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Shri. Rajasab S/O Peersab Gondihosalli vs Shri. Hanumappa Barker
2024 Latest Caselaw 4460 Kant

Citation : 2024 Latest Caselaw 4460 Kant
Judgement Date : 14 February, 2024

Karnataka High Court

Shri. Rajasab S/O Peersab Gondihosalli vs Shri. Hanumappa Barker on 14 February, 2024

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                                                              NC: 2024:KHC-D:3547-DB
                                                            RFA No. 100346 of 2018




                         IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA, DHARWAD BENCH
                              DATED THIS THE 14TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2024
                                                  PRESENT
                                THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE ASHOK S. KINAGI
                                                    AND
                                 THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE RAJESH RAI K
                             REGULAR FIRST APPEAL NO. 100346 OF 2018 (SP)


                      BETWEEN:

                      SHRI. RAJASAB
                      S/O. PEERSAB GONDIHOSALLI,
                      AGE: 55 YEARS,
                      OCC: AGRICULTURE,
                      R/O: KARKIHALLI-583 228,
                      TALUKA AND DIST: KOPPAL.
                                                                        ...APPELLANT
                      (BY SRI.MALLIKARJUN S.HIREMATH, ADVOCATE)


                      AND:

                      SHRI. HANUMAPPA BARKER
                      S/O. GUNDAPPA BARKER,
                      AGE: 54 YEARS,
VIJAYALAKSHMI
                      OCC: AGRICULTURE,
M KANKUPPI            R/O: KARIKIHALLI-583 228,
Digitally signed by
                      TALUKA AND DIST: KOPPAL.
VIJAYALAKSHMI
M KANKUPPI                                                            ...RESPONDENT
Date: 2024.02.23
14:46:46 +0530        (BY SRI.DINESH M.KULKARNI, ADVOCATE)


                             THIS RFA IS FILED UNDER SEC.96 READ WITH ORDER 41
                      RULE 1 OF CPC., 1908, AGAINST THE JUDGMENT AND DECREE
                      DATED 13.07.2018 PASSED IN O.S.NO.45/2014 ON THE FILE OF THE
                      SENIOR CIVIL JUDGE, KOPPAL, DISMISSING THE SUIT FILED FOR
                      SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE OF CONTRACT.


                             THIS APPEAL COMING ON FOR HEARING, THIS DAY, ASHOK
                      S. KINAGI, J., DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING:
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                                         NC: 2024:KHC-D:3547-DB
                                       RFA No. 100346 of 2018




                         JUDGMENT

This appeal is filed by the appellant challenging the

judgment and decree dated 13.07.2018 passed in O.S.

No.45/2014 by the learned Senior Civil Judge, Koppal.

2. For the sake of convenience, parties are

referred to as per their ranking before the trial court.

3. The appellant is the plaintiff and the respondent

is the defendant. The plaintiff filed a suit for specific

performance of contract against the defendant.

4. It is the case of the plaintiff that the defendant

is the absolute owner of the suit schedule properties. He

has offered the plaintiff to purchase the suit lands for

consideration. In turn, the plaintiff agreed to purchase the

suit schedule lands for the consideration amount. Further,

the defendant executed an agreement of sale in favor of

one Huggi Galeppa of Benakapur village for a sum of

Rs.3,54,000/-, out of which, the defendant received an

amount of Rs.3,40,000/- as earnest money and executed

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registered agreement of sale dated 16.08.2010. On

12.03.2012, Huggi Galeppa had executed registered

cancellation deed dated 12.03.2012. The defendant, in

continuation of the previous agreement dated 16.08.2010,

by suppressing the real facts of the previous agreement of

sale so executed in favour of Huggi Galeppa, further

executed an agreement of sale in favour of one Allasab in

respect of the same suit properties for a sum of

Rs.2,72,000/-, out of which, he received a sum of

Rs.1,00,000/- as earnest money and executed a registered

agreement of sale dated 27.09.2010. The defendant in

addition to the agreements of sale, he also executed an

agreement of sale in favour of one Gyanappa Bhajantri for

consideration of Rs.10,00,000/-, out of which, he received

a sum of Rs.9,50,000/- as earnest money as per

agreement dated 12.03.2012. The plaintiff approached all

the intending purchasers and made enquiry about their

intention to purchase the suit schedule properties, in turn,

all the intending purchasers stated that previously the

defendant approached and pleaded his legal necessity and

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offered to sell his lands for consideration. Believing the

facts and his inability, without verifying, paid earnest

money to the defendant, who executed a registered

agreement of sale to them. Now due to hike in the price of

the lands, he offered them for higher price. As they were

unable to pay higher price rather than the real price and, if

he gets higher price for his lands, used to sell the lands to

others provided that the purchasers should pay their

earnest money paid by them. On enquiry made to all

elders in the locality as well as the persons referred to

above along with the defendant, accepted all the

agreements of sale and agreed to repay their earnest

money after receiving earnest money from the plaintiff

and mutual consideration has been settled between the

plaintiff and the defendant for a sum of Rs.20,50,000/-

and on 26.07.2012, the plaintiff paid a sum of

Rs.20,40,000/- as earnest money in the presence of the

witnesses and also on the aforesaid date, the defendant

has repaid the earnest amount so received from Allasab

and Gyanappa Bhajantri, who in turn have executed

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cancellation deed of agreement. The defendant agreed to

execute a registered sale deed within one year by

obtaining Form No.11E as well as the Phodi map from the

Revenue Officer and he also executed an

acknowledgement on 06.11.2013 for enlargement of time

for a period of one year. The plaintiff was/is always ready

and willing to perform his part of the contract but in turn,

defendant went on postponing and the defendant has

committed breach of contract. The plaintiff got issued a

legal notice to the defendant on 22.11.2013 calling upon

the defendant to receive the balance consideration amount

and to execute the registered sale deed. The said notice

was served on the defendant but the defendant refused to

comply with the terms of the contract. Hence, cause of

action arouses for the plaintiff to file a suit for specific

performance of contract.

5. The defendant filed written statement denying

the averments made in the plaint and also denied the

execution of the previous agreements of sale in favour of

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Allasab, Huggi Galeppa and Gyanappa Bhajantri. It is

contended that, Gyanappa Bhajantri and the plaintiff along

with Allasab colluded each other and got created the

alleged sale deeds dated 16.08.2010, 27.09.2010 and

12.03.2012 and 26.07.2012 without the knowledge of the

defendant by taking advantage of his innocence, ignorance

and illiteracy with an intention to grab the suit lands.

There was no legal necessity for the defendant to execute

agreement of sale in favour of any person at any point of

time. It is contended that the defendant has no other

agricultural lands. The defendant is getting good yield

from the suit lands every year. The defendant along with

his wife approached to get Rs.60,000/- hand loan to help

his friend, at that time, the plaintiff got created the

agreement of sale in respect of only one home of the

defendant under misrepresentation as agreement of

mortgage deed for the said hand loan amount of

Rs.60,000/-. The plaintiff and his brother Allasab along

with Huggi Galeppa and Gyanappa colluded with the Sub-

Registrar, Koppal, and created the sale deeds. The

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defendant is not liable to execute registered sale deed in

favour of the plaintiff in respect of the suit lands. Hence,

prayed to dismiss the suit.

6. The trial Court on the basis of the pleadings of

the parties, framed the following:

ISSUES

1. Whether the plaintiff proves that the defendant offered to sell the suit property for a sum of Rs.20,50,000/-?

2. Whether the plaintiff proves that he entered into a registered agreement of sale with the defendant on 26-07.2012?

3. Whether the plaintiff proves that he has paid Rs.20,40,000/- earnest money to the defendant?

4. Whether the plaintiff proves that he was/is ready and willing to perform his part of the contract?

5. Whether the defendant proves that the agreement of sale came to be created under the circumstances pleaded in para 13 of the written statement?

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6. Whether the plaintiff is entitled for the relief of specific performance of contract?

7. What order or decree?"

7. The plaintiff in order to prove his case,

examined himself as PW-1 and examined two witnesses as

PWs.2 and 3 and got marked 18 documents as Exs.P-1 to

P-18. The defendant examined himself as DW-1 and got

marked one document as Ex.D-1.

8. The trial Court on assessment of the oral and

documentary evidence answered issue Nos.1 to 6 in the

negative and issue No.7 as per the final order and

consequently dismissed the suit of the plaintiff. The

plaintiff aggrieved by the judgment and decree passed by

the trial Court has preferred this appeal.

9. Heard the learned counsel for the plaintiff and

the learned counsel for the defendant.

10. The learned counsel for the plaintiff submitted

that the defendant agreed to sell the suit schedule

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properties for consideration of Rs.20,50,000/- and the

plaintiff paid a sum of Rs.20,40,000/- as earnest money to

the defendant and further agreed to pay balance

consideration of amount of Rs.10,000/- to the defendant

at the time of execution of the registered sale deed. He

submits that the plaintiff was/is ready and willing to

perform his part of the contract, but the defendant did not

comply with the conditions of agreement of sale. He

submits that the plaintiff got issued legal notice to the

defendant calling upon him to receive the balance

consideration amount and to execute the registered sale

deed. He submits that the agreement of sale is registered.

The Trial Court could have drawn presumption but

dismissed the suit only on the ground that the plaintiff has

not produced any material to show that he possessed an

amount for purchasing the properties. He submits that

though agreement of sale is registered, the defendant has

denied the same and any amount of oral evidence contrary

to the terms of the written instrument, is inadmissible in

evidence as per Section 92 of the Indian Evidence Act. He

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submits that the court below has failed to consider Section

92 of the Indian Evidence Act. He also further submits that

the defendant has no taken a defence in the written

statement in regard to the financial capacity of the

plaintiff. The trial Court, without there being any pleading

by the defendant in the written statement in that regard,

has dismissed the suit only on the ground that the plaintiff

had no financial capacity to purchase the suit properties.

He further submits that the plaintiff got issued a legal

notice calling upon the defendant to perform his part of

the contract but the defendant committed breach of

contract. The plaintiff was/is always ready and willing to

perform his part of the contract but the trial Court has

committed an error in answering issue Nos.1 to 6 in the

negative and dismissing the suit. Hence, the judgment

and decree passed by the trial Court is perverse, arbitrary

and erroneous. Hence, on these ground, he prays to allow

the appeal.

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11. Per contra, learned counsel for the defendant

supports the impugned judgment and submits that the

plaintiff has not produced any records to show that he had

money to purchase the suit properties. He submits that

the defendant has denied execution of the agreement of

sale and the plaintiff has failed to prove the execution of

an agreement of sale. Hence, he submits that the trial

Court was justified in dismissing the suit. Hence, on these

grounds, he prays to dismiss the appeal.

12. Heard and perused the records. Considering

the submissions of the learned counsel for the parties, the

points that would arise for our consideration are:

i) Whether the plaintiff proves that the defendant agreed to sell the suit property for consideration of Rs.20,50,000/- and executed a registered agreement of sale on 26.07.2012 and issued a legal notice to prove that he was/is ready and willing to perform his part of the contract but on the contrary, the defendant committed breach of contract?

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ii) Whether the plaintiff proves that he had paid Rs.20,40,000/- as earnest money to the defendant under a registered agreement of sale dated 26.07.2012?

iii) Whether the plaintiff proves that he was/is ready and willing to perform his part of the contract?

iv) Whether the defendant proves that the plaintiff got created a registered agreement of sale dated 26.07.2012?

v) Whether the plaintiff proves that the judgment and decree passed by the trial Court is perverse and arbitrary?

vi) What order or decree?

13. Points (i) to (iii): As these points are

interlinked with each other, they are taken together for

common discussion in order to repetition of facts.

14. The plaintiff in order to prove his case

examined himself as PW-1. He has reiterated the plaint

averments in the examination-in-chief and in order to

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demonstrate that the defendant agreed to sell the suit

schedule properties for consideration of Rs.20,50,000/-

and the plaintiff paid a sum of Rs.20,40,000/- as earnest

money to the defendant and the defendant executed a

registered agreement of sale on 26.07.2012, the plaintiffs

has produced the documents, Ex.P-1 is the registered

agreement of sale dated 26.07.2012 which discloses that

the defendant agreed to sell the suit properties in favour

of the plaintiff for total consideration of Rs.20,50,000/-

and the plaintiff paid a sum of Rs.20,40,000/- towards

earnest money and it was agreed upon that the remaining

balance amount to be paid at the time of execution of

registered sale deed and further it was agreed that the

defendant shall keep the documents ready before the

execution of the registered sale deed. It was agreed that

the defendant shall execute the registered sale deed within

one year from the date of execution of the agreement of

sale. The defendant did not obtain Form 11E and Phodi

map as per the terms of agreement of sale-Ex.P-1; Ex.P-2

is an acknowledgement dated 06.11.2013; Ex.P-3 is the

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registered agreement of sale executed by defendant in

favour of Huggi Galeppa on 16.08.2010; Ex.P-4 is the

cancellation of agreement of sale dated 12.03.2012; Ex.P-

5 is the certified copy of the agreement of sale dated

27.09.2010; Ex.P-6 is the certified copy of the agreement

of sale dated 12.03.2012; Ex.P-7 is the cancellation of

agreement dated 26.07.2012; Ex.P-8 is the certified copy

of another cancellation deed of agreement of sale dated

26.07.2012; Ex.P-9 is the legal notice got issued by the

plaintiff to the defendant dated 22.11.2013 calling upon

the defendant to receive the balance consideration amount

and to execute the registered sale deed; Ex.P-10 is the

postal receipt; Ex.P-11 is the postal acknowledgement

which discloses that the defendant had received the legal

notice and the acknowledgement bears the signature of

the defendant; Ex.P-12 is the reply notice issued by the

defendant dated 30.11.2013. Exs.P-13 to 17 are the RTC

extracts in respect of the suit lands; Ex.P-18 is the

encumbrance certificate. Except denying the averments

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made in the examination in chief, nothing has been elicited

from the mouth of this witness.

15. Further, the plaintiff has also examined one

Srinivas as PW-2, who is stated to be an attesting witness

to Ex.P-1. He has deposed that the defendant offered to

sell the suit schedule properties in favour of the plaintiff

for consideration of Rs.20,50,000/- and accordingly the

plaintiff accepted the offer of the defendant and paid

earnest money of Rs.20,40,000/- to the defendant in his

the presence and the defendant executed a registered

agreement of sale in favour of the plaintiff on 26.07.2012.

Further, it was agreed that the defendant agreed to

execute a registered sale deed within one year of

obtaining Form-11E and Phodi map from the Revenue

Officer and he identified his signature on Ex.P-1 and the

same is marked as Ex.P-1(d). It is suggested to PW-2

that the defendant has paid sum of Rs.60,000/- towards

hand loan from the plaintiff and executed an agreement

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for the purpose of security. The said suggestion was

denied by PW-2.

16. The plaintiff also examined one Gyanappa as

PW-3 in order to establish that the defendant had agreed

to sell the suit land in favour of PW-3 vide agreement

dated 1203.2012 for consideration of Rs.10,00,000/-. He

paid an amount of Rs.9,50,000/- towards earnest money

and agreed to pay the remaining balance amount of

Rs.50,000/- within one month from the date of execution

of agreement of sale. He further deposed that the

defendant had greed to sell the suit schedule properties in

favour of the plaintiff for consideration of Rs.20,50,000/-

and accordingly, the plaintiff paid a sum of Rs.20,40,000/-

and the defendant executed agreement of sale in favour of

the plaintiff on 26.07.2012 in the presence of witnesses.

He also deposed that he got cancelled the agreement of

sale executed by the defendant in his favour on

26.07.2012 as per Ex.P-8. Nothing has been elicited from

the mouth of this witness.

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17. In rebuttal, the defendant examined himself as

DW-1. He has reiterated the written statement averments

in his examination-in-chief and got marked document

Ex.D-1-certified copy of the agreement of sale. In the

course of his cross-examination, he has deposed that,

prior to execution of agreement of sale, he has not

executed any agreement of sale in favour of any person.

He denies that, on 16.08.2010 he has executed registered

agreement of sale in favour of the plaintiff and also denied

execution of acknowledgement on 12.03.2012 for

enlarging the time for execution of the agreement of

registered sale deed and even DW-1 has gone to the

extent of denying his photograph on Ex.D-1.

18. From the perusal of the evidence placed on

record by the parties, the plaintiff has proved, Ex.P-1 is

the registered agreement of sale which discloses that the

defendant had executed agreement of sale in favour of the

plaintiff for consideration of Rs.20,50,000/- and the

plaintiff paid sum of Rs.20,40,000/- as earnest money.

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The said agreement of sale is registered. Though the

defendant has examined himself as DW-1, he has denied

execution of a registered agreement of sale.

19. In order to consider the case on hand, it is

necessary to examine Section 92 of the Indian Evidence

Act, 1872, which reads as under:

"92. Exclusion of evidence of oral agreement.- When the terms of any such contract, grant or other disposition of property, or any matter required by law to be reduced to the form of a document, have been proved according to the last section, no evidence of any oral agreement or statement shall be admitted, as between the parties to any such instrument or their representatives in interest, for the purpose of contradicting, varying, adding to, or subtracting from, its terms."

20. Section 92 of the Evidence Act provides that,

any evidence contrary to the terms of the instrument is

inadmissible in evidence.

21. Though there is presumption in regard to

registered document, the trial Court has failed to consider

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the said presumption and further the plaintiff in order to

prove the execution of Ex.P-1 examined the attesting

witness to Ex.P-1 as PW-2, who has supported the case of

the plaintiff. The said fact has been overlooked by the

Trial Court and the trial Court has dismissed the suit only

on the ground that the plaintiff has not produced any

record to show that plaintiff was not possessing sufficient

fund for purchasing the suit schedule properties.

22. From the perusal of the written statement filed

by the defendant, the defendant has no where challenged

the financial capacity of the plaintiff. The trial Court has

committed an error in recording a finding that the plaintiff

has not produced any material to establish that he was

possessing sufficient amount without there being any plea

by the defendant in the written statement nor any issue

being framed by the trial Court on the said aspect. In the

absence of the pleadings and an issue, the finding

recorded by the trial Court on the financial status of the

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plaintiff cannot be sustained. The trial Court has

committed an error in dismissing the suit.

23. It is the case of the defendant that the

defendant approached the plaintiff to advance hand loan of

Rs.60,000/-, accordingly, the plaintiff paid a sum of

Rs.60,000/- and as a security to the said loan, he has

executed an agreement of mortgage deed but the plaintiff

instead of getting executed registered mortgage deed got

executed a registered agreement of sale and thus, the

defendant never intended to sell the suit schedule

properties.

24. From the perusal of Ex.P-1, it could be seen

that there is no recital in Ex.P-1 that the document is

executed towards security of loan transaction and further

the defendant has not lead any evidence to show that

Ex.P-1 was executed by way of security for the loan

transaction. On the other hand, Ex.P-1 is a sale

transaction wherein the defendant intended to sell the suit

schedule properties for consideration of Rs.20,50,000/-

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and the plaintiff has paid consideration of Rs.20,40,000/-

and the said agreement is registered. The defendant did

not challenge the said registered agreement of sale. The

plaintiff in order to establish that he was/is ready and

willing to perform his part of contract issued a legal notice

as per Ex.P.9 calling upon the defendant to receive the

balance consideration amount and execute a registered

sale deed. Thus the plaintiff by issuing legal notice Ex.P.9

has proved that he was ready and willing to perform his

part of contract. The plaintiff has paid the substantial

portion of sale consideration amount and only meager

amount is to be paid. On the contrary the defendant by

issuing Ex.P.12, reply to the legal notice, denied to

perform his part of contract and committed a breach of

contract. Further, the defence taken by the defendant

that, it is a loan transaction and not a sale transaction, is

contrary to Section 92 of the Indian Evidence Act and the

trial Court has committed an error in answering issue

Nos.1 to 6 in the negative holding that the plaintiff has

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failed to prove the execution of a registered agreement of

sale by the defendant in favour of the plaintiff.

25. In view of the above discussion, we answer

point Nos.(i) to (iii) in the affirmative holding that the

plaintiff has proved that the defendant executed

agreement of sale in favour of the plaintiff for

consideration of Rs.20,50,000/- and the plaintiff paid a

sum of Rs.20,40,000/- as earnest money.

26. Point No.(iv): It is the defence of the

defendant that the plaintiff has got created Ex.P-1.

27. The plaintiff in order to prove his case produced

the documents from which it could be gathered that the

defendant is in the habit of executing registered

agreement of sale in favour of the intending purchasers

and canceling the same and again resale the same land to

other persons whenever the value of the land would be

high. In order to establish the same, the plaintiff has

produced registered agreements of sale executed by the

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defendant in favour of Allasab, Gyanappa and Huggi

Galeppa i.e. Exs.P-3, P-5 and P-8 and further got them

cancelled through cancellation deed as per Exs.P-4, 7 and

8.

28. From the perusal of the records, it disclose that

the defendant is in the habit of executing registered

agreement of sale deeds in favour of intending purchasers

and whenever the value of the land would go high and

when the intending purchasers fail to pay the higher value,

the defendant used to get cancelled the agreements of

sale executed. Therefore, the burden is on the defendant

to establish that the plaintiff got created the agreement of

sale. Except the oral testimony of the defendant as DW-1,

the defendant has not examined any attesting witness in

order to establish that the plaintiff has got created the

Ex.P-1. Further the defendant has not taken any measure

to lodge a criminal case against the plaintiff. On the

contrary, the plaintiff has examined the attesting witness

as PW-2, who has deposed that the defendant has

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executed agreement of sale in favour of the plaintiff. In

the absence of any material on record, the defendant has

failed to prove that the plaintiff has got created a

registered agreement of sale in his favour.

29. In view of the above discussion, we answer

point No.(iv) in the negative.

30. Though we have answered Point Nos.(i) to (iii)

in favour of the plaintiff, the defendant has taken a

defence in the written statement that the defendant has

no other property except the suit schedule properties and

the family of the defendant is depending on the income

derived from out of the suit schedule properties.

31. It is settled principle of law that grant of relief

of specific performance is a discretionary and equitable

relief. The material questions which are required to be

gone into for grant of the relief of specific performance

are:

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i. Whether there exists a valid and concluded contract between the parties for sale/purchase of the suit property;

ii. Whether the plaintiff has been ready and wiling to perform his part of contract and whether he is still ready and wiling to perform his part of the contract;

iii. Whether the plaintiff has, in fact, performed his part of the contract and, if so, how and to what extent and in what manner he has performed and whether such performance was in conformity with the terms of the contract;

iv. Whether it will be equitable to grant the relief of specific performance to the plaintiff against t he defendant in relation to sit property or it will cause any kind of hardship to the defendant and, if so, how ad in what manner and the extent if such relief is eventually granted to the plaintiff.

v. Lastly, whether the plaintiff is entitled for grant of any other alternative relief namely, refund of earnest money etc, and, if so, on what grounds.

32. In our opinion, the aforementioned material

questions are part of the statutory requirements. These

requirements need to be properly pleaded by the parties in

their respective pleadings and proved with the aid of

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evidence in accordance with law. It is only then, the Court

is entitled to exercise its discretion and accordingly grant

or refuse the relief of specific performance depending upon

the case made out by the parties on facts.

33. Sub-section (2) of Section 20 of the Specific

Relief Act (Pre-amendment) lists some of the principles

that the court should take into consideration while

exercising discretion. The factors to be considered while

exercising discretion include hardship to the

defendant/seller which he did not foresee, hardship to the

plaintiff/purchaser in case of non-performance, or whether

the contract, even when not void, was entered under the

circumstances that make the enforcement of specific

performance inequitable, or whether the plaintiff has done

substantial acts or suffered losses as a consequence of the

contract, and the conduct of the parties, including that of

the defendant/seller and other circumstances under which

the contract was entered are such that they give an unfair

advantage over the defendant/seller. The Court should

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examine whether the plaintiff/purchaser had, in fact,

performed his part of the contract, and if so, how and to

what extent, and in what manner he has performed, and

whether such performance was in conformity with the

terms of the contract, the status of the parties, and

whether the plaintiff/purchaser is a speculator in the

property, who buys and sells properties, and whether his

conduct reflects and attempt to gain on account of the rise

in the price of the property, hoping that the delay in

payment of full consideration would go to his advantage,

will be a relevant consideration.

34. From the perusal of the records, it is clear that

the defendant has pleaded in the written statement that,

in case, if specific performance is granted, the defendant

would be put to hardship, as, after the execution of the

agreement of sale, the plaintiff has not done substantial

acts or suffered loss as a consequence of the contract and

further there is delay of two years in filing the suit.

Though agreement of sale was executed in the year 2012,

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the suit was filed in the year 2014 and the suit was

dismissed vide judgment dated 13.07.2018, in between

number of years have been passed and if decree of

specific performance of contract is granted, it would cause

hardship to the defendant. In view of the same, we

answer point No.(v) in the negative.

35. Further the learned counsel for the plaintiff

submitted that if the Court comes to the conclusion that

the plaintiff is not entitled for the relief of specific

performance, the alternate prayer for refund of earnest

money with interest may be granted.

36. Submission of the learned counsel for the

plaintiff is placed on record.

37. Accordingly, we proceed to pass the following:

ORDER

The appeal is allowed.

The judgment and decree passed by the trial Court dated 13.07.2018 passed in

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O.S.No.45/2014 by the leaned Senior Civil Judge, Koppal is set aside. The suit of the plaintiff is partly decreed. The plaintiff is entitled for refund of the earnest money of Rs.20,40,000/- with interest at the rate of 6% per annum from the date of filing of the suit till realization of the amount. The defendant is directed to refund the amount within two months from today.

No order as to costs.

Sd/-

JUDGE

Sd/-

JUDGE

KMV CT:VH

 
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