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  • Order 1 rule 10(2) of the Code of Civil Procedure
  • provisions of Order 1 Rule 10 C.P.C
  • Order 1 Rule 10(2) of the Code
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  • Order 1 rule 10(2) of the Code of Civil Procedure
  • provisions of Order 1 Rule 10 C.P.C
  • Order 1 Rule 10(2) of the Code
Smart Summary

Summary of the Legal Opinion

Factual and Procedural Background

This regular second appeal is directed against the judgment and decree dated 31.7.1997 of the learned 1st Appellate Court (Addl. District Judge, Sirsa). Notice of motion in the appeal was issued on 7.8.1997. When the appeal was listed on 2.2.1998, leave was granted to Mr. Jaswant Jain, Advocate, to file an application under Order 1 Rule 10(2) of the Code of Civil Procedure for impleadment of an applicant (Lekh Raj). The application for impleadment was registered and listed for arguments; those arguments were heard and the judgment on the application was reserved while the appeal itself was adjourned for later hearing.

The underlying suit had been filed by Krishan Kumar and four others against Kailash Parshad Ganeriwala and eight others for a declaration, based on a family settlement, that the plaintiffs had become owners in possession in prescribed shares of land measuring (after amendment) 181 kanals 15 marlas. The defendants did not contest the suit and the trial Court decreed the plaintiffs' claim by judgment dated 24.10.1994. That judgment and decree were challenged in appeal by Shiv Kumar and five others. The 1st Appellate Court (as recorded in the opinion) accepted the appeal and set aside the trial court's judgment and decree. The present regular second appeal is directed against that appellate judgment.

Lekh Raj (the applicant for impleadment) contended that he purchased 47 kanals 4 marlas of the suit land by two sale-deeds dated 29.12.1995 for Rs. 4,20,000 and that mutation in his favour was sanctioned. He sought to be impleaded in the regular second appeal as a necessary party. No formal reply to his impleadment application was filed; counsel for the appellants supported impleadment on the basis that the applicant was a bona fide purchaser, whereas counsel for the respondents opposed impleadment, contending that the applicant was neither a necessary nor a proper party.

Legal Issues Presented

  1. Whether the applicant (Lekh Raj), claiming to be a purchaser of part of the suit land, is a necessary party to the present regular second appeal such that he should be impleaded under Order 1 Rule 10(2) of the Code of Civil Procedure.
  2. Whether, alternatively, the applicant is a proper party to the appeal and should be permitted to be impleaded for effective and complete adjudication of the lis in the appeal.

Arguments of the Parties

Applicant's / Supportive Arguments (as presented by counsel supporting impleadment)

  • The applicant (Lekh Raj) had purchased 47 kanals 4 marlas out of the suit land pursuant to two sale-deeds dated 29.12.1995 for a sum of Rs. 4,20,000, and mutation in his favour has been sanctioned.
  • As purchaser and mutated transferee of part of the suit land, the applicant contended that he has an interest in the property which would be adversely affected by the outcome of the appeal and thus he should be impleaded as a necessary party; counsel for the appellants supported impleadment by describing the applicant as a bona fide purchaser.

Respondents' Arguments

  • The learned counsel for the respondents argued that the applicant is neither a necessary nor a proper party to the appeal and therefore has no cause to be impleaded.

Table of Precedents Cited

Precedent Rule or Principle Cited For Application by the Court
Gurdev Kaur v. Mehar Singh The opinion references this case as one relied upon in the proceedings cited in the text. The opinion records that this case was placed reliance upon (along with others) and is mentioned in the context of setting aside the trial court's judgment and decree; the text does not further elaborate the specific legal principle taken from this case.
1990 (1) PLR 334 : 1989 (2) RRR 499 Listed in the opinion as a cited authority in the earlier proceedings. The opinion records reliance on this citation by the (described) Court in the earlier stage; the provided text does not state the precise rule extracted from it.
Bhup Singh v. Ram Singh, 1996 (1) Civil Court Cases 210 Cited in the opinion as a case relied upon in earlier proceedings. The opinion records that this case was among those relied upon; no specific principle from the case is spelled out in the provided text.
Chand Kaur v. Raj Kaur, AIR 1997 Punjab & Haryana 156 : 1996 (3) RCR (Civil) 512 Cited in the opinion as a case relied upon in earlier proceedings. The opinion states this case was relied upon and is mentioned in the context of the earlier court's action; the provided text does not detail the exact rule taken from it.
Jaspal Kaur v. Hazara Singh (Civil Revision No. 3907 of 1997, decided 6.2.1998) Application of Order 1 Rule 10 CPC and principles governing impleadment—illustrative authority declining impleadment where applicant had no interest in property and had separate remedy. The Court relied on this decision as a closely analogous authority and quoted its reasoning to support refusal of impleadment in the present case, observing that the applicant here likewise had no direct interest in the subject-matter of the suit and could pursue independent remedies.
Sarvinder Singh v. Dalip, (1996) 5 SCC 539 Definition and scope of "necessary" and "proper" parties; respondents who have no right to challenge a particular instrument cannot be necessary or proper parties to a suit concerning that instrument. The Court cited this Supreme Court authority for the proposition that a person who cannot challenge key aspects of the suit (here, family settlement, shares, or partition) is neither a necessary nor a proper party; it used the authority to reinforce the conclusion that the applicant was not a necessary/proper party.
Hardeva v. Ismail, AIR 1970 Rajasthan 167 (Full Bench) Principle argued before the Court: a person who was not a necessary party to the original suit cannot be a necessary party to subsequent proceedings. The Court noted reliance upon this decision (and another) by the respondent's counsel and expressed agreement with its view that the present applicant cannot be treated as a necessary party to a suit between co-owners.
Banarsi Dass Durga Prashad v. Panna Lal Ram Richhpal Oswal, AIR 1969 Punjab & Haryana 57 Principle argued: similar to Hardeva v. Ismail regarding necessity of original party status for subsequent proceedings. The Court recorded this authority as supporting the proposition that the applicant cannot be a necessary party to subsequent proceedings if he was not a necessary party to the suit; the Court stated its full agreement with that view.
Rajinder Singh v. Jaswant Singh, 1987 Punjab Law Journal 68 : 1987 RRR 465 Authority cited by applicant's counsel for the proposition that appellate courts have wide powers to implead a necessary party subsequently, particularly where omission was due to bona fide mistake. The Court found this authority inapplicable to the present case because the facts (e.g., both plaintiffs and applicants claiming from same party) did not align with the present circumstances.
Notified Area Committee, Buria v. Gobind Ram Lachman Doss, AIR 1959 Punjab 277 Cited by applicant's counsel as authority for subsequent impleadment in appeal under certain circumstances. The Court found this authority inapplicable on the facts of the present case and noted it did not support impleadment here.

Court's Reasoning and Analysis

The Court proceeded to determine whether the applicant's presence was necessary or proper for effectual adjudication of the appeal. The reasoning can be summarized in sequential steps as follows:

  1. Nature and extent of applicant's interest: The Court observed that the applicant is an alleged purchaser of 47 kanals 4 marlas out of a larger body of land of which Krishan Kumar and others are admitted co-sharers. The applicant cannot have a better or greater title than Krishan Kumar (the vendor) and cannot claim a share larger than Krishan Kumar's share, which itself is under contest in the proceedings.
  2. Identity of interest with vendor: Because the applicant's interest (as purchaser from Krishan Kumar) is, prima facie, identical to Krishan Kumar's interest, the Court held that the substantive questions in the suit—family settlement, joint possession, and the respective shares of co-owners—affect the rights of Krishan Kumar and the other co-sharers, but do not require determination of the validity or effect of the sale-deed executed by Krishan Kumar to the applicant in the appeal proceedings.
  3. Relevance of the sale-deed to adjudication of the appeal: The Court concluded that determining the validity of the applicant's alleged sale-deed is not necessary to give effective and complete relief between the existing parties to the suit and appeal. The applicant may have an independent remedy in separate proceedings; that collateral question is not essential for the resolution of the family-settlement and co-ownership disputes before the Court.
  4. Applicant's relationship to parties and concept of co-ownership: The Court noted that the applicant is not a co-owner in the familial sense relevant to the matter before the Court (i.e., not an ascendant or brother of the same family, etc.). The contested issues concern family settlement and shares among the co-owners; a stranger claiming by purchase from one co-owner does not become a necessary or proper party simply by virtue of that purchase.
  5. Precedent and authorities: The Court relied on earlier decisions (including its own discussion in Jaspal Kaur v. Hazara Singh and the Supreme Court authority in Sarvinder Singh v. Dalip) to reinforce the principle that a person with no demonstrable right to challenge the primary issues in a suit is neither a necessary nor a proper party. The Court also accepted the proposition (as argued by respondents' counsel and supported by cited authorities) that a person who was not necessary to the suit cannot be treated as a necessary party to subsequent proceedings merely because he seeks adjudication of a collateral matter.
  6. Distinction from cases cited by applicant: The Court reviewed authorities relied upon by the applicant (e.g., Rajinder Singh and Notified Area Committee, Buria) which allow impleadment by appellate courts in cases of bona fide mistake, but found those authorities factually inapplicable to the present case because the factual foundations in those precedents (such as both claimants claiming from the same source) were not present here.
  7. Conclusion reached on facts: On the above basis, the Court concluded that impleadment of the applicant was neither necessary nor proper for the resolution of the appeal and that the applicant should not be added as a party in the present proceedings.

Holding and Implications

The application under Order 1 Rule 10(2) of the Code of Civil Procedure filed by Lekh Raj (the applicant) is dismissed, without any order as to costs.

Consequences and implications:

  • Direct effect: The applicant is not impleaded as a party to the regular second appeal and will not participate as a party in the adjudication of that appeal on the footing of the present application.
  • Scope of relief for the applicant: The Court observed that the applicant may have other independent remedies (for example, a separate suit or proceedings) to challenge or vindicate rights arising from the alleged sale-deed; those remedies are not dependent on being impleaded in this appeal.
  • Precedential effect: The opinion did not purport to lay down a new, broad precedent beyond applying established principles on necessary and proper parties and impleadment; the order expressly states that observations are made without prejudice to the rights and contentions of any parties, including the applicant.

All statements in this summary are derived exclusively from the provided opinion; no additional facts or inferences beyond the text have been introduced.

    Smt. Madhu Ganeriwala v. Shiv Kumar

    Swatanter Kumar, J.:— This regular second appeal is directed against the judgment and decree passed by the learned 1st Appellate Court (Addl. District Judge, Sirsa) dated 31.7.1997 Notice of motion in this appeal was issued by Shri N.C Khichi, J. vide order dated 7.8.1997 returnable on 6.10.1997 Hearing of the appeal was adjourned on the request of the learned counsel for the parties. When the appeal was listed for hearing on 2.2.1998, Mr. Jaswant Jain, Advocate sought leave of the Court to file an application under Order 1 Rule 10(2) of the Code of Civil Procedure in the regular second appeal. According to his contention the applicant was necessary party to the appeal and any decision in appeal would adversely affect his interest. Leave prayed for was granted and the application for impleadment of this applicant was ordered to be registered and listed for arguments. Arguments were heard on this application and the judgment was reserved, while the appeal was directed to be listed for 20.4.1998 for hearing.

    2. In view of the above circumstances, it has become necessary to decide this application prior to the decision in the appeal. In order to appropriately determine the controversy in issue in the present application, it would be necessary to refer to the facts giving rise to the regular second appeal.

    3. Krishan Kumar and four others had filed a suit against Kailash Parshad Ganeriwala and eight others for declaration to the effect that as per family settlement between the parties, plaintiffs No. 1 to 3 in the suit had become owners in possession in equal shares of the land to the extent of ⅓rd share, plaintiff No. 4 in the suit has become owner in possession of ⅓rd share and plaintiff No. 5 had become owner in possession of the land to the extent of ⅓rd share of the total land measuring 181 kanals 15 marlas comprised in various khasra numbers detailed in the plaint in District Sirsa and revenue entries showing to the contrary were liable to be corrected. The defendants in the suit did not contest the suit and admitted the claim of the plaintiffs, as a result of which the learned trial Court passed the following judgment:—

    “In view of this the parties to the suit are not at any issue on the point of law and facts. As such, the suit of the plaintiff is hereby decreed as prayed for with no orders as to costs. Decree-sheet be prepared and the file be consigned to the record room after due compliance.”

    4. On the basis of aforestated judgment, the decree was drawn in favour of the plaintiffs. This judgment and decree dated 24.10.1994 was challenged in appeal by Shiv Kumar and five others impleading the plaintiffs and the defendants in the suit as respondents in appeal. Learned 1st Appellate Court entertained the appeal as the appeal was filed with the leave of the 1st Appellate Court. The applicant claimed to be co-sharer in the suit land which was subject matter of the suit and decree passed by the learned trial Court. It needs to be noticed at this stage that the plaintiffs in the suit had originally filed the suit in regard to the land measuring 221 kanals 15 marlas, but later on by amendment had reduced the area of the land by 40 kanals leaving the land measuring 181 kanals 15 marlas. It was contended on behalf of the appellant that the appellants branch are co-owners and represent 45/900 share out of the suit land as per share described in the memo, of appeal. It is averred that till date no partition had been effected between the co-sharers, as such, the suit land is being jointly owned and possessed by the co-sharers, thus no co-sharer can claim any specific part of the land in his possession and no co-owner can transfer any specific khasra numbers commonly owned and possessed by other co-owners. The applicant claims that he was necessary party to the suit and consequently, the judgment and decree is liable to be set aside.

    5. Learned 1st Appellate Court found that it was not disputed that the parties are closely related and the land which is subject matter of the decree is part and parcel of the land at one time commonly owned and possessed by the parties. The shares in the land were also not at great dispute. This has been so recorded in paragraph 6 of the judgment of the 1st Appellate Court.

    6. Learned trial Court while placing reliance on the cases of Gurdev Kaur v. Mehar Singh, 1990 (1) PLR 334 : 1989 (2) RRR 499, Bhup Singh v. Ram Singh major, 1996 (1) Civil Court Cases 210 and Chand Kaur v. Raj Kaur, AIR 1997 Punjab & Haryana 156 : 1996 (3) RCR (Civil) 512 accepted the appeal of the appellants and set aside the judgment and decree dated 24.10.1994 The present appeal is directed against this judgment and decree. Lekh Raj applicant has filed the application for impleadment as party in this regular second appeal for the first time on the ground that the decree-holders in the suit after passing of the decree in their favour on 24.10.1994 had sold the land measuring 47 kanals 4 marlas vide two different sale-deeds dated 29.12.1995 in favour of the applicant for a sum of Rs. 4,20,000/-. Mutation in furtherance to the sale-deed has been duly sanctioned in favour of Lekh Raj. It is stated that the appeal was filed much later i.e on 8.2.1996 by the present applicant. The applicant claims to have interest in the property and thus he is necessary party to the present appeal.

    7. To this application though no reply was filed but the learned counsel appearing for the appellants supported the application by contending that the applicant should be impleaded as party, he being bona fide purchaser, while on the other hand, the learned counsel for the respondents submitted that the applicant is neither necessary nor proper party to these proceedings and has no cause to be impleaded as party to the present appeal.

    8. I have heard the learned counsel appearing for the parties on this application at some length.

    9. At the outset it becomes necessary to carefully scrutinise what is the interest of the applicant in the suit property. Admittedly, he is a purchaser of 47 kanals 4 marlas of land allegedly sold to him by Krishan Kumar etc. out of the total land measuring more than 181 kanals. As already noticed, the parties to the suit and the appellant before the first Appellate Court are closely related persons and are admittedly the co-sharers of the land measuring 181 kanals and even more. The applicant obviously cannot claim any better title than what Krishan Kumar has in the property in dispute. Even share of Krishan Kumar is to be gone into in the pending proceedings. Prima facie it is averred that Krishan Kumar has a share in the land more than what has been sold to the applicants. Thus, the applicants, firstly have no better title to the property than Krishan Kumar and cannot even claim a share more than the share of Krishan Kumar in the property in question. The resultant effect is that Krishan Kumar and the applicants have not only similar but an identical interest in the property in question. The right of Krishan Kumar only would be controlled in the present suit as to share and possession of the land but the findings cannot be with regard to the alleged sale deed executed by Krishan Kumar in favour of the applicant. This question neither arises before the Court nor its determination would be necessary to give effective and complete relief to the parties to the suit. May be the applicants have an independent remedy and such a remedy is in no way dependent upon the present case.

    10. The applicants are not co-owners in that sense of the term. They are admittedly not the ascendants from the same forefathers nor are brothers of the same family. This relationship is restricted to the parties to the suit and the appellant before the first Appellate Court. The basic questions involved in the present case are family settlement, its effect, joint possession of the co-owners and their respective shares which require determination and adjudication by the Court. For determination of any of these questions the applicant is neither necessary nor even a proper party. In somewhat similar circumstances this Court in the case of Jaspal Kaur… v. Hazara Singh…., Civil Revision No. 3907 of 1997 decided on 6.2.1998, after detailed discussion of the law on the subject declined the application for impleadment. At this stage it may be relevant to refer to the following observations of the Court for proper application of the principles governing the subject to the present case:—

    “Applying the above principles, which have been reiterated with approval from time to time to the facts of the present ease, it becomes evident that the trial court has fallen in error of jurisdiction in allowing the application, It is admitted case that the applicant has no interest in the property and she only wishes to recover the amount due to her from the parties to the suit. For this purpose she has already filed a suit, which is pending. The mere fact that she wishes the property in question to remain intact security for execution of a decree which may ultimately be passed in her favour, the provisions of Order 1 Rule 10 C.P.C would not be attracted. May be, the applicant is entitled to other relief in her own suit.

    Learned counsel for the respondents has not been able to demonstrate as to how the presence of the respondent. No. 2 would help the Court in effectively and completely adjudicate upon the matter in dispute. The applicant/respondent No. 2 on the face of it can neither be termed as necessary or proper party. The basic rule that the plaintiff is the dominus litus has some exceptions to it but such exceptions rather fall in a narrow compass. Satisfaction of the Court based upon above consideration is pre-requisite to allow such application. The applicant is a totally stranger to the proceedings and does not claim any interest in the subject-matter of the suit nor can it be said that any question which would directly affect her interest falls for consideration of the Court in the present suit. The allegations made in the application per se cannot constitute valid reasons for her impleadment in the present suit.”

    11. At this stage it may be more appropriate to refer to the case of Sarvinder Singh v. Dalip, (1996) 5 Supreme Court Cases 539 wherein the Hon'ble Supreme Court held as under:—

    “The respondents indisputably cannot challenge the legality or the validity of the will executed and registered by Hira Devi on 26.5.1952 Though it may be open to the legal heirs of Rajender Kaur, who was a party to the earlier suit, to resist the claim on any legally available or tenable grounds, those grounds are not available to the responders. Under those circumstances, the respondents cannot, by any stretch of imagination, be said to be either necessary or proper parties to the suit. A necessary party is one whose presence is absolutely necessary and without whose presence the issue cannot effectually and completely be adjudicated upon and decided between the parties. A proper party is one whose presence would be necessary to effectually and completely adjudicate upon the disputes. In either case the respondents cannot be said to be either necessary or proper parties to the suit.”

    12. In the present case the applicants have no right to challenge the factum of partition between the parties, their share and legality of the family settlement between the parties. He is a total stranger to the family and to the matters in issue involved in the suit before the trial Court. The relief, if any, the applicants can claim is against Kewal Krishan to the extent of the land sold together and is part of the property in dispute. The decree was passed in favour of the co owners originally which has been set aside in appeal on the plea of another admitted co-owner and stranger like the applicant cannot claim interest in the present proceedings.

    13. The learned counsel for the non-applicant-respondent while relying upon the case of a Full Bench of the Rajasthan High Court titled Hardeva v. Ismail, AIR 1970 Rajasthan 167 and a judgment of this Court in the case of Banarsi Dass Durga Prashad v. Panna Lal Ram Richhpal Oswal, AIR 1969 Punjab & Haryana 57 argued that a person cannot be a necessary party to the subsequent proceedings if he was not a necessary party to the suit itself. I am in full agreement with the view expressed in the two judgments. The present applicant cannot be held to be a necessary party to a suit between the co-owners based on a family settlement. Firstly, he is total stranger to the proceedings and family and secondly, he cannot be impleaded as a party merely because he seeks adjudication of a collateral matter to the present proceedings.

    14. The reliance by the learned counsel for the applicant on the case of Rajinder Singh v. Jaswant Singh, 1987 Punjab Law Journal 68 : 1987 RRR 465 and Notified Area Committee, Buria v. Gobind Ram Lachman Doss, AIR 1959 Punjab 277, have no application to the present case. In that case the Court observed that necessary party who was not originally impleaded in appeal on account of bona fide mistake could be subsequently impleaded by the appellate Court and the powers of the Appellate Court are wide enough. In the case of Rajinder Singh (supra) both the plaintiffs and applicants were claiming interest in the property on the basis of the agreement from one and the same party which are admittedly not the facts in the present case.

    15. For the reasons afore-stated, I have no hesitation in coming to the conclusion that the applicant is neither a necessary nor a proper party to the appeal. Of course he may have a right to take recourse to such other proceedings as are available to him in accordance with law. Any observations made in this order would be without prejudice to the rights and contentions of any of the parties including the applicant. Consequently, the application under Order 1 Rule 10(2) of the Code filed by Lekh Raj applicant is dismissed, without any order as to costs.

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    Comments

    Smt. Madhu Ganeriwala v. Shiv Kumar
    (Feb 12, 1998)