SRINIVASA RAGHAVA DIKSHADAR Vs. RANGASAWMI AIYENGAR
LAWS(PVC)-1908-5-36
PRIVY COUNCIL
Decided on May 07,1908

SRINIVASA RAGHAVA DIKSHADAR Appellant
VERSUS
RANGASAWMI AIYENGAR Respondents

JUDGEMENT

- (1.)IN this case there had been an exchange of lands between the parties and the exchange deed (Ex. A) which is a registered document, contains the following provisions: "There is no dispute in respect of the said lands. If disputes should so arise, the respective party should be, answerable to the extent of his private property." The plaintiff was subsequently deprived of some of the lands acquired by the exchange and brings this suit upon the above covenant more than three but less than six years, after the date of deprivation. The lower Courts have dismissed the suit with costs on the fact that it is barred by Art. 113 of the Limitation Act as a suit for specific performance of a contract. It is no doubt true that Art. 110 of the Limitation Act regarding contracts in writing registered does not apply to suits for specific performance of such contracts but only to suits for compensation for the breach of them. It is, however, well settled that suits such as this for failure to pay money according to contract are to be regarded as suits for compensation for breach of contract and not as suits for specific performance (See Mitra's Limitation Act 4 edition, p. 941 and the authorities there cited). The lower Courts were, therefore, wrong in applying Art. 113 of the Limitation Act to the present case. It is, however, further argued that the provisions above cited amount to a covenant for title and that the breach must be considered to have occurred as and from the date of the deed (Ex. A) which in this case was more than six years before the institution of the suit. This is no doubt so in the absence of a special contract (Dart on the Law of Vendors and Purchasers, Vol. II p. 788); but we think that in this case there was a special contract to indemnify the party as and when the deprivation took place. Under Art. 116 of the Limitation Act read with Art. 83 of the Act, the plaintiff in the present case had six years from the date when he was actually damnified and the suit was within time. The decrees of the lower Courts must be reversed and the suit remanded to the District Munsif for disposal according to law. Costs will abide the event. As regards the third respondent, however, the appeal is not pressed and must be dismissed with costs.


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