Citation : 2023 Latest Caselaw 4413 Ker
Judgement Date : 12 April, 2023
IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM
PRESENT
THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE ANIL K.NARENDRAN
&
THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE P.G. AJITHKUMAR
WEDNESDAY, THE 12TH DAY OF APRIL 2023 / 22ND CHAITHRA, 1945
O.P.(FC) NO. 184 OF 2023
AGAINST THE ORDER DATED 17.11.2022 IN I.A.NO.2 OF 2022 IN
O.P.(OTHERS) NO.318 OF 2022 OF THE FAMILY COURT, CHAVARA
PETITIONERS:
1 FAKHRUDEEN RAZI,
AGED 38 YEARS, S/O SHAHUDEEN MAHDOON PILLA
LABBA, RESIDING AT VILAYIL VEEDU, PALLIMUKKU,
KURIYODU P.O, CHADAYAMANGALAM VILLAGE,
KOTTARAKKARA TALUK, KOLLAM-691583. NOW WORKING
AT SHIFAJIZAN POLY CLINIK, NEAR OLD JAWAZAT,
OMAR BIN KHATAB STREET, [ REPRESENTED BY HIS
POWER OF HOLDER SHAHUDEEN, AGED 64 YEARS, S/O
MAHDDON PILLA LABBA RESIDING AT VILAYIL VEEDU,
PALLIMUKKU, KURIYODU P.O, CHADAYAMANGALAM
VILLAGE, KOTTARAKKARA TALUK, KOLLAM-691583]
2 JAMEELA BEEVI,
AGED 58 YEARS, D/O MUHAMMAD HANEEFA, RESIDING
AT VILAYIL VEEDU, PALLIMUKKU, KURIYODU P.O,
CHADAYAMANGALAM VILLAGE, KOTTARAKKARA TALUK,
KOLLAM-691583, PIN - 691583.
3 SHAHUDEEN,
AGED 64 YEARS, S/O MAHDDON PILLA LABBA,
RESIDING AT VILAYIL VEEDU, PALLIMUKKU, KURIYODU
P.O, CHADAYAMANGALAM VILLAGE, KOTTARAKKARA
TALUK, KOLLAM-691583, PIN - 691583.
BY ADVS.
O.A.NURIYA
REVATHY P. MANOHARAN
AZHAR ASSEES
ANAND B. MENON
2
O.P.(FC) No.184 of 2023
RESPONDENT:
NISSA
AGED 35 YEARS, D/O IQBAL, HARIS MANZIL,
CHAVARA MURI, CHAVARA P.O, CHAVARA VILLAGE,
KARUNAGAPILLY TALUK, KOLLAM-691583,
PIN - 691583.
THIS OP (FAMILY COURT) HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION
ON 12.04.2023, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY DELIVERED THE
FOLLOWING:
3
O.P.(FC) No.184 of 2023
JUDGMENT
P.G. Ajithkumar, J.
This Original Petition under Article 227 of the
Constitution of India is filed by the respondents in O.P.
(Others) No.318 of 2022 on the file of the Family Court,
Chavara. They are aggrieved of Ext.P7 order dated
09.11.2022 of the Family Court in I.A.No.2 of 2022. As per
the said order, an ad interim injunction restraining the
petitioners from alienating, encumbering or trespassing upon
the petition schedule property was granted.
2. When this matter has come up for admission today,
we heard the learned counsel for the petitioners in detail.
3. O.P.(Others) No.318 of 2022 was filed by the
respondent for a decree setting aside the decree in O.P.
(Money) No.798 of 2016 of the said court. In that original
petition, the respondent has filed I.A.No.2 of 2023 seeking a
temporary prohibitory injunction restraining the petitioners
herein from alienating, encumbering or trespassing upon the
petition schedule property. Injunction against commission of
O.P.(FC) No.184 of 2023
acts of waste in the property is also claimed. The Family Court
on 09.11.2022 granted an ex parte order of injunction, which
reads as follows:-
"Heard. Perused affidavit filed and documents produced. This court is satisfied that the petitioner has got a prima facie case in favour of granting of an order of ad-interim injunction order and delay in passing such order will defeat the very purpose of the original petition. Hence, the respondents are restrained by an order of interim injunction as prayed for. Comply Order XXXIX, Rule 3, C.P.C. Return of notice to 03.02.2022."
4. The said order was passed by the Family Court
under Order XXXIX, Rule 1 of the Code of Civil Procedure,
1908. The petitioners are aggrieved by the said order, and
therefore, they want this Court to invoke the powers under
Article 227 of the Constitution of India to set aside the said
order. Ext.P7 is only an ex parte ad interim order. When an
ex parte order of injunction is granted, the court is expected
to dispose of the application, in which that order is granted,
within 30 days from the date on which the injunction was
granted in view of provisions of Rule 3A, Order XXXIX of the
Code.
O.P.(FC) No.184 of 2023
5. The learned counsel appearing for the petitioners
would submit that objection to I.A.No.2 of 2022 is yet to be
filed by the petitioners. Ext.P7 was ordered on 09.11.2022.
The petitioners entered appearance before the Family Court,
but they did not file any objection to I.A.No.2 of 2022 so far.
That may be the reason why the Family Court did not pass a
peremptory order on I.A.No.2 of 2022 in compliance with
Rule 3A of Order XXXIX of the Code. Ext.P7 being only an
ex parte interim order, this Court is not expected to invoke the
powers under Article 227 of the Constitution of India to
examine whether the said order is perverse or illegal. It is for
the Family Court to dispose of I.A.No.2 of 2022 on merits.
6. Article 227 of the Constitution of India deals with
power of superintendence over all courts by the High Court.
Under clause (1) of Article 227 of the Constitution, every High
Court shall have superintendence over all courts and tribunals
throughout the territories in relation to which it exercises
jurisdiction.
O.P.(FC) No.184 of 2023
7. In Shalini Shyam Shetty v. Rajendra Shankar
Patil [(2010) 8 SCC 329] the Apex Court, while analysing
the scope and ambit of the power of superintendence under
Article 227 of the Constitution, held that the object of
superintendence, both administrative and judicial, is to
maintain efficiency, smooth and orderly functioning of the
entire machinery of justice in such a way as it does not bring
it into any disrepute. The power of interference under Article
227 is to be kept to the minimum to ensure that the wheel of
justice does not come to a halt and the fountain of justice
remains pure and unpolluted in order to maintain public
confidence in the functioning of the tribunals and courts
subordinate to the High Court.
8. In Jai Singh v. Municipal Corporation of Delhi
[(2010) 9 SCC 385], while considering the nature and scope of
the powers under Article 227 of the Constitution of India, the
Apex Court held that, undoubtedly the High Court, under Article
227 of the Constitution, has the jurisdiction to ensure that all
subordinate courts, as well as statutory or quasi-judicial tribunals
O.P.(FC) No.184 of 2023
exercise the powers vested in them, within the bounds of their
authority. The High Court has the power and the jurisdiction to
ensure that they act in accordance with the well established
principles of law. The exercise of jurisdiction must be within the
well recognised constraints. It cannot be exercised like a 'bull in
a china shop', to correct all errors of the judgment of a court or
tribunal, acting within the limits of its jurisdiction. This
correctional jurisdiction can be exercised in cases where orders
have been passed in grave dereliction of duty or in flagrant abuse
of fundamental principles of law or justice.
9. In K.V.S. Ram v. Bangalore Metropolitan
Transport Corporation [(2015) 12 SCC 39] the Apex
Court held that, in exercise of the power of superintendence
under Article 227 of the Constitution of India, the High Court
can interfere with the order of the court or tribunal only when
there has been a patent perversity in the orders of the
tribunal and courts subordinate to it or where there has been
gross and manifest failure of justice or the basic principles of
natural justice have been flouted.
O.P.(FC) No.184 of 2023
10. In Sobhana Nair K.N. v. Shaji S.G. Nair [2016
(1) KHC 1] a Division Bench of this Court held that, the law
is well settled by a catena of decisions of the Apex Court that
in proceedings under Article 227 of the Constitution of India,
this Court cannot sit in appeal over the findings recorded by
the lower court or tribunal and the jurisdiction of this Court is
only supervisory in nature and not that of an appellate court.
Therefore, no interference under Article 227 of the
Constitution is called for, unless this Court finds that the lower
court or tribunal has committed manifest error, or the
reasoning is palpably perverse or patently unreasonable, or
the decision of the lower court or tribunal is in direct conflict
with settled principles of law.
11. In view of the law laid down in the decisions
referred to supra, the High Court in exercise of its supervisory
jurisdiction under Article 227 of the Constitution of India
cannot sit in appeal over the findings recorded by a lower
court or tribunal. The supervisory jurisdiction cannot be
exercised to correct all errors of the order or judgment of a
O.P.(FC) No.184 of 2023
lower court or tribunal, acting within the limits of its
jurisdiction. The correctional jurisdiction under Article 227 can
be exercised only in a case where the order or judgment of a
lower court or tribunal has been passed in grave dereliction of
duty or in flagrant abuse of fundamental principles of law or
justice. Therefore, no interference under Article 227 is called
for, unless the this Court finds that the Family Court has
committed manifest error in passing Ext.P7 order. We find no
such manifest error in Ext.P7, which is only an ad interim
order.
12. The petitioners can certainly approach the Family
Court for a disposal of I.A.No.2 of 2022 on merits. They have
to file objection to I.A.No.2 of 2022 and on their filing
objection, the Family Court will certainly proceed to dispose of
I.A.No.2 of 2022, after hearing both sides. Accordingly, this
Original Petition is disposed of with the following directions:-
i) The petitioners shall file objection to I.A.No.2 of 2022 within two weeks from the date of production of the certified copy of the judgment; and
ii) Once the objection is filed, the Family Court,
O.P.(FC) No.184 of 2023
Chavara will dispose of I.A.No.2 of 2022, after hearing both sides, within a period of one month from the date of filing of the objection.
Sd/-
ANIL K. NARENDRAN, JUDGE
Sd/-
P.G. AJITHKUMAR, JUDGE dkr
O.P.(FC) No.184 of 2023
APPENDIX OF OP (FC) 184/2023
PETITIONER EXHIBITS EXHIBIT P1 A TRUE COPY OF THE POWER OF ATTORNEY OF THE FIRST PETITIONER DATED 10.02.2023 EXHIBIT P2 A TRUE COPY OF ORIGINAL PETITION FILED BY THE RESPONDENT HEREIN IN OP (MONEY) NO. 798/2016 BEFORE THE FAMILY COURT, CHAVARA DATED NIL EXHIBIT P3 A TRUE COPY OF THE STATEMENT OF OBJECTION FILED BY THE PETITIONERS HEREIN IN OP (MONEY) NO. 798/2016 BEFORE THE FAMILY COURT, CHAVARA DATED 24.12.2018 EXHIBIT P4 A TRUE COPY OF THE JUDGEMENT AND DECREE DATED 09.05.2022 PASSED BY THE FAMILY COURT, CHAVARA IN OP (MONEY) NO. 798/2016 EXHIBIT P5 A TRUE COPY OF O.P (OTHERS) NO.
318/2022 FILED BY RESPONDENT BEFORE THE FAMILY COURT, CHAVARA DATED NIL EXHIBIT P6 A TRUE COPY OF I.A NO. 2 OF 2022 IN O.P (OTHERS) NO. 318/2022 DATED 05.11.2022 FILED BY THE RESPONDENT BEFORE THE FAMILY COURT, CHAVARA TO ATTACH THE PETITION SCHEDULE PROPERTY EXHIBIT P7 A TRUE COPY OF THE INJUNCTION ORDER DATED 17.11.2022 PASSED BY THE FAMILY COURT, CHAVARA IN I.A NO. 2 OF 2022 IN O.P (OTHERS) NO. 318/2022
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