JUDGEMENT
DR.MRINAL KANTI CHAUDHURI, J. -
(1.) THIS review application is filed by the defendant/respondent No.1 Apollo Gleneagles Hospital Limited against the judgement dated 27th
April, 2013 passed by this Division Bench in F.A. No.202 of 2008.
The defendant/respondent No.1 has stated that the judgement of
this Court suffers from error apparent on the face of the record as this
Court did not consider that the Opposite Party Nos.1 to 7 had vacant
land in excess of ceiling limit provided in the Urban Land (Ceiling and
Regulation) Act, 1976. It is further stated in the petition that this Court
did not consider that as the Opposite Parties did not file return under
Section 6 of Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act, 1976, competent
authority had no occasion to serve any notice upon them. The Opposite
Parties intentionally refrained from filing appeal against the order of
competent authority. That respondent No.1 has further stated in the
petition that this Court did not consider that T.S. No. 4 of 2005 is barred
by limitation. It is further stated in the petition that this Court did not
consider that a modern hospital with all facilities was being run from the
suit property by the respondent No.1 and, therefore, the
petitioner/respondent No.1 could not be directed to hand over the vacant
possession of the suit property to the Opposite Party Nos.1 to 7. It is
also stated in the review petition that this Court did not consider that the
respondent No.1, upon payment of consideration obtained lease of the
suit property from the Opposite Party Nos.9 and 10 and, therefore, the
review petitioner should not be directed to make any payment to the
Opposite Party Nos.1 to 7. It is further stated in the review petition that
neither the Opposite Parties Nos.1 to 7 nor their predecessor -in -interest
were owner of the suit property. It is finally stated that the judgement of
this Court did not consider the substantial question of law relating to the
points involved in the appeal. Therefore, the respondent No.1 has prayed
for review of the judgement of this Division Bench. At the time of hearing
the review petition, the learned counsel for the review
petitioner/respondent No.1 has submitted that the judgement of this
Court did not discuss, in detail, the evidence of P.W.1. It is further
submitted that P.W.1 knows nothing and he failed to prove its own case.
Learned counsel for the respondent No.1 has further submitted that the
sale certificate was not produced and the judgement of this Court did not
consider he same. It is also submitted that the judgement of this Court
relied upon the judgement of Criminal Court and this is not permissible
in law.
(2.) ON the other hand, learned counsel for the Opposite Party Nos.1 to
7 has submitted that the judgement of this Court clearly analysed all the points involved in the dispute and, therefore, the review petition has no
merit and is liable to be dismissed.
We have carefully heard the submissions of learned counsel of
both sides and perused the materials on record. This Court carefully
analysed the evidence of P.W.1. On a close and careful scrutiny of
evidence of P.W.1, it transpires that he has advanced a detail incident as
to how his predecessor -in -interest/P.S. Mantosh acquired title over the
suit property. This fact has been elaborately depicted in the judgement.
This P.W.1 has stated in paragraph 13 in the evidence that Moni Lal
Goyee and Bijay Kumar Goyee filed a Title Suit bearing No.50 of 1942 in
the court of learned First Additional Subordinate Judge at Alipore
against the late B. S. Mantosh, late James Mantosh and late Daisy
Mantosh for recovery of possession of the suit premises. In paragraph 14
he has stated that learned 5th Subordinate Judge at Alipore in T.S. 50 of
1942 passed a judgement and decree dated 17.01.1949 on compromise holding late B.S. Mantosh, late James Mantosh and late Daisy Mantosh
to be the owners and possessors of 73, Canal Circular Road, Calcutta.
Certified copies of the said judgement and decree together with the map have been filed. This evidence in examination chief of P.W.1 has not at
all been controverted in the cross -examination. Therefore, the evidences
of P.W.1 with regards to paragraph 13 and 14 of the examination -in -chief
prevail and are to be accepted. There is no doubt in holding that the
right, title, interest and possession of the plaintiffs emanate from the
compromise decree of Title Suit No.50 of 1942. The P.W.1 has
categorically stated in his evidence that since he was born in 1955 it is
not possible for him to have the direct knowledge as to the happenings
before his birth. He has stated that everything is matter of record.
Therefore, his evidences cannot at all be disbelieved. He has rightly
stated that he cannot have knowledge about the sale certificate dated
14.08.1920 and he has no knowledge whether his mother collected the sale certificate. This ignorance is quite natural because he was not born
at the relevant time. The title of the plaintiffs/appellants is mainly based
upon the compromise decree of 1949 and this is not at all challenged.
The contents and admissibility of the certified copy of compromise decree
was not at all challenged in the cross -examination of P.W.1. No
suggestion has been given to the P.W.1 that all those documents in
connection with the title are false and fabricated. This Court has no
hesitation to hold that the plaintiff/appellants' right, title and interest of
the suit land are confirmed by the compromise decree dated 17.01.1949
of T.S. 50 of 1942. P.W.1 has categorically stated the acquisition of the
title of suit land on the basis of compromise decree. However, he cannot
tell in his cross -examination with regards to the happenings which took
place prior to his birth. Therefore, there is no reason to discard the
evidentiary value of P.w.1 coupled with the judgement and decree dated
17.01.1949 in T.S. No.50 of 1942. Merely because his cross -examination reveals that he cannot say whether his mother collected the sale
certificate and whether he has any other document regarding the
ownership, his evidence cannot be set aside. He has correctly replied the
question put from the end of the defendant that those are matters of
record. It cannot be stated that P.W.1 has failed to prove the plaint
case. Therefore, the submission of learned counsel for the respondent
No.1 has no merit.
(3.) ON the point of sale certificate and Criminal court judgement, this
Court in page No.30 of the judgement has made a clear observation that
"the legal position is not at all disputed and it is the settled
principle of law." This Division Bench in its judgement has made it
clear that the existence of sale certificate as well as the survey report
under Sections 40 and 41 of Bengal Survey Act for the purpose of
demarcation and for showing the separate existence of holding No.42 and
43 are quite relevant and admissible under Section 13 of Evidence Act. This Court relied upon the decision of Privy Council in Dinomoni
vs. Brojomohini reported in (1901)29 Cal 187 (P.C.). This Court also
relied upon the decision of Hon'ble Apex Court in Santi Kumar Panda
vs. Sakuntala Devi reported in (2004)1 SCC 438, wherein Hon'ble
Apex Court held that at the time of final adjudication by competent
Court, the proceeding under Section 145 of Cr.P.C. has value only as a
piece of evidence until the entitlement of possession is determined by a
Court having competence to enter into adjudication of civil right, which
an Executive Magistrate cannot. This Division Bench did not at all
adjudicate the title of the parties on the basis of judgement of Criminal
Court or on the basis of sale certificate. This Court relied upon the
judgement of Civil Court in T.S. No. 50 of 1942. The compromise decree
of Civil Court reveals " the principal defendant namely Mrs. B. S.
Mantosh & Ors. will remain in possession as before as absolute
owner of 2 bighas 15 katas 4 chatak 19 sq.ft. of the Western portion
of the land shown by Mr. Radhika Jiban Mukherjee learned
Commissioner of local investigation, in his case plan dated
15.03.1948 as holding No.42 (in blue border) and the holding No.43 (in green border) of sub -division VII or and Division III, Dihee
Panchannagram, (corresponding approximately to premises No.73,
Canal Circular Road)". In page 26 and 27 of the judgement this Court
has made detailed analysis as to how the predecessor -in -interest of
appellants acquired title by virtue of the said compromise decree. This
Court only referred to the proceeding under Section 145 of Cr.P.C. and
also the sale certificate filed therein. Therefore, the submission of the
learned counsel for the respondent Nos.1 that this Court in its
judgement relied upon the judgement of Criminal Court is a
misinterpretation of the judgement of this Division Bench.;
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