High Court Punjab-Haryana High Court

Satpal & Another vs Chhote Lal on 22 January, 2009

Punjab-Haryana High Court
Satpal & Another vs Chhote Lal on 22 January, 2009
R.S.A. No. 425 of 2009 (O&M)                                                 1


IN THE PUNJAB AND HARYANA HIGH COURT AT
              CHANDIGARH

                               R.S.A. No. 425 of 2009 (O&M)
                               Date of Decision : 22.1.2009

Satpal & another
                                                         .......... Appellants
                               Versus

Chhote Lal
                                                              ...... Respondent

CORAM : HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE VINOD K. SHARMA

Present :    Mr. Lokesh Sinhal, Advocate
             for the appellants.

                   ****

VINOD K. SHARMA, J. (ORAL)

This order of mine shall dispose of two regular second appeals

i.e. RSA Nos. 425 and 426 of 2009 both titled Satpal & another Vs. Chhote

Lal, as the common questions of law and facts are involved.

For the sake of convenience, the facts are being taken from

RSA No. 425 of 2009.

The plaintiff -appellants by way of this regular second appeal

have challenged the judgments and decree dated 7.9.2006 and 21.10.2008

passed by the learned Courts below vide which suit filed by the plaintiff-

appellants for permanent injunction stands dismissed.

The plaintiff-appellants claimed injunction by claiming

themselves to be owner in possession of the property by virtue of sale deed

said to have been executed by one Sh. Tara Chand, who was said to be
R.S.A. No. 425 of 2009 (O&M) 2

owner of the property in dispute by way of inheritance from his father Shiv

Lal son of Ganeshi Lal, who was said to be mortgagee under a Muslim

owner, who had migrated to Pakistan.

The learned Courts below on appreciation of evidence have

recorded a concurrent finding of fact that ownership of Tara Chand over the

land in dispute was not proved and, therefore, held that no valid title passed

on to the plaintiff-appellants as claimed.

The learned counsel for the appellants contends that the

following substantial questions of law arise for consideration in this

appeal :-

1. Whether the appellants are bound by judgment and
decree dated 24.4.1996 ?

2. Whether the finding with regard to ownership can be
recorded in a suit for permanent injunction. If so its
effect ?

3. Whether the Courts below have misread the evidence
produced by the parties ?

The learned counsel for the appellants vehemently contends

that the learned Courts below committed an error in holding that the

plaintiff-appellants were bound by the judgment and decree dated

24.4.1996, even though they were not party to the said judgment and decree

nor the defendant-respondent was able to connect the suit property in the

said case with that of present suit.

It is also the contention of the learned counsel for the appellants

that the findings recorded in suit for injunction could not be a bar to the suit

filed by the plaintiff-appellants. It was contended that the findings recorded
R.S.A. No. 425 of 2009 (O&M) 3

by the learned Courts below is out come of misreading of evidence

produced on record. Appellants claimed that the substantial questions of law

as framed deserve to be decided in favour of the plaintiff-appellants and the

judgments and decree passed by the learned Courts below deserve to be set

aside.

On consideration of the matter, I find no force in the

contentions raised by the learned counsel for the appellants. Once it is

admitted position that the plaintiff-appellants had chosen to file objection in

the execution of the decree dated 24.4.1996 by claiming them to be third

party and said objections have been dismissed. The learned Courts below

were right in holding that the judgment and decree dated 24.4.1996 could be

read into evidence against the plaintiffs-appellants.

The learned Courts on appreciation of evidence rightly held

that Tara Chand was not the owner of the property through whom the

plaintiff-appellants were claiming their title and, thus, recorded findings,

which are legal and based on appreciation of evidence on record.

The substantial questions of law framed, deserve to be

answered against the appellants in view of the observations made above.

No merit.

Dismissed.

22.1.2009                                        ( VINOD K. SHARMA )
  'sp'                                                JUDGE