Search By Topic: Civil Procedural Law

313. (P&H HC) 20-12-2022

A. Punjab Courts Act, 1918 (6 of 1918), Section 41 -- Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (V of 1908), Section 100 -- Regular Second Appeal – Substantial question of law -- Regular Second Appeal in the States of Punjab, Haryana and Union Territory, Chandigarh, is governed by Section 41 of the Punjab Courts Act, 1918 and not by Section 100 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908. Pankajakshi’s case (2016) 6 SCC 157 relied.

(Para 1)

B. Indian Evidence Act, 1872 (1 of 1872), Section 68 -- Registered Will – Un-registered Will – Value of -- Will is not required to be mandatorily registered -- Testator may get it registered, however, an unregistered Will has equal value and has to be proved in accordance with Section 68 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872.

(Para 14)

C. Indian Evidence Act, 1872 (1 of 1872), Section 68 -- Proof of Will -- Non-examination of Advocate – Adverse inference -- Trial Court erred in drawing an adverse inference on account of non-examination of Advocate, who merely introduced Testator with the scribe-Advocate – Advocate was not the attesting witness of the Will -- Hence, he was not required to be examined.

(Para 15)

D. Indian Evidence Act, 1872 (1 of 1872), Section 68 – Proof of Will -- Irregular spacing in the Will -- Will is typed on a manual typewriter -- The attention of the scribe or the attesting witness was never drawn to the aforesaid alleged irregular spacing -- If the plaintiff wants the Court to believe that there is irregular spacing, the plaintiff should have sought explanation from the scribe as well as the attesting witness -- In the absence thereof, it would not be appropriate to disbelieve the Will merely on account of alleged irregular spacing in-between the lines.

(Para 16)

320. (J&K&L HC) 16-12-2022

A. Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (V of 1908), Order 6 Rule 17 -- Amendment of pleadings -- Pleadings can be amended at any stage of the proceedings in such manner and on such terms and in such matters, as may be just -- However, if the amendments sought are necessary for determining the real controversy, the same have to be allowed.

(Para 9, 10)

B. Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (V of 1908), Order 6 Rule 17 --  Amendment of plaint – Amendment of written statement – Court has to be liberal in allowing the prayer for amendment of pleadings -- However, when it comes to the amendment of the plaint, there is a slight difference in the sense that while allowing amendment of a written statement, general principle is that the amendment should be allowed even if it amounts to addition of new grounds of defence, substituting or altering a defence or taking inconsistent pleas in the written statement, the same principle cannot be applied while considering an application for amendment of a plaint as the same stands on a different footing -- Adding, altering or substituting a new cause of action in the plaint is certainly objectionable.

(Para 13)

C. Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (V of 1908), Order 6 Rule 17 -- Order 6 Rule 17 -- Amendment of plaint – In the original plaint, it is claimed by the plaintiff that the deed of adoption in favour of defendant No.1 is null and void and, as such, the property of deceased SB has to devolve upon his heirs as per Muslim Personal Law – By proposed amendment, the plaintiff claims that in the absence of deed of adoption, he would be the lone legal heir entitled to ownership and possession of the property -- Apart, in the original plaint, the plaintiff claims a decree of partition against the defendants whereas by way of proposed amendment, he has sought substitution of relief of partition by a decree of possession of whole of the property left behind by deceased SB – Held, plaintiff seeks to change the very nature of the suit -- Inconsistent pleas can be taken and even subsequent events can be allowed to be incorporated by way of amendment but not when the total cause of action is going to be changed  -- Amendment sought by the plaintiff did not deserve to be allowed.

(Para 14-17)

329. (P&H HC) 07-12-2022

A. Punjab Land Records Manual, Para 9.9 -- Jamabandi entry – Change in -- Land in question earmarked for Bazigar community -- Jamabandi for the year 1966-1967, reflected it as “Gair Mumkin Ababdi Makbooja Bazigar” -- Same entry in the jamabandi for the year 1986-1987 – Later in jamabandi for the year 2006-07, without there being any order passed by any of the competent authority/Court, the said entry has been changed to “Gair Mumkin Plot” -- Para 9.9 of the Punjab Land Records Manual that enjoins the revenue authorities to issue notice to all concerned before carrying out any change in the revenue entries -- Change made in the revenue entries in favour of Gram Panchayat was bad in law being in violation of the procedure laid down under Para 9.9 of the Punjab Land Records Manual of granting opportunity or putting to notice to all concerned and affected.

(Para 9, 10)

B. Punjab Land Records Manual, Para 9.9 – Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (V of 1908), Section 9 -- Jurisdiction of the Civil Court -- Once the change in entries from “Gair Mumkin Abadi Makbooja” to “Gair Mumkin Plot” have been found to be illegal and bad in law being in violation of the procedure laid down for the said purpose, no question of title was involved in the dispute, thereby creating a bar of jurisdiction with the civil Court -- Once respondents No.1 to 7 have been proved and found to be members of Bazigar community, there was no legal impediment for them to have filed suit for possession regarding the property earmarked for the common purposes of benefit of their entire community.

(Para 11-13)

341. (P&H HC) 01-12-2022

A. Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 (56 of 2007), Section 22, 23 -- Ex-parte proceedings -- It is categorically mentioned in the impugned order itself that several notices were sent to the petitioner and despite that; the petitioner had chosen not to appear before the authority to contest the proceedings -- Petitioner cannot take a somersault and start questioning the validity of the said order – Nothing wrong, petitioner being proceeded ex parte.

(Para 4)

B. Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 (56 of 2007), Section 22, 23 -- House in lal dora – Eviction of son -- Petitioner/ son not purchased or acquired house by transfer of ownership – Parents of the petitioner had come in the world prior to the petitioner, therefore, if there is any ownership of the house within the family of the petitioner and the respondents, then obviously, it has to be with the parents of the petitioner – Senior citizen is entitled to protect any interest in property.

(Para 4)

C. Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007 (56 of 2007), Section 22, 23 -- Eviction of son -- Possession of parents -- Even if the parents were not the recorded owners, still, they can protect their possession – Petitioner/ son not pleaded that the house in question was either constructed or created by him -- Positive case of the respondents-parents gone uncontested, that they are the owner of the house in question -- If the petitioner is not having any other accommodation under his ownership then it is for him to arrange for another accommodation for himself -- For the convenience of the petitioner, the parents cannot be deprived of their right to live in their residential house.

(Para 4)