Shivashankar S.K., Advocate)
AND:
Chandra
S/o. Late Ganesh,
Aged about 28 years,
Digitally signed
R a/t No.37, Rayasandra Village,
by BANGALORE
MADHAVACHAR
Huskur Post,
VEENA
Location: High
Sarjapur Hobli,
Court of
Karnataka
Anekal Taluk -562 106.
Bangalore Rural District,
Bangalore.
...Respondent
(By Sri. Chandan M.N., for
Sri. Ramesh Adithya, Advocate)
***
This Regular First Appeal is filed under Section 96 of the
Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, with the following prayers:
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RFA No. 634 of 2018
"1. Call for the records
2. Set aside the judgment and passed by the dated
5/1/2018 passed in OS NO.7438/2013 filed by the appellant
on the file of XXXIX additional City Civil and Sessions Judge
at Bangalore (C.C.H.40) by allowing this appeal and decree
the suit in the interest of justice and equity;
3. To award costs."
This Regular First Appeal coming on for Final Hearing
through Physical Hearing/Video Conferencing, this day, the
Court delivered the following:
JUDGMENT
This is a plaintiff's appeal. The present appellant as
a plaintiff had instituted a suit against the present
respondent, arraigning him as the defendant in
O.S.No.7438/2013, in the Court of the learned XXXIX
Additional City Civil Judge, Bangalore City, (hereinafter for
brevity referred to as "the Trial Court"), seeking the relief
of permanent injunction against him and his servants,
agents or any man on his behalf from interfering with her
peaceful possession and enjoyment of the suit schedule
property.
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2. The summary of the case of the plaintiff in the
Trial Court was that, the suit schedule property which
was carved out in the land bearing Survey No.45/4 was
originally belonging to one Smt. Thimmakka, W/o.
Chikkaramaiah. The said Smt. Thimmakka, joined by her
sons, namely, Sri. Gundappa, Sri. Gowri Shankar and
Sri. Balappa, registered a General Power of Attorney
(hereinafter for brevity referred to as "the GPA") on the
date 03-06-1993, in favour of one Sri.L. Venkatesh S/o.
Lakshma Reddy, in respect of 26 guntas of land in
Sy.No.45/4 of Parappana Agrahara Village, Begur Hobli,
Bangalore South Taluk. In turn, the said Sri.L. Venkatesh
executed a registered Sale Deed dated 23-01-2004 in
favour of his wife - Smt. V. Manjula. The said
Smt. V. Manjula formed sites in the said land and one
among those sites, i.e. site bearing No.72, formed in
Sy.No.45/4 of Parappana Agrahara Village, measuring East
to West - 40 ft. and North to South - 30 ft., totally
measuring 1200 sq.ft. and bounded on the East by a Road,
West by Site No.73, North by Site No.67 and South by a
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Road, was sold to the present plaintiff, under a registered
Sale Deed dated 01-03-2005. The plaintiff has further
contended that since the date of purchase of the suit site
by her, she has been in lawful possession and enjoyment
of the suit schedule property having put up a construction
of a Shed in the suit schedule property and also erecting
a compound around the suit schedule property.
It is further the contention of the plaintiff that, the
same being the case, in the first week of September 2013,
when she had been to the suit schedule property, the
defendant approached her and claimed his right over the
suit schedule site, stating that he has purchased the said
suit schedule site on the date 08-08-2013 from one
Sri.N. Krishnappa. The plaintiff contended that since the
defendant interfered in her lawful possession, she was
constrained to file the present suit for the relief of
permanent injunction.
3. In response to the suit summons served upon
him, the defendant appeared before the Trial Court
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through his counsel and filed his Written Statement. In
his Written Statement, the defendant denied the plaint
averment to the extent that the plaintiff has been the
purchaser in possession of the suit schedule property. On
the contrary, he contended that the land in Sy.No.45/4
was totally measuring 02 Acres and was belonging to one
Smt. Thimmakka, W/o. Chikkaramaiah. It was during her
lifetime, said Smt. Thimmakka formed sites with the help
of her sons, namely Sri. Gundappa, Sri. Gowri shankar,
and Sri. Balappa. on the date 07-07-1993, the said
Smt. Thimmakka, as the absolute owner in possession of
the entire land in Sy.No.45/4, measuring 02 Acres and
forming sites thereupon, sold the Site No.72, measuring
East to West - 30 ft., North to South - 40 ft., in favour of
one Sri. N. Krishnappa, by executing a General Power of
Attorney (GPA) and affidavit with full settlement
agreement, empowering Sri. N. Krishnapa to deal with the
said site.
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The defendant further contended that in turn, the
said Sri. N. Krishnappa, as an absolute owner in
possession of the suit schedule property executed a
registered Sale Deed dated 08-08-2013 in his favour (the
defendant) of the very same site No.72. To the said Sale
Deed, one of the sons of Smt.Thimmakka by name
Sri. Gowri Shankar also subscribed his signature as a
consenting witness. The defendant contended that his site
(Written Statement schedule site) is bounded on the East
by a Road, West by site No.73, North by site No.68 and
South by a Road. It is also contended by the defendant
that, he is also the owner of site No.68 situated on the
Northern side and in turn, he has sold the same to one
Tamil Selvi recently. He contended that the boundaries
mentioned in the plaint with respect to the suit schedule
site are not correct.
The defendant also contended that subsequent to he
purchasing the said site, he obtained electricity supply
connection, put up a small house where his labourers are
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residing and he has been paying the taxes to the said
property after getting the khata made in his name. He
denied the alleged interference by him in the suit schedule
site, on the contrary, contended that it was the plaintiff
who was interfering in his property.
4. Based on the pleadings of the parties, the Trial
Court framed the following issues for its consideration:
(1) Does the plaintiff prove that she is in peaceful possession and enjoyment of suit property as on the date of suit?
(2) Does the plaintiff prove that there is interference by the defendant to her peaceful possession and enjoyment over the suit property?
(3) Does the plaintiff prove that, she is entitled for the relief of permanent injunction against the defendant?
(4) What order or decree?
5. In support of her case, the plaintiff got herself
examined as PW-1 and also got examined Sri. Ravikumar
G., her younger brother, as PW-2 and got marked
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documents from Exs.P-1 to P-9. On behalf of the
defendant, he himself got examined as DW-1 and also got
examined one more person by name Sri. Gundappa, as
DW-2 and got produced and marked Exhibits D-1 to D-9.
6. After hearing both side, the Trial Court by its
impugned judgment and decree dated 05-01-2018 while
answering all the issues framed by it in the negative,
dismissed the suit of the plaintiff with costs. Aggrieved by
the same, the plaintiff has preferred the present appeal.
7. The learned counsel for the appellant (plaintiff)
and learned counsel for respondent (defendant) are
appearing physically before the Court.
8. The Trial Court records were called for and the
same are placed before this Court.
9. Heard the arguments of the learned counsel for
the plaintiff (appellant herein) and the learned counsel for
the defendant (respondent herein).
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10. Perused the material placed before this Court
including the impugned judgment, memorandum of
Regular First Appeal and the Trial Court records.
11. For the sake of convenience, the parties herein
would be henceforth referred to as per their rankings
before the Trial Court.
12. Learned counsel for the plaintiff (appellant
herein) in his brief argument submitted that, in order to
show that she is the lawful owner of the suit schedule site,
the plaintiff has produced a notorised copy of the
registered Sale Deed dated 01-03-2005 at Ex.P-1. She
has also produced the copy of the Sale Deed of her vendor
of the suit schedule property. Further, he contended that
Form B Khata Extract has been issued by the Bruhat
Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (hereinafter for brevity
referred to as "the BBMP") in favour of the plaintiff and the
taxes are being paid by her on the suit schedule property
which are all established through the documents which are
marked as Exhibits by her.
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Learned counsel further stated that the photographs
at Ex.P-8 show the photograph of the suit schedule
property. He submitted that, though the defendant
contends that he had the electricity supply connection to
the Written Statement schedule property, however, Ex.P-9
shows that the said electricity supply was disconnected, as
such, it cannot be believed that the defendant had got the
electricity supply connection to the suit schedule property.
With this submission, the learned counsel for the plaintiff
(appellant herein) submitted that, the Trial Court, without
considering these aspects, has suspected the existence of
the site and dismissed the suit of the plaintiff, which
finding of the Trial Court is erroneous, as such, the same
warrants interference at the hands of this Court. Thus, he
submitted that the appeal filed by the plaintiff deserves to
be allowed.
13. Per contra, the learned counsel for the
defendant (respondent herein) in his brief argument
submitted that, the plaintiff's contention that she has got
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documents to show her alleged possession over the suit
schedule property would not take away the value of the
documents produced by the defendant. The defendant has
produced a Sale Deed dated 08-08-2013 standing in his
name, at Ex.D-2 and has produced six tax paid receipts,
encumbrance certificate and also Form B Property Register
Extract. He stated that the acknowledgments for payment
of tax are also produced by him. Reiterating that the
defendant has obtained the electricity supply connection
to the property and is residing therein, the learned counsel
submitted that, Exs.D-7 to D-9 are the documents to that
effect. With this, he submitted that unless the plaintiff
proves the identity of the suit schedule property and her
possession over the said property, she is not entitled for
the relief of permanent injunction. Thus the Trial Court has
rightly dismissed the suit of the plaintiff, which does not
call for interference by this Court.
14. In the light of the argument addressed by the
learned counsels from both side and other materials
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placed before this Court, the points that arise for my
consideration in this appeal are :
i] Whether the plaintiff has proved her lawful possession over the suit schedule property as on the date of filing of the suit?
ii] Whether the plaintiff has proved the alleged interference by the defendant upon the suit schedule property as alleged in the plaint?
iii] Whether the judgment and decree under appeal warrants any interference at the hands of this Court?
15. In order to prove her case, the plaintiff got
herself examined as PW-1, who, in her examination-in-
chief in the form of affidavit evidence has reiterated the
contentions taken up by her in her plaint. To show that
she is the purchaser of the suit schedule property and in
possession thereof, she has produced a photocopy of the
Sale Deed dated 01-03-2005 and a notorised copy of the
alleged Sale Deed in her favour with respect to the suit
schedule property which are marked at Ex.P-1
and P-1(A) respectively. Both these documents are said
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to be the copies of the very same original Sale Deed dated
01-03-2005. She has also produced a certified copy of
the General Power of Attorney dated 03-06-1993 shown to
have been executed by Smt. Thimmakka and her three
sons in favour of one Sri. L. Venkatesh. She has produced
a copy of the Sale Deed dated 23-01-2004 to show that 26
Guntas of land have been sold by said Sri. L. Venkatesh in
favour of his wife - Smt. V. Manjula, under a registered
Sale Deed. She has produced RTC extract at Ex.P-4 to
show the standing of the property in Sy.No.45/4 in the
name of Smt. Thimmakka and her family members. She
has produced Form B Property Register Extract issued by
the BBMP and contended that the khata in the form of 'B'
khata with respect to the suit schedule property stands in
her name. Apart from these documents, the plaintiff has
also produced six tax paid receipts showing the payment
of the property tax with respect to the suit schedule
property by her to the BBMP, Bommanahalli Sub-division,
Bengaluru. She has produced the Encumbrance Certificate
for the period from 01-01-2005 to 20-09-2013 and got it
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marked at Ex.P-7, which document evidences the sale of
the property described as suit schedule property from
Smt. V. Manjula to the present plaintiff on the date
01-03-2005. Producing two colour photographs and
marking them at Ex.P-8, the plaintiff contended that those
photographs are with respect to the suit schedule
property.
16. According to the learned counsel for the plaintiff
(appellant herein), the Shed and the Compound that can
be seen in the said photographs were put up by the
plaintiff. PW-1 also got produced a letter issued to her by
the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited
(hereinafter for brevity referred to as "the BESCOM"), in
response to her application under Right to Information Act,
2005 (hereinafter for brevity referred to as "the RTI Act"),
giving the electricity supply details with respect to site
No.72 of Parappana Agrahara Village.
17. The plaintiff, in support of her contention also
got examined one Sri. Ravi Kumar G., who is her younger
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brother, as PW-2, who, in his examination-in-chief in the
form of affidavit evidence has reiterated the contentions
taken up by the plaintiff both in her plaint as well in her
evidence as PW-1. He too has identified the documents
produced and exhibited by the plaintiff as the documents
pertaining to the suit schedule property including the
photographs at Ex.P-8.
18. The defendant - Sri.G. Chandra got himself
examined as DW-1, who, in his examination-in-chief in
the form of affidavit evidence, has reiterated the summary
of the contentions taken up by him in his Written
Statement. In support of his contention, he got produced
the alleged GPA dated 07-07-1993 said to have been
executed by Smt. Thimmakka in favour of Sri. N.
Krishnappa, empowering him to deal with site No.72
measuring 30 feet x 40 feet carved out in Sy.No.45/4 in
Parappana Agrahara Village, Bangalore South Taluk. To
support his contention that he purchased the said site
No.72 from the said GPA holder - Sri.N. Krishnappa, under
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a registered Sale Deed dated 08-08-2013, the defendant
has produced the Sale Deed dated 08-08-2013 at Ex.D-2.
To show that he is in possession of the property and
paying the taxes, he has produced six tax paid receipts at
Ex.D-3. These tax paid receipts would go to show that,
with respect to the property shown in the said document
as 'Sy.No.45/4-72', the defendant is paying the tax. He
has also produced Form B Property Register Extract issued
by the BBMP with respect to the said property which is
shown as 'Sy.No.45/4-72'. To show that he has obtained
electricity supply connection to the said property, the
defendant has produced a payment receipt shown to have
been issued by the BESCOM and dated 13-09-2013 at
Ex.D-7. He has also produced a tax invoice/Bill showing
the purchase of single phase electricity Meter at Ex.D-8
and other electricity installation charges details with the
certificate by BESCOM authority at Ex.D-9.
19. The defendant, apart from examining himself as
DW-1, has also got examined one more witness by name
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Sri.Gundappa as DW-2, who, in his evidence has
supported the case of the defendant stating that the
defendant is the purchaser in possession of the property
described in the Written Statement. The witness,
identifying himself as one among the children of
Smt. Thimmakka, has stated that, his mother had sold the
suit property to one Sri. N. Krishnappa and had delivered
the possession by virtue of GPA and full settlement
agreement.
20. In the instant case, both the plaintiff and the
defendant have produced a similar set of documents to
prove their respective alleged possession over the suit
schedule property. From their pleading as well the
evidence, the undisputed fact remains that the suit
schedule site No.72 of Parappana Agrahara Village, which
both of them claim to have purchased from their
respective vendors has been carved out in a land bearing
original Sy.No.45/4. It is also not in dispute that the said
land bearing Sy.No.45/4 in Parappana Agrahara Village,
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Bangalore South Taluk was originally belonging to one
Smt. Thimmakka and her three sons. The vendors of the
suit schedule site No.72 both to the plaintiff and to the
defendant claim that it is through the General Power of
Attorney executed by said Smt. Thimmakka and her sons,
the property has subsequently passed on to the
subsequent purchasers.
21. According to the plaintiff, the said
Smt. Thimmakka and her three children had executed a
General Power of Attorney as per Ex.P-2 in favour of one
Sri.L. Venkatesh with respect to the land, measuring an
extent of 26 Guntas in Sy.No.45/4 and the said
Sri.L. Venkatesh sold the said land measuring 26 Guntas
in favour of his wife Smt.V. Manjula, under a registered
Sale Deed dated 23-01-2004, copy of which Sale Deed is
at Ex.P-3. According to the plaintiff, the said Smt. V.
Manjula carved few sites in the said land measuring 26
Guntas, out of which, site No.72 was purchased by her
from the said Smt. V. Manjula, under a registered Sale
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Deed dated 01-03-2005, the copies of which documents
are at Exs.P-1 and P-1(A).
22. Though the said contention of the plaintiff prima
facie appears to show the flow of title, however,
admittedly, no alleged Layout Plan has been produced by
the plaintiff to show that the said Smt. V. Manjula formed
a Layout in 26 Guntas of land. In fact, the plaintiff, as
PW-1 in her cross-examination has pleaded her ignorance
to several of the aspects including she verifying the
documents before purchasing the site from Smt.V.
Manjula. She has stated that her vendor Smt. V. Manjlula
had not given her a Layout Plan. She even pleaded her
ignorance that she does not even know in which survey
number, the said site was carved out. Thus, for several
basic questions, the witness has pleaded her ignorance.
She even pleaded her ignorance about the fact as to
whether the original executant of the General Power of
Attorney - Smt. Thimmakka was alive or not, as on the
date of execution of the alleged GPA in favour of
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Sri.L. Venkatesh. Thus the plaintiff, as a purchaser of the
site is not aware as to whether the original executant of
the Power of Attorney - Smt. Thimmakka was alive as on
the date when the alleged GPA holder - Sri.L. Venkatesh
had sold 26 Guntas of land in Sy.No.45/4, under a
registered Sale Deed dated 23-01-2004 in favour of his
wife Smt. V. Manjula. However, except making a
suggestion to PW-1 to the effect that Smt. Thimmakka
was not alive on the said date, no material is placed from
the defendant's side also to show that said Thimmakka
was not live as on the date of execution of the registered
Sale Deed dated 23-01-2004. Still, the fact remains that
the plaintiff has neither seen nor secured nor even verified
the Layout Plan, which, according to the plaintiff, has
made her vendor Smt. V. Manjula to form a Layout and to
sell the suit schedule property to her. Therefore,
when the formation of Layout and carving of site No.72
itself could not be established, overcoming some
basic doubts, it becomes hard to jump to a
conclusion that a Layout was formed by Smt. V. Manjula,
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carving a site No.72 in it. Thus the subsequent documents
which are alleged to be Form B Property Register Extract
and tax paid receipts at Exs.P-5 and P-6, would not add
any further strength to the case of the plaintiff. However,
considering the said documents at Ex.P-5 and Ex.P-6
independent of the alleged Layout Plan, they show that a
particular site bearing No.72 has been assessed for the
tax purpose in the name of the plaintiff. The Form B
Property Register Extract at Ex.P-5 also describes the
property as '45/4-72'.
23. The defendant is claiming title to the property
also through a General Power of Attorney said to have
been executed by the very same Smt. Thimmakka,
however, in favour of one Sri. N. Krishnappa.
Though the defendant in his Written Statement has
called the said N. Krishnappa as the absolute owner
of the property who has executed Sale Deed in his favour,
however, the documents produced by the defendant
including the GPA at Ex.D-1 and the Sale Deed at Ex.D-2
would only go to show that, the said Sri.N.
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Krishnappa has executed the Sale Deed in favour of the
defendant not as an absolute owner but only as a General
Power of Attorney for the said Smt.Thimmakka.
24. Incidentally, the differences/variations that
could be noticed between the two General Power of
Attorneys (GPAs)i.e. between the GPA alleged to have
been executed in favour of Sri. L. Venkatesh, at Ex.P-2
and the other GPA alleged to have been executed in favour
of Sri.N. Krishnappa, at Ex.D-1 by the very same Smt.
Thimmakka are that, though both of them are shown to
have been executed by one Smt.Thimmakka, however, in
Ex.P-2, in addition to the said Smt.Thimmakka, her three
sons by names Sri. Ganesh (DW-2), Sri.Gowri Shankar
and Sri. Balappa are also shown as the joint executants of
the said GPA in favour of Sri.L. Venkatesh. Whereas the
other GPA at Ex.D-1 is executed only by Smt. Thimmakka,
in her individual capacity, in favour of Sri.N Krishnappa,
who in turn was the alleged vendor of the site to the
defendant. In case if the said property does not stand in
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the name of Smt. Thimmakka alone, but it belongs to
Smt. Thimmakka and her three children who have
executed GPA at Ex.P-2, then the GPA at Ex.D-1 and the
subsequent Sale Deeds in favour of the defendant at
Ex.D-2 raises some questions about their reliability and
the passing of title upon the defendant.
25. The plaintiff has produced Form B Property
Register Extract at Ex.P-5. Even the defendant also has
produced Form B Property Register Extract at Ex.D-5 and
six tax paid receipts at Ex.D-3. Incidentally, the property
number even in Ex.D-5 also is shown as '45/4-72' which is
exactly the same as in Ex.P-5 which is standing in the
name of the plaintiff. Thus, with respect to the very same
property number, i.e. '45/4-72', though with different
serial numbers (first column in the document) and might
be with different boundaries, two separate Form B
Property Register Extracts have been issued and the
BBMP appears to be collecting taxes from both the plaintiff
and the defendant for the same property No.45/4-72. As
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such, it appears to be not safe to rely solely upon the
Form B Property Register Extract or the tax paid receipts
to conclude as to who is the actual owner in possession of
the suit schedule property.
26. In the above background, the evidence of PW-2
and DW-2, whose evidence is nothing but a summary of
the evidences of PW-1 and DW-1 respectively, would not,
in any manner, further strengthen the case of either the
plaintiff or the defendant.
27. In the light of the above observation that both
the plaintiff and the defendant have produced similar type
of documents in support of their respective pleas, among
which several of them are shown to have been issued by
the very same authority, then the further scrutiny of the
documents produced by both side may be required in the
circumstances of the case.
28. When the documents produced by the plaintiff
as well as the defendant are carefully examined, it can be
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seen that the plaintiff has described the suit schedule
property in her plaint in the following manner:
"Residential property bearing Site No.72, formed in Sy.No.45/4 of Parappanaha Agrahara Village, BBMP Katha No.2308-45/4-72, situated at Parappana Agrahara Village, Begur Hobli, Bangalore South Taluk, Bangalore and measuring East to West 40 feet and North to South - 30 feet, totally measuring 1200 square feet and bounded on the East by a Road, West by Site No.73, North by site No.67 and South by a Road."
Similarly, the defendant also has mentioned the
description of his property in paragraph 12 of his Written
Statement in the following manner:
"Vacant site No.72 out of property No.45/4 Assessment No.45/4, Katha No.45/4 of Parappana Agrahara village, which is within BBMP limit and bounded on the East by a Road, West by site No.73, North by site No.68 and South by a Road."
The Sale Deed produced by the defendant at Ex.D-2
also gives the very same boundary description of the
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property including the boundary as stated above, however,
adding the measurement as 30 feet x 40 feet.
29. A comparison of the above two descriptions of
the disputed property would go to show that, the plaintiff's
plaint averment about the description of the property as
well the copy of the Sale Deed at Ex.P-1 and P-1(A)
shows that the property in question was measuring East to
West - 40 feet and North to South - 30 feet. On its
Northern side, the suit site is shown to be bounded by 'site
No.67' whereas, in the Written Statement of the
defendant, the description of the alleged site which is also
the very same site No.72 mentions its measurement from
East to West - 30 feet and North to South - 40 feet and
bounded on the Northern side by 'site No.68'. Incidentally
the Sale Deed at Ex.D-2 does not give the direction of the
measurement of the site like East to West and North to
South, except stating "measuring: 30 x 40 feet". Thus,
there is a variation between the directional measurement
of the property between the plaint schedule in the
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plaintiff's documents to that of the Written Statement
description at Ex.D-2 by the defendant. What is the
measurement of the site No.72 from East to West which is
said to be 40 feet in the plaint schedule as well the Sale
Deeds at Ex.P-1 and Ex.P-1(A) is shown as measurement
of the very same site No.72 from North to South in the
Written Statement. Vice versa, the measurement of 30
feet in length from the direction North to South in the
plaint schedule as well in the Sale Deeds at Ex.P-1 and
P-1(A) is shown as the measurement between East to
West in the Written Statement schedule with respect to
the defendant's property. However, as observed above,
the length/measurement of the site from East to West and
from North to South direction has not been mentioned in
the defendant's Sale Deed at Ex.D-2.
30. In addition to the above, the Northern boundary
of suit site No.72 in the plaintiff's plaint schedule property
to that of the defendant's Written Statement schedule
property also varies with the site numbers. As such,
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regarding the identity of the property with a particular
description as described by both parties to the litigation, a
serious doubt remains, which neither of the parties have
taken pains to clarify either through their oral evidence or
through their documentary evidence. However, it appears
that both the parties are claiming possession with respect
to the very same alleged single property bearing site
No.72, which is shown in Ex.P-8.
31. The plaintiff as PW-1 has produced two colour
photographs at Ex.P-8, calling them to be the photographs
of the suit schedule property and also of the Shed and a
Compound shown therein as put up by her. Though the
defendant has not denied the evidence of PW-1 that
Ex.P-8 is the photographs of the property in dispute,
however, he has denied that the structure of the Shed
shown therein and the compound were put up by the
plaintiff. On the other hand, the defendant has contended
that, the said Shed was put up by him and that he is
residing therein.
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NC: 2023:KHC:26285 RFA No. 634 of 2018
In that regard, the document to be looked into is
Ex.P-9 which is a reply letter by BESCOM to the plaintiff
under the RTI Act. The said document shows that the
BESCOM had supplied the electricity supply to the site
No.72, however later, it was disconnected. The
documents at Exs.D-7 to D-9 produced by the defendant
also shows that it is with respect to the very same site
No.72, the electricity was initially given. Though the
defendant as DW-1 in his cross-examination has stated
that, the disconnected electricity supply was restored back
to the Written Statement schedule property, however,
except his self-serving statement, he has not produced
any documents to show that the alleged electricity supply
connection which was disconnected as could be seen in
Ex.P-9 was restored to the said property. Thus, it shows
that with respect to one particular site only (i.e. Site
No.72 of Parappana Agrahara Village), both the defendant
and the plaintiff are contending that it belongs exclusively
to them.
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NC: 2023:KHC:26285 RFA No. 634 of 2018
32. In addition to the above, when the evidence of
the parties is looked into, it can be seen that, in the cross-
examination of PW-1 at page 6, the following statement
has been elicited.
"It is not true to suggest that the defendant are residing in a shed existing in suit site marked at Ex.P-8."
33. The plaintiff has produced two colour
photographs at Ex.P-8, stating that they depict the picture
of the plaintiff's suit schedule property. By making the
above suggestion to the plaintiff, the defendant, apart
from admitting that the said photographs are that of the
disputed property (site No.72), has stated that he is
residing there. However it cannot be ignored of the fact
that, according to the plaintiff, its measurement from East
to West is 40 feet and from North to South is 30 feet.
According to the Written Statement schedule, its
measurement from East to West is 30 feet and from North
to South is 40 feet. That apart, the said site, according to
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NC: 2023:KHC:26285 RFA No. 634 of 2018
the plaintiff, is bounded on the North by Site No.67 and
according to defendant, the very same disputed site is
bounded on the North by site No.68. Thus, for identifying
one particular property, both the parties to the suit have
given different descriptions about its measurement/length
in a particular direction and its boundary on the Northern
side.
34. In further addition to the above, in the cross-
examination of PW-1, at page 7, a suggestion was made
to the witness and answer was elicited which reads as
follows:
" It is not true to suggest that the suit site is owned by defendant even than I have cheated some body else to get the sale deed in the said site."
Further in the cross-examination of DW-1 at page 8,
the witness has clearly stated as below:
"Ex.P8 relates to suit schedule property."
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NC: 2023:KHC:26285 RFA No. 634 of 2018
From the above, the defendant has once again
shown that it is with respect to the suit site only, he is
claiming his title over the property to the exclusion of the
plaintiff.
35. Therefore, though both the parties have
identified the site shown in the photographs produced at
Ex.P-8 as the site property in dispute, however, they have
described the said property in their respective pleadings in
a different manner both in its measurement and its
boundary on its Northern direction.
36. Thus, apart from the description of the property
in the title documents as well in the revenue documents
even in their evidence also, the parties have shown that
their description of the suit property/disputed property
mismatches, as such, there exists some confusion or
ambiguity or cloud with respect to the exact identity of
the property.
37. Our Hon'ble Apex Court in the case of NAHAR
SINGH Vs. HARNAK SINGH AND OTHERS reported in
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NC: 2023:KHC:26285 RFA No. 634 of 2018
(1996) 6 Supreme Court Cases 699, which judgment was
relied upon by the learned counsel for the defendants
(respondents herein), was pleased to observe in paragraph
6 of its judgment that, it is well settled that unless the
property in question for which the relief has been sought
for is identifiable, no decree can be granted in respect of
the same. Thus, the plaintiff is also required to overcome
the contention of the defendants and establish the identify
of the suit schedule property, which in the instant case,
the plaintiff has failed to do.
38. In the light of the above, when the very identity
of the property in question itself is in cloud and not clear,
the alleged possession claimed by both the parties by
placing similar type of documents would not entitle to hold
that it is the plaintiff alone who is in possession of the
property.
39. In the above circumstances, the alleged
interference by the other party (defendant) in the alleged
possession of the plaintiff would not gain importance.
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NC: 2023:KHC:26285 RFA No. 634 of 2018
Though the plaintiff, both in her plaint as well in her
evidence as PW-1 stated that, in the first week of
September 2013, when she had gone to the suit schedule
property, the defendant approached her and claimed his
right over the suit schedule property, the same would not
be taken as a conclusive proof of the alleged interference
since the defendant also is claiming his possession
probably against the very same property through his set of
documents.
40. In the light of the above, the finding given by
the Trial Court answering all the issues framed by it in the
negative, cannot be found fault with. However, in the said
process, the observation made by the Trial Court in the
last few lines of its judgment, at its internal page Nos.19
and 20, stating that "Per contra, the document produced
by the defendant establish that he was in
possession of Site No.72 and put up shed and obtained
electricity connection from BESCOM" was an
unnecessary, un-required and un-supported observation
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NC: 2023:KHC:26285 RFA No. 634 of 2018
made by it in a suit for permanent injunction filed by the
plaintiff. As such, though the appeal does not deserve to
be allowed, however, the above extracted sentence/
observation of the Trial Court made at its page Nos.19 and
20 in the impugned judgment requires to be expunged
from the said judgment.
Accordingly, I proceed to pass the following:
ORDER
[i] The Regular First Appeal filed by the
plaintiff (appellant) stands dismissed as
devoid of merit;
[ii] The impugned judgment and decree
dated 05-01-2018 passed by the XXXIX
Additional City Civil Judge, Bangalore City, in
O.S.No.7438/2013, stands confirmed.
However, the following observation of the
Trial Court in its impugned judgment dated
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NC: 2023:KHC:26285 RFA No. 634 of 2018
05-01-2018 at page Nos.19 and 20 stands
expunged.
"Per contra, the document produced by the defendant establish that he was in possession of Site No.72 and put up shed and obtained electricity connection from BESCOM"
Registry to transmit a copy of this judgment along
with the Trial Court records to the concerned Trial Court,
immediately.
Sd/-
JUDGE
BMV*
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