Jatinder Singh &
ANR. Minor Tr. Mother Vs. Mehar Singh & Ors. [2008] INSC 1600 (19 September
2008)
Judgment
NON-REPORTABLE IN THE
SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION CIVIL APPEAL NO.5781 OF
2008 [ Arising out of SLP (C) NO. 18759 of 2006] Jatinder Singh & Anr.
Minor Through Mother ...Appellants VERSUS Mehar Singh and Others ...Respondents
WITH
CONTEMPT PETITION ) NO.57 of 2008 IN SLP)NO.18759 OF 2006 Balbir Singh &
Anr. ..
Appellants Versus
Jatinder Singh & Anr. ...Respondents
O R D E R
1.
Leave
granted.
2.
This
appeal is directed against the judgment and final order passed by the High
Court of Punjab and Haryana at Chandigarh in Regular Second Appeal No. 4174 of
2002, by which the second appeal filed by the appellants was dismissed as the
High Court did not find any substantial question of law to be decided in the
aforesaid second appeal.
3.
In
our view, this appeal can be decided on a very short question. The trial court
as well as the appellate court and finally the High Court in the second appeal
dismissed the suit filed by the plaintiffs/appellants for declaration
challenging the sale deed dated 29th of May, 1989, executed by the respondent
Nos. 1 to 3 in favour of respondent Nos. 9 and 10 as well as the compromise
(Exhibit No. C1) dated 7th of April, 1986 in a suit title Ujagar Singh vs.
Puran Singh, But it is an admitted position that before the High Court, the
appellants filed an application under Order 41 Rule 27 of the Code of Civil
Procedure for acceptance of additional evidence, namely, documents such as
certificate of Military service, voter list of concerned assembly segment for
the year 1982, receipt of house tax 1988-89, payment of chaowkdra of khariff
1986, rabi 1990, rabi 1991, khariff 1992, identity card issued by Election
Commission of India, Ration Card etc.
4.
While
deciding the second appeal, however, the High Court had failed to take notice
of the application under Order 41 Rule 27 of the Code of 2 3 Civil Procedure
and decide whether additional evidence could be permitted to be admitted into
evidence. In our view, when an application for acceptance of additional
evidence under Order 41 Rule 27 of the Code of Civil Procedure was filed by the
appellants, it was the duty of the High Court to deal with the same on merits.
That being the admitted position, we have no other alternative but to set aside
the judgment of the High Court and remit the appeal back to it for a decision
afresh in the second appeal along with the application for acceptance of
additional evidence in accordance with law.
5.
For
the reasons aforesaid, the impugned Judgment is set aside. The appeal is thus
allowed to the extent indicated above. There will be no order as to costs.
6.
We
make it clear that we have not gone into the merits as to whether the
application for acceptance of additional evidence under Order 41 Rule 27 of the
Code of Civil Procedure should be allowed or not, which shall be decided by the
High Court at the time of decision of the second appeal in accordance with law.
We also make it 3 4 clear that we have not gone into the merits of the second
appeal which shall also be decided by the High Court along with the application
under Order 41 Rule 27 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
Considering the facts
and circumstances of the case, we request the High Court to dispose of the
second appeal at an early date preferably within six months from the date of
supply of a copy of this order to it.
7.
In
view of the order passed in C.A.No. of 2008 @ SLP)No.18759 of 2006, Contempt
Petition ) No.57 of 2008 is disposed of.
8.
In
view of our decision in the appeal itself, we do not feel inclined to entertain
the Interlocutory Application filed by the petitioner during when the matter
was kept for Judgment.
Accordingly, the said
application for interim direction is disposed of as infructuous.
...........................
J. [TARUN CHATTERJEE]
............................J.
New
Delhi
September
19, 2008.
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