Allowed

Muhibur Rahman and Anr. v. Musstt. Junu Begum Choudhury and 2 Ors.

Gauhati HC18 Nov 2021CRP(IO)/39/2019

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

The Gauhati High Court allowed a writ petition under Article 227. It quashed lower court orders granting injunctions over disputed land because the courts failed to examine balance of convenience and irreparable loss, violating Supreme Court precedents.

What did the court decide?

The impugned orders dated 30.08.2018 and 07.05.2018 quashed. It was observed that future alienation during suit pendency will be subject to lis-pendens.

Muhibur Rahman and Anr. Vs Musstt. Junu Begum Choudhury… — Property and Title | Gauhati HC (2021)

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GAHC010016162019

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THE GAUHATI HIGH COURT (HIGH COURT OF ASSAM, NAGALAND, MIZORAM AND ARUNACHAL PRADESH)

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Case No. : CRP(IO)/39/2019

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MUHIBUR RAHMAN AND ANR.

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SON OF LT. ABDUL KARIM, R/O VILL- WEST KANISHAL, P.O., P.S. AND DIST.- KARIMGANJ, ASSAM- 788710.

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2: MOHBUBUR RAHMAN SON OF LT. ABDUL KARIM R/O VILL- WEST KANISHAL P.O. P.S. AND DIST.- KARIMGANJ ASSAM- 788710

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VERSUS

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MUSSTT. JUNU BEGUM CHOUDHURY AND 2 ORS. D/O- LT. PAIJOLE ALI @ RAIYAK ALI CHOUDHURY, W/O LT. IJJADUR RAHMAN CHOUDHURY, PRESENTLY RESIDEING AT SARALKHA ROAD, MAIZDIHI, WARD NO. 3, KARIMGANJ TOWN, P.O., P.S. AND DIST.KARIMGANJ, ASSAM- 788710.

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2:HUSSAIN UDDIN CHOUDHURY PRESENTLY RESIDEING AT SARALKHA ROAD MAIZDIHI WARD NO. 3 KARIMGANJ TOWN P.O. P.S. AND DIST.- KARIMGANJ ASSAM- 788710.

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3:HUSSAIN AHMED CHOUDHURY PRESENTLY RESIDEING AT SARALKHA ROAD MAIZDIHI WARD NO. 3 KARIMGANJ TOWN P.O.

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P.S. AND DIST.- KARIMGANJ ASSAM- 788710

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Advocate for the Petitioner : MR. M H RAJBARBHUIYAN

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Advocate for the Respondent : MS. R CHOUDHURY

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BEFORE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE DEVASHIS BARUAH

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JUDGMENT AND ORDER (CAV)

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Date : 18-11-2021

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Heard Mr. M.H. Rajbarbhuiyan, learned counsel for the petitioner and Ms. R. Choudhury, learned counsel for the respondents.

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This petition under Article 227 of the Constitution of India is filed assailing the order dated 30.08.2018 passed in Misc. Appeal no.9/2018 by the Court of the Civil Judge, Karimganj thereby confirming the order dated 07.05.2018 passed by the Munsiff No.2, Karimganj in Misc.(J) Case No.333/2017 arising out of Title Suit No.215/2017 whereby the Trial Court issued an injunction directing both the parties to the suit restraining them from indulging in any act of alienation or transfer of any portion of the land appertaining to new Dag No.1728 of Patta No.1209 under Mouza-Karimganj Town-Part-3 Block No.2 PargonahKushiarkul till the disposal of the suit.

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The case of the petitioners is that the respondent nos.1, 2 and 3 had instituted a Title Suit being Title Suit No.215/2017 seeking inter alia for declaration that the respondent no.1 is the owner of the suit land; for declaration that the judgment and decree dated 06.09.2010 passed in Title Suit No.98/2002 was fraudulently passed; for perpetual injunction restraining the defendant nos.4 and 5 (petitioners herein) from alienating, selling, transferring the suit land etc.. For the purpose of adjudication of the instant application, it is necessary to take note of what constitutes the suit land. The said suit land has been described in the Schedule

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to the plaint and for convenience sake the same is quoted hereinbelow :

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“SCHEDULE

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District Karimganj, Porgona-Kushiarkul, Mouza-Karimganj town Part-3, Block No.2, Khatian No.1395, Old Dag No.1741 (part of), Patta No.1209, New Dag No.1728 (part of). Bounded by :

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East : Sabek land of Raiyob Ali Choudhury @ Raiyob Ali, father of plaintiff No.1 at present the other heirs of Raiyob Ali alias Raiyob Ali Choudhury i.e. Mohbubur Rahman Choudhury & others (plaintiff/D.H. of T.S. No.291/2012, T. Ex. Case No.10/2017 measuring an area of 3 Kedar i.e. 0.84 Acre).

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West : Saral Kha Road

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North : Land of Dag No.1708 (new) belong to heirs of Mahmod Hussain & others.

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South : Land of Dag No.211 (new) i.e. land of heirs of Kasim Ali.

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Within this boundary homestead land measuring an area of 1 (one) Kedar i.e. 0.28 Acre & standing residential two Nos. of pucca houses having sanitary latrine, bathroom etc. with electric service & water supply8 service connection.”

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A perusal of the above quoted Schedule of the plaint would go to show that the suit land measures 1 Kedar i.e. 0.28 acre whereupon there are two numbers of pucca houses having sanitary latrine, bathroom etc. with electric service and water supply service condition. Along with the said suit, the respondents herein filed an application under Order XXXIX Rule 1 & 2 read with Section 151 of the CPC which was registered and numbered as Misc. Case No.333/2017. By way of the said injunction application a temporary injunction was sought for restraining the defendant nos.4 and 5 i.e. the petitioners herein from attempting to obtain Sale Permission/No Objection of the land of the suit schedule from the office of the defendant nos.2 and 3 and from alienating/selling/transferring the land of the aforesaid settlement Dag in favour of any other person by presenting the Deed before the office of the defendant no.6; to create disturbance in the peaceful use occupation and possession of the plaintiffs over the schedule suit land and further restraining the defendant nos.2 and 3 from according Sale Permission/No Objection in favour of the defendant nos.4 and 5 (petitioners herein) and further restraining the defendant no.6 from registering the Sale Deed of the suit land if presented by the defendant nos.4 and 5 (petitioners herein) in the name of any other person

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and all the defendants be restrained from causing loss and suffering to the plaintiffs (respondents herein) in any manner till the disposal of the suit.

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The petitioners filed their written statement as well as had also filed their written objection to the injunction application. In the said written statement filed by the petitioners it was categorically mentioned that the petitioners are the owners of a plot of land measuring 6 Kedar 1 Jasti 8 Pon which is a part of Dag No.1741. For the sake of convenience the Schedule to the written statement is quoted hereinbelow:

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“SCHEDULE

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Porgona-Kushiarkul, Mouza-Kholachora, Present – Karimganj Town Part-3, Block No.2, Taluk No.184 Mulpoth Mohamed, Taluk No.185, Gulam Nabi, Taluk No.150 Md. Toki, Taluk No. 195, Khayaz Md., Taluk No.196, Nasir Hanif, Taluk No. 186, Md. Sabir, Taluk No. 187, Abdul Kadir, Taluk No.91 Md. Wasil, Taluk No.148, Sarafdi Md., Taluk No.152, Md. Joma, Taluk No.93, Md. Isaac, Taluk No.90, Md. Afzal, Taluk No.92, Md. Yasin Etc., Dag No.1741 (part of), Khatian NO.1395, New Dag No.1728, Patta No.1209, bounded as under :

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East : Land of Waas Ali & Others.

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West : Land of heirs of Paki Mia & Boti Mia & others.

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North : Remaining land of Dag No.1741 which is under possession of heirs of Md. Jitu & others.

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South : On the eastern part settlement survey Old Dag No.1738 and western part Bosharot Ali & others.

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Within this an area measuring 6 Kedar, 1 Josti, 8 Pon land.”

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In the written objection filed by the petitioners it was specifically pleaded that as the petitioners had filed the detailed written statement, the contents of the said written statement should be taken at the time of adjudication of the said injunction application. The petitioners also challenged the maintainability of the injunction application on the grounds mentioned in the written objection. At this stage, it is relevant to mention that the official defendants had also filed their written statement as well as their written objection. In the written statement filed by the official defendants it was specifically averred that in terms of the judgment and decree in Title Suit No.98/2002, Title Execution Case No.1/2013 and the order of the ADC, Karimganj vide No.KRS.153/2013/98 dated 27.11.2013 and the order of the Circle Officer, Karimganj the land measuring 5 Bighas 3 Kathas 13 Chattaks have been

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bifurcated from the land of Dag No.208 and created a new Dag No.1728 and recorded in favour of the petitioners herein.

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The Trial Court vide order dated 07.05.2018 after taking note of various allegations and counter-allegations observed that from a perusal of the documents submitted by the plaintiffs, there appears to be a prima facie case made out by them in support of the claim made in the suit and there is an arguable case for trial which needs investigation. However, without going into the other aspects relating to grant of an injunction i.e. balance of convenience and irreparable loss, the Trial Court restrained both the parties from indulging in any act of alienation or transfer of any portion of the land appertaining to new Dag No.1728 of Patta No.1209 under Mouza-Karimganj Town-Part-3 Block No.2 Pargonah-Kushiarkul till the disposal of the suit. It is interesting to note that the Trial Court observed that the judgment and decree passed in Title Suit No.7/1996 on the basis of which the plaintiffs claim right is in respect to a plot of land appertaining to old Dag No.1741 of Khatian No.1396 and the Trial Court further observes that the plaintiffs have not produced any document to indicate that the schedule land of the plaint in terms of the new Dag No.1728 and Patta No.1209. It is also relevant here to mention that the Trial Court passed an injunction in respect of the entire land contained in Dag No.1728 of Patta No.1209 although the claim of the plaintiffs was in respect to only 1 Kedar i.e. 0.28 acre is part of Dag No.1741(old)/Dag No.1728(new).

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Being aggrieved the petitioners preferred an appeal challenging the order passed in Misc. Case No.333/2017 arising out of Title Suit No.215/2107. The Court of the Civil Judge, Karimganj i.e. First Appellate Court by the judgment and order dated 30.08.2018 confirmed the order passed by the Trial Court without taking into consideration that the Trial Court had issued an injunction in respect to the entire Dag No.1728 though the suit land was only measured an area of 1 kedar i.e. 0.28 acre.

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Being aggrieved by both the orders passed by the Trial Court of granting injunction and the Appellate Court confirming it, the present application has been filed under Article 227 of the Constitution challenging the said orders.

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I have heard the learned counsel for the petitioners and the respondents and perused the impugned orders passed by the Trial Court as well as the First Appellate Court. I have also perused the copy of the plaint and the injunction application, the written statement filed by the defendants as well as the official defendants.

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From the order passed by the Trial Court dated 07/05/2018 two things which are relevant to be taken note of are that the plaintiffs/petitioners have not produced documents to indicate that the schedule land mentioned in the plaint is in terms of New Dag No. 1728 and Patta No. 1209. It is also a finding by the Trial Court that prima facie the possession of the plaintiffs over the schedule land as projected by them cannot be inferred in terms of Dag No. 1728 of Patta No. 1209. From a reading of the plaint, more particularly paragraph 4, it transpires that one Haji Raiyob Ali Choudhury @ Raiyob Ali died leaving behind a land measuring 1.12 acres and out of the said land, the schedule land described in the plaint has fallen into the share of the plaintiff No. 1 and the eastern boundary of the schedule land measures 0.84 acres, which fell into the share of four sons of late Haji Raiyob Ali Choudhury @ Raiyob Ali. A further perusal of the schedule to the plaint discloses in the suit land in question there stands two numbers of houses having sanitary latrin, bathroom etc. with electricity and water supply connection. The petitioners herein, who were the defendants in Title 215/2015 filed their written statement stating inter alia that pursuant to the judgment and decree passed in Title Suit No. 98/2002 and Title Exe. Case No. 1/2013, an area admeasuring 5 ighas 3 kathas 13 chataks were bifurcated out of the land of Dag No. 208 and new Dag No. 1728 was recorded in favour of the petitioners. The said land falls under Patta No. 1209. It is also mentioned in the written statement that the petitioners herein are in settled possession of the said land. In the written statement filed by the petitioners herein they have incorporated a schedule describing a plot of land admeasuring 6 kedar 1 joti 8 pon, which is the new Dag No. 1728 of Patta No. 1209. In paragraph 31(H), it has been mentioned that the land of the plaintiffs is adjacent east of the path land which runs on and through the west Saralkha Digi the land mentioned in the schedule to the written statement lies on the east of the Saralkha Digi and the said land has been carved out of the old Dag No. 1741 and that part has been made Dag No. 1728 under Patta No. 1209. The written statement filed by the State of Assam and the official defendants also support the stand taken by the petitioners herein. Now in the backdrop of the above, it is to be seen as to whether the Courts have exercised their jurisdiction vested upon it by law in terms with the well settled principles for grant of an injunction. From the findings of the Appellate Court, it appears that the Court below had come to a finding that the respondent No. 1/plaintiff is in occupation of the suit land and on the basis thereof had proceeded to decide the appeal. Surprisingly there is no

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mention by the Appellate Court on what document it has come to the said finding and this aspect of the matter becomes more relevant because of the fact that the Trial Court had categorically found that the possession of the petitioners/plaintiffs over the suit land projected by them cannot be inferred in terms with new Dag No. 1728 of Patta No. 1209 as well as the finding of the Trial Court that no document was produced by the petitioners/plaintiffs to indicate the schedule land of the plaint in terms with Dag No. 1728 of Patta No.1209.

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For the purpose of a grant of injunction, it is required that the three ingredients i.e. prima facie case, balance of convenience as well as the irreparable loss are required to be looked into. Prima facie case as held by various judicial pronouncements is a prima facie case going for trial. The balance of convenience is that the Court while granting an injunction has to take into account that which party would be in greater if the grant of injunction is granted inconvenience, and the third ingredient which is irreparable injury means that if the apprehended act or threat is not prevented by an injunction, the injuries which would be caused cannot be compensated by any decree which the Court can pronounced in the result of the cause. It is the mandate of law as settled by the well established norms for grant of an injunction that the Court adjudicating an injunction application is required to look into those elements/ingredients and on satisfaction, the Court can grant an injunction inasmuch as an injunction is not a charity. The judgment of the Supreme Court in Best Sellers Retail (India) Pvt. Ltd.-versus- Aditya Birla Nuvo Ltd. and Others reported in ( 2012 ) 6 SCC 792 categorically observes that merely having prima facie case would not entitle an applicant to an injunction. The applicant has to satisfy all the three ingredients. I am surprised to see that none of the Courts below have taken into consideration the question of balance of inconvenience as well as the irreparable injury. What the Courts below have looked into is only a prima facie case. Though prima facie case is one of the ingredients, but if the other two ingredients are not looked into, the granting of an injunction then may have disastrous consequences and it is for this very reason the Supreme Court has repeatedly in various judgments mentioned that all the three ingredients needs to be discussed and thereupon to grant the injunction.

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As already stated hereinabove while the Trial Court holds that from the materials on record cannot be inferred that the respondents herein being in possession of the suit land

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and the respondents had also failed to bring any document on record to show that the suit land falls in Dag No. 1728 of Patta No. 1209, whereas the Appellate Court without assigning which document or on what basis had come to a finding that the respondents were in possession of the suit land and on the basis thereof went ahead and decided that there was a prima facie case. Merely because there is a dispute between the parties as regards the title, it would not constitute a prima facie case for trial. To constitute a prima facie case going for trial, it is the requirement of the person seeking injunction to produce the materials on the basis of which the Courts have raised a substantial question, bonafide which needs investigation and a decision on merits. Though it is true that an injunction proceedings cannot be converted into a mini trial, but it is also necessary that it should not be lost sight of that granting of an injunction would have serious consequences taking into consideration that the disposal of the suit may take years. As held by the Supreme Court in the case of Maria Margadia Sequeria ... vs Erasmo Jack De Sequeria ( Dead ) & Ors. reported in ( 2012 ) 5 SCC 370 at paragraph 83, 84, 85 & 86, the importance which is required to be given at the stage of granting injunction its effects as well the manner of granting the injunction, the said paragraphs are quoted herein below :-

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“83. Grant or refusal of an injunction in a civil suit is the most important stage in the civil trial. Due care, caution, diligence and attention must be bestowed by the judicial officers and judges while granting or refusing injunction. In most cases, the fate of the case is decided by grant or refusal of an injunction. Experience has shown that once an injunction is granted, getting it vacated would become a nightmare for the defendant. In order to grant or refuse injunction, the judicial officer or the judge must carefully examine the entire pleadings and documents with utmost care and seriousness.

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The safe and better course is to give short notice on injunction application and pass an appropriate order after hearing both the sides. In case of grave urgency, if it becomes imperative to grant an ex-parte ad interim injunction, it should be granted for a specified period, such as, for two weeks. In those cases, the plaintiff will have no inherent interest in delaying disposal of injunction application after obtaining an ex-parte ad interim injunction. The Court, in order to avoid abuse of the process of law may also record in the injunction order that if the suit is eventually

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dismissed, the plaintiff undertakes to pay restitution, actual or realistic costs. While passing the order, the Court must take into consideration the pragmatic realities and pass proper order for mesne profits. The Court must make serious endeavour to ensure that even-handed justice is given to both the parties.

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Ordinarily, three main principles govern the grant or refusal of injunction.

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a) prima facie case;

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b) balance of convenience; and

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c) irreparable injury, which guide the Court

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in this regard.

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In the broad category of prima facie case, it is imperative for the Court to carefully analyse the pleadings and the documents on record and only on that basis the Court must be governed by the prima facie case. In grant and refusal of injunction, pleadings and documents play vital role.”

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In the instant case, the Trial Court passes an order of restraining both the parties from alienation or transfer of title over the land in respect to the entire Dag No. 1728 of Patta No. 1902, which admeasures 5 bighas 3 kathas 13 chataks, although the suit land happens to be 1 kedar, which is even less than 1 bigha, the Appellate Court confirms the said judgment and order by dismissing the appeal, that too without discussing the ingredients of balance of convenience and irreparable loss, harm and injury.

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The above therefore, shows clear non-application of mind by the Courts below to the principles of grant of an injunction. Under such circumstances, I interfere with the orders dated 30/08/2018 passed in Misc. Appeal No. 9/2018 as well as the order dated 07/05/2018 passed in Misc.(J) Case No. 333/2017 arising out of Title Suit No. 215/2017.

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While disposing off the instant application and interfering with the impugned orders, it is made clear that any alienation made in respect to the schedule land by any of the parties to the suit during the pendency of the suit shall be subject to the doctrine of lis-pendens and

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thereby such alienation shall be subject to the outcome of the suit.

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With the above observations, this petition stands allowed. No costs.

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JUDGE

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Comparing Assistant

Muhibur Rahman and Anr. v. Musstt. Junu Begum Choudhury and 2 Ors.

Case brief

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Muhibur Rahman and Anr. v. Musstt. Junu Begum Choudhury and 2 Ors.

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