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Parmeshwar Dayal Amist v. Rambrichh Singh
Structured Summary of Opinion (Chatterji, J.)
Factual and Procedural Background
This matter arises out of ancestral and subsequently acquired proprietary interests in mauza Bishunpur Kashba (tauzi No. 338, Gaya). Three brothers—Deonarayan, Hari Charan and Kashi Singh—held ancestral shares. Plaintiffs comprise the sons and grandsons of Deonarayan and Hari Charan; pro forma defendants 4–7 descend from Kashi. Mahesh Dutt (a separate proprietor) performed a series of mortgages and sales in 1900–1903: he mortgaged and sold small fractional shares (measured in annas and dams) to various persons, including Deonarayan and Debi Prashad (father of the principal defendants 1–3).
In 1915 Debi Prashad sued to enforce a mortgage dated 8 July 1901 (in respect of 1 anna). A preliminary decree directed that 14 dams out of the mortgaged 1 anna be sold free from encumbrance and, if insufficient, the remaining 6 dams would be sold subject to a prior encumbrance (the November 1900 mortgage in favour of Deonarayan). The decree was made final in September 1919, but the final decree ordered sale of the entire 1 anna without explicitly mentioning the prior encumbrance recorded in the preliminary decree.
Debi Prashad executed the final decree, purchased the 1 anna at execution sale on 21 December 1920, took possession in March 1922 and had his name mutated in the land (D) register. As a result of that mutation 10 dams were removed from plaintiffs' entry No. 14 and 10 dams from plaintiffs' entry No. 15 in the D register, prompting the plaintiffs to sue alleging the final decree, execution sale and mutation proceedings were fraudulent and asking for declarations of title, possession, and alternatively for redemption of 6 dams.
The learned Subordinate Judge dismissed the suit (finding no fraud and holding plaintiffs bound by the final decree and sale). On appeal the District Judge reversed in part and decreed limited relief to the plaintiffs, reducing their claimed shares. Defendants 1–3 (sons of Debi Prashad) appealed to the High Court against that decision. This appeal by defendants 1–3 is the subject of the present opinion.
Legal Issues Presented
- Whether the final decree (which omitted the preliminary-decree direction as to prior encumbrance) and the execution sale could be challenged by the plaintiffs on the ground of fraud, or whether, absent established fraud, plaintiffs are bound by the final decree and the confirmed sale.
- If the plaintiffs are bound by the final decree and execution sale, what portion of the plaintiffs' recorded shares in the D Register was properly affected by that sale and by the subsequent mutation in favour of Debi Prashad (and later defendants 1–3)?
- Whether defendants 1–3 were entitled, in the D Register mutation, to deduct 10 dams from the plaintiffs' respective entries and what corrections, if any, should be made to the register entries and to possession as a result.
Arguments of the Parties
Plaintiffs' Arguments
- The final mortgage decree, the execution sale and the mutation proceedings were fraudulent; plaintiffs first discovered the alleged fraud on 2 May 1932.
- They sought declaration of title to the 1 anna share recorded in the D Register in respect of which Debi Prashad's name was mutated, recovery/confirmation of possession, and alternatively redemption of a 6-dam share out of that 1 anna.
Defendants' Arguments
- Defendants 1–3 asserted that the plaintiffs' suit was barred under Section 47 of the Code of Civil Procedure and by res judicata.
- They further argued that the plaintiffs' case rested entirely on a contention of fraud, and because fraud had not been established, plaintiffs were not entitled to any relief; therefore the final decree and the execution sale must bind the plaintiffs.
Table of Precedents Cited
No precedents were cited in the provided opinion.
Court's Reasoning and Analysis
The court's analysis proceeded along the following lines:
- The court acknowledged that the preliminary decree had declared the priority of the earlier (November 1900) mortgage as to 6 dams out of the mortgaged 1 anna, but the final decree, apparently by mistake, directed sale of the whole 1 anna without mentioning the prior encumbrance.
- The court explained the governing procedural principle under Order 34, Rule 5 of the CPC: a final decree should follow the terms of the preliminary decree. However, if the final decree is passed in variance with the preliminary decree, an executing court will execute the final decree as it stands; the executing court may interpret the final decree in light of the preliminary decree, but if no objection is taken either to the final decree or to its execution and the sale under it is confirmed, the judgment-debtor cannot subsequently deny the binding effect of the final decree or the execution sale.
- Applying that principle, the court found that in the present case no objection was taken by the plaintiffs (or their predecessors) to the final decree's omission of the prior encumbrance or to the execution sale that followed. The 1 anna was sold free from encumbrance (the sale certificate showed this) and the sale was allowed to be confirmed. Therefore the plaintiffs must be held bound by the execution sale, unless fraud had been established.
- The court then turned to the quantum of the interest affected by the sale. The mortgage was in respect of an undivided 1 anna out of 1 anna 4 dams, and the predecessors of the plaintiffs and pro forma defendants 4–7 had purchased 12 dams out of that 1 anna 4 dams. The mortgage would operate proportionally (5/6) on that 12-dam block, so 10 dams of the 12 purchased by the plaintiffs' predecessors were subject to the mortgage. Similarly, 10 dams out of the 12-dam share in the hands of Rang (subsequent transferee) were subject to the mortgage.
- Because the 12-dam purchase was held in equal thirds among three groups (plaintiffs 1 & 2; plaintiffs 3–7; pro forma defendants 4–7), the court calculated that 3⅓ dams (i.e. one-third of 10 dams) out of each group's 12-dam holding were affected by the execution sale. The court therefore held that taking 10 dams each from the plaintiffs' entries (as reflected in the mutation effected by defendants 1–3) was not justified.
- The court corrected an apparent error of the learned District Judge regarding the participation of Rang/Bang Bahadur in the 1915 mortgage suit: Rang was in fact impleaded (as defendant 4), so his interest was subject to the mortgage consequences in that suit.
- Addressing defendants' contention that plaintiffs cannot obtain relief because fraud was not proven: the court rejected that contention. Even though the plaintiffs pleaded fraud as a ground, they also pleaded that defendants had wrongfully taken the entire 1 anna share from the plaintiffs' entries in the mutation proceedings; that pleaded wrongful taking entitled plaintiffs to challenge the effect of the mutation. Defendants could have offered any defence that would justify the mutation; having not justified the deductions, the mutation order could not be allowed to extinguish the plaintiffs' rights except to the limited extent the court identified.
Holding and Implications
APPEAL ALLOWED IN PART.
The court granted limited relief to the plaintiffs and corrected the effects of the mutation in the D Register. The opinion's operative paragraph states:
"In the result I would allow the appeal in part and decree the plaintiffs' suit only to this extent that out of the 1 anna share in respect of which defendants 1 to 3 have got their names mutated in the D Register out of the plaintiffs' share the title of plaintiffs 1 and 2 be declared with respect to of dams out of the 10 dams taken from their share appertaining, to entry No. 15 in the D Register and the title of plaintiffs 3 to 7 be declared with respect to 6⅔ dams out of 10 dams taken from their share appertaining to entry No. 14 in the D Register and they do recover their possession of the game. The parties do bear their own costs throughout."
Note: the quoted operative paragraph in the provided opinion omits a numeric figure specifying the exact number of dams in respect of which the title of plaintiffs 1 and 2 was declared (the text reads "be declared with respect to of dams ..."). That specific numeric figure was not available in the provided opinion.
Consequences and direct effects on the parties (as stated or demonstrated in the opinion):
- Defendants 1–3's appeal succeeds only in part; the District Judge's broader adjustment in favour of plaintiffs was narrowed by the High Court's proportional accounting.
- The plaintiffs obtain declarations of title and recovery of possession to the limited extent set out in the court's operative paragraph (with the explicit award of 6⅔ dams out of the 10 dams taken from the plaintiffs' entry No. 14 for plaintiffs 3–7 as stated in the opinion).
- The defendants are entitled (as between the recorded entries) to certain portions of the purchased 1 anna in the proportions stated by the court (including 10 dams from Rang/Bang Bahadur's entry and fractional shares—3⅓ dams—from other entries), as explained in the court's reasoning.
- The parties bear their own costs throughout.
- No case law precedent was cited in the opinion and the court did not purport to lay down any new rule of law; the decision resolves rights among the parties on the facts and on the application of established procedural principles (notably the relationship between preliminary and final decrees and execution under Order 34, Rule 5 CPC).
Appeal allowed in part. (Fazl Ali, J. agreed.)
Chatterji, J.:— The facts necessary for the determination of this appeal may be stated as follows: Deonarayan, Hari Charan and Kashi Singh were three brothers. They had some ancestral share in the proprietary interest in mauza Bishunpur Kashba bearing tauzi No. 338 of the Gaya Collector ate. Plaintiffs 1 and 2 are the sons of Deonarayan. The remaining plaintiffs, i.e plaintiffs 3 to 7, are the sons and grandsons of Hari Charan. The pro forma defendants 4 to 7 are the descendants of Kashi by his wife Mungo Kuer. Defendants 8 to 10 are the sons of Mahesh Dutt deceased who had originally 1 anna 4 dams share in the said village Bishunpur. In November 1900, Mahesh Dutt mortgaged 10 dams out of the 1 anna 4 dams share to Deonarayan. Again on 8th July 1901 Mahesh mortgaged 1 anna to Debi Prashad, father of the principal defendants 1 to 3. On 9th May 1903 Mahesh sold 12 dams out of his 1 anna 4 dams to Deonarayan, Hari Charan and Munga Kuer (widow of Kashi) in equal shares for Rs. 600 out of which Rs. 119 was set off against the dues on the mortgage executed in November 1900 in favour of Deonarayan. Mahesh also sold the remaining 12 dams share to his son Rama Nand who in his turn sold that share to his nephew Rang Bahadur. In the meantime Mahesh had acquired by purchase an additional 12 dams share out of which he mortgaged 10 dams to Kashi Nath Ram. The latter in due course enforced his mortgage and purchased the 10 dams share. So out of the subsequently acquired 12 dams share 2 dams were left to Mahesh. In 1915 Debi Prashad sued to enforce his mortgage dated 8th July 1901 in respect of 1 anna share impleading, besides the sons of the mortgagor who was then dead, Deonarayan, plaintiffs 3 to 7, defendants 4 to 7 and also Rang Bahadur who were subsequent transferees. Deonarayan and plaintiffs 3 to 7 contested the suit, claiming priority on the basis of their mortgage of November 1900. A preliminary decree was passed with a direction that 14 dams out of the mortgaged 1 anna should be first sold free from encumbrance and in case the sale proceeds thereof were found insufficient then the remaining 6 dams would be sold subject to the prior encumbrance of November 1900. The decree was made final in September 1919 but the final decree directed the sale of the mortgaged 1 anna in its entirety without specifying the prior encumbrance in respect of 6 dams as mentioned in the preliminary decree. Debi Prashad executed the final decree and in execution purchased the mortgaged 1 anna share on 21st December 1920. He took delivery of possession on 4th March 1922 and then got his name mutated in the Land Registration Department in respect of the purchased share. In the D Register the shares of the plaintiffs and the pro forma defendants 4 to 7 including their ancestral share were recorded as follows:
A. d. k. b. ph. rew. rain. phen. (1) Entry No. 14: Plaintiffs 3 to 7: 1. 8. 18. 6. 13. 10. 0. 0. (2) Entry No. 15: Plaintiffs 1 and 2 and Mt. Jasoda Kuer: 2. 5. 13. 6. 12. 13. 7. 0. (3) Entry No. 16: Pro forma defendants 4 to 7: 1. 12. 0. 19. 19. 16. 13. 0.
2. As a result of the mutation effected in the name of Debi Prashad in respect of his purchased 1 anna share 10 dams were taken out of the entry No. 14 in the names of plaintiffs 3 to 7 and 10 dams out of the entry No. 15 in the names of plaintiffs 1 and 2. The plaintiffs being aggrieved by this mutation brought the suit which has given rise to this appeal. Their main allegations are that the final mortgage decree and the execution sale and the mutation proceedings were all fraudulent and they came to know of the same for the first time on 2nd May 1932. They pray for a declaration of their title to the 1 anna share in respect of which Debi Prashad got his name mutated in the D Register and for confirmation or recovery of possession thereof and in the alternative for redemption of 6 dams share out of the said 1 anna share. The suit was contested by defendants 1 to 3 who are the sons of Debi Prashad, as already stated. Their substantial defence is that the suit is barred under Section 47 of the CPC, and by res judicata. The learned Subordinate Judge who tried the suit dismissed it, holding that the plaintiffs failed to establish fraud and that they are bound by the final mortgage decree and by the execution sale. On appeal by the plaintiffs to the learned District Judge, he reversed the decision of the learned Subordinate Judge and decreed the suit in part, declaring the title of plaintiffs 1 and 2 to 2 annas 2 dams and odd share less two-third dam and of plaintiffs 3 to 7 to 1 anna 8 dams and odd share less two-third dam and confirming their possession in respect thereof. Hence this second appeal by defendants 1 to 3.
3. As will appear from the statement of facts given above, the plaintiffs' case rests mainly on the question whether the final decree was obtained by fraud and could override the preliminary decree and whether the execution proceedings were vitiated by fraud. In the appeal before the learned District Judge the finding of the learned Subordinate Judge that there was no fraud was not challenged. The learned District Judge however has held that the rights of the parties having been declared by the preliminary decree, 6 dams out of the 1 anna purchased by Debi Prashad must be subject to the prior encumbrance in favour of Deonarayan. In his view Debi Prashad had the right to follow 14 dams only out of the mortgaged 1 anna share in the hands of any of the defendants in the mortgage suit, and out of the 14 dams, 12 dams being in the possession of one Rang Bahadur who was not a party to that suit Debi Prashad must be held to have lost his right to the said 12 dams and therefore by his auction-purchase he acquired only 2 dams share out of the shares of the plaintiffs and the proforma defendants 4 to 7. Accordingly the learned District Judge has reduced the claim of plaintiffs 1 and 2 by two-third dam and of plaintiffs 3 to 7 also by two-third dam. It is contended on behalf of the appellants before us that no fraud having been established with regard to the final decree and the execution proceedings, the plaintiffs must be held to be bound by the final decree and the execution sale. This contention, in my opinion, must prevail.
4. Indeed the question of priority of the mortgage in respect of 6 dams was declared by the preliminary decree, but for some reason or other, in all likelihood by mistake the direction with regard to the prior mortgage was omitted from the final decree. A Court in passing a final decree under O. 34, Rule 5 of the CPC, has to follow the terms of the preliminary decree. If however the Court passes a final decree in variance with the terms of the preliminary, decree, the Court when executing the decree will execute the final decree as it stands. It is of course open to the executing Court to interpret the final decree in the light of the preliminary decree. But where no objection is taken to the passing of the final decree in variance with the terms of the preliminary decree or to the execution I of such final decree and in execution the mortgaged property is sold and the sale is confirmed the judgment-debtor will not bel heard to say that the final decree or the execution sale is not binding on him or; does not affect his rights under the preliminary decree. In the present case the final, decree directed the sale of the mortgaged 1 anna share in its entirety without any mention of the prior encumbrance in respect of the 6 dams share and in execution proceedings the 1 anna share was sold free from encumbrance, as the sale certificate shows. At the time of the final decree it was the duty of the plaintiffs or their predecessors to see that it was passed in conformity with the preliminary decree. Even assuming that the final decree as it stands, is not really in conflict with the preliminary decree but is capable of being interpreted as being consistent with that decree, when in execution proceedings the 1 anna-share share was brought to sale free from encumbrance it was open to the plaintiffs or their predecessors to object to the sale on the ground that it was not warranted by the terms of the decree. No such objection having been taken and the sale having been allowed to take place and to be confirmed it no longer lies in the mouth of the plaintiffs to say that their rights have not been at all affected by the sale. They must be held to be bound by the execution sale.
5. The question then arises as to how much of the plaintiffs' share is affected by the sale. As already stated, the plaintiffs and the pro forma defendants 4 to 7, rather their predecessors, purchased 12 dams share out of the original 1 anna 4 dams share of Mahesh Dutt. The remaining 12 dams came to the hands of Bang Bahadur by process of transfer. These transferees of the entire 1 anna 4 dams share were parties to the mortgage decree obtained by Debi Prashad. The mortgage being in respect of undivided 1 anna share out of 1 anna 4 dams would operate in the proportion of five-sixths on the 12 dams share purchased by the predecessors of the plaintiffs and the pro forma defendants 4 to 7; in other words, out of their 12 dams only 10 dams would be subject to the mortgage. So also 10 dams out of 12 dams share in the hands of Bang Bahadur would be subject to the mortgage. Out of the 12 dams purchased by the predecessors of the plaintiffs and the pro forma defendants 4 to 7 plaintiffs 1 and 2 have one-third share, plaintiffs 4 to 7 one-third and defendants 4 to 7 one-third. Consequently 3⅓ dams out of the share of the plaintiffs 1 and 2, 3⅓ dams out of the share of the plaintiffs 4 to 7 and 3⅓ dams out of the share of the defendants 4 to 7 must be held to have been affected by the execution sale. Defendants 1 to 3, while getting their names mutated in the D Register in respect of the purchased 1 anna share took out 10 dams from the share of plaintiffs 1 and 2 and 10 dams from the share of plaintiffs 3 to 7. This was not justified.
6. The shares recorded in the names of the plaintiffs in entries Nos. 14 and 15 included their ancestral share as well as the share purchased from Mahesh Dutt. Similarly, defendants 4 to 7 also are recorded in respect of some share which includes their ancestral share as well as the purchased share. Rang Bahadur who, as already stated, is a subsequent purchaser of 12 dams share out of the 1 anna 4 darns share of Mahesh Dutt, is recorded in respect of that share in the D Register. Defendants 1 to 3 are entitled to get their purchased 1 anna share, so far as the entries in the D Register are concerned in the following proportions: 3⅓ dams from the share of plaintiffs 1 and 2, 3⅓ dams from the share of plaintiffs 3 to 7, 3⅓ dams from the share of defendants 4 to 7 and 10 dams from the share of Rang Bahadur. Here it may be mentioned that the learned District Judge was in error in supposing that Bang Bahadur was not a party to the mortgage suit of 1915 brought by Debi Prashad. In fact he was defendant 4 (vide decrees Exs. 6 and 6a). From the judgment Ex. 5 it appears that he was impleaded as one of the heirs of the deceased mortgagor, but that does not make any difference so far as his interest is concerned.
7. It is contended on behalf of defendants 1 to 3 that the plaintiffs' case being based entirely on fraud, and fraud not having been established, they are not entitled to any relief in this suit. It is said that had the plaintiffs made out a case in their plaint based on any other ground apart from fraud for obtaining relief in respect of the shares which defendants 1 to 3 have got recorded in their names as a result of the mutation proceedings they might have met that case in various ways. This contention does not at all appeal to me. The plaintiffs distinctly stated in the plaint that as a result of the mutation proceedings defendants 1 to 3 have wrongfully taken the entire 1 anna share from their shares only. Defendants 1 to 3 if they liked might have put forward any defence which would justify them in retaining the benefit of the apparently erroneous order passed in mutation proceedings. The plaintiffs are, in my opinion, entitled to relief to this extent that the order passed in the mutation proceedings will not affect their shares except to the extent of 3⅓ dams out of the share of plaintiffs 1 and 2 and 3⅓ dams out of the share of plaintiffs 3 to 7.
8. In the result I would allow the appeal in part and decree the plaintiffs' suit only to this extent that out of the 1 anna share in respect of which defendants 1 to 3 have got their names mutated in the D Register out of the plaintiffs' share the title of plaintiffs 1 and 2 be declared with respect to of dams out of the 10 dams taken from their share appertaining, to entry No. 15 in the D Register and the title of plaintiffs 3 to 7 be declared with respect to 6⅔ dams out of 10 dams taken from their share appertaining to entry No. 14 in the D Register and they do recover their possession of the game. The parties do bear their own costs throughout.
Fazl Ali, J.:— I agree.
N.S/R.K
9. Appeal allowed in part.
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