Full Judgment Text
Reportable
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION
CIVIL APPEAL NO.9699 OF 2014
[Arising out of S.L.P. (Civil) No.33699 of 2011]
Sameer Singh and Another ... Appellants
Versus
Abdul Rab and Others ... Respondents
J U D G M E N T
Dipak Misra, J.
JUDGMENT
Leave granted.
2. The Universal Construction Company, the respondent
No. 3 herein, instituted Civil Suit No. 480 of 1971 in the High
Court of Calcutta invoking its original civil jurisdiction for
realization of a sum of Rs.2,15,289.28 paise from the Engineers
th
Syndicate (India) Private Limited, the 4 respondent herein, and
an ex parte decree was passed in the suit. After obtaining the
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decree, respondent No. 3 assigned the same in favour of Abdul
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Rab, respondent No. 1 herein, on 20 May, 2005. After the
st
deed of assignment was given the formal shape, the 1
respondent moved the High Court of Calcutta and got the said
decree transferred to the Court of Sub Judge-I, Jamshedpur for
execution by way of attachment and sale of immovable
th
properties of the 4 respondent situated within the jurisdiction
st
of the executing Court. Thereafter, the 1 respondent filed an
th
execution case against the 4 respondent. A schedule of
property was attached to the execution petition.
3. As the factual matrix would unfurl, the executing court
th
after receipt of the decree on 23.8.2006 issued notice to the 4
respondent by registered post and when the service was not
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effected, mode of publication was taken recourse to for
appearance of the judgment-debtor. Eventually, the execution
case was fixed for ex parte hearing on 9.3.2007 on the petition
of the assignee-decree-holder. After following the procedure,
the scheduled property was put up for sale by way of auction
and ultimately Abdul Rafai, respondent No. 2, purchased the
property and pursuant to the order of the Court took over
possession of the said immovable property.
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4. As the factual narration would further undrape, at the
said juncture, the present appellants filed an application under
Order XXI, Rules 97, 99 and 101 of the Code of Civil Procedure
(C.P.C.) contending, inter alia , that the disputed property
th
originally belonged to the 4 respondent who had borrowed a
sum of Rs.14,571/- from his deceased father, Gopal Singh, by
depositing the sale deeds of the said property on 18.2.1971 at
Calcutta and had delivered possession of the said property to
Gopal Singh on 19.2.1971 in lieu of interest of said borrowed
th
amount. When he failed to pay the borrowed sum, the 4
respondent agreed to transfer the said property for a
consideration of Rs.25,000/- to Gopal Singh after adjusting the
borrowed amount i.e. Rs.14,571/-. Regard being had to the
said arrangement, Gopal Singh had paid the balance amount of
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Rs.10,429/- and accordingly an agreement for sale was
th
executed. When the 4 respondent did not honour his part of
the contract, Gopal Singh instituted Title Suit No. 43 of 1974 in
th
the Court of Sub Judge-I, Jamshedpur against the 4
respondent and eventually the said suit was decreed by the
Second Additional Sub Judge-I on 14.5.1977. Thereafter, a
case was filed and in pursuance of the decree a sale deed was
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executed on 10.10.1982 in favour of the father of the appellants
through Court and he was put in possession through Nazir of
the Civil Court in respect of the property in question, and after
the demise of Gopal Singh, the appellants, being sons, inherited
the said property and remained in possession having right, title
and interest till 27.4.2008 when all of a sudden, respondent No.
2 through the help of Nazir took delivery of the property after
dispossessing the appellants therefrom. On an inquiry being
made, they came to know under what circumstances they had
been dispossessed by the Nazir. The application further
asserted that the schedule of property which had been
appended to Execution Case No. 24 of 2006 had been
th
deliberately added though the 4 respondent had no concern
with the same. It was also put forth that an order of
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attachment was published in a local daily ‘Uditwani’ dated
23.10.1982 in respect of the scheduled property by the High
Court of Calcutta in Suit No. 480 of 1971 and the father of the
appellants coming to know of the same had filed an objection
before the High Court which after considering the objection and
taking note of the right, title and interest of the father of the
appellants had released the said property from attachment but
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st
the 1 respondent by suppressing all the facts got the said
schedule of property attached and put the same in auction and
respondent No. 2 who was set up by the respondent No.1
became the purchaser of the property. In essence, it had been
pleaded that respondent Nos. 1 and 2 had colluded to put the
property to auction which did not belong to the respondent No.
4 and was not meant for attachment and sale, for it had been
already released by the High Court of Calcutta and, in any case,
the respondent No. 4 had no concern with the said property. In
the application it was prayed that the appellants, the applicants
in the court below, should be put in possession of the
scheduled property and the respondents be restrained from
changing the nature and character of the property till the
adjudication of the application.
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5. The said application was resisted by respondent Nos. 1
and 2, the opposite parties No. 1 and 2 before the executing
court, on many a ground and basically reasseverating the facts
how the decree had been passed by the High Court of Calcutta
and how there had been a deed of assignment and further the
fairness of procedure adopted in putting the property to
auction and the eventual sale.
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6. The executing court framed two issues which read as
follows:-
“I. Whether the transferee executing court has
jurisdiction to adjudicate the present petition
filed by the applicants under order XXI rules
97, 99 and 101 C.P.C.?
II. Whether the applicants are entitled to get as
relief in claim in their application?”
7. The executing court noted the submissions of both the
parties, referred to the order passed by the High Court of
Calcutta transferring the decree for execution, adverted to the
provisions under Sections 39 to 42 of C.P.C., placed reliance on
certain authorities as regards the limitation on the powers of
the transferee court under Section 42 of C.P.C., recorded the
fact that it had already dismissed the execution case to the full
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satisfaction of the decree-holder on 19.12.2008 and informed
the same to the Registrar of the High Court of Calcutta, and
eventually came to hold that it had no jurisdiction to reopen
and discuss the matter pertaining to the title of the parties in
execution case at the instance of a third party. In that
backdrop, it observed that the executing court had become
functus officio and could not entertain the application.
Adverting to the second issue, the executing court noted the
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contentions and referred to the authorities earlier cited but
ultimately opined that as a finding had been recorded to the
effect that the transferee-executing court had no jurisdiction to
entertain the petition, regard being had to the fact that the
decree had been executed to the full satisfaction and an
intimation had been sent to the Registrar of the Calcutta High
Court, the controversy raised could not be dealt with and no
relief could be granted.
8. The aforesaid order came to be assailed before the High
Court in W.P.C. No. 348 of 2011 under Article 227 of the
Constitution of India. A preliminary objection was raised on
st
behalf of the 1 respondent that an order passed under Order
XXI, Rule 98 to 100 of C.P.C. is a decree as per the provisions
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contained under Order XXI, Rule 103 of C.P.C. and, therefore,
an appeal would lie and the writ petition was not maintainable.
The preliminary objection was resisted by proponing a
contention that only those orders which adjudicate the dispute
between the parties would be treated as decree but as in the
case at hand, the Court had not decided the lis in question as it
had expressed an opinion that it had no jurisdiction after
having become functus officio, an appeal would not lie.
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9. The learned Single Judge accepted the preliminary
objection on the foundation that dispute between parties
regarding jurisdiction of executing court could be determined
under Order XXI, Rule 100 of C.P.C. and that when a decision
had been rendered on that score it would be a deemed decree
under Order XXI, Rule 103 of C.P.C. and hence, the writ
petition was not maintainable. Expression of aforesaid view
entailed dismissal of the writ petition. Hence, the present
appeal by special leave.
10. We have heard Mr. Saurabh S. Sinha, learned counsel
for the appellants and Mr. Jayesh Gaurav, learned counsel for
the respondents.
11. Assailing the impugned order it is contended by Mr.
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Sinha that the learned Single Judge has failed to appreciate the
language employed in Order XXI, Rules 97 to 103 which
commands the executing court to adjudicate the controversy
pertaining to all the aspects and, therefore, when the executing
Court has only opined that it has become functus officio , the
said order cannot be treated as a decree. It is urged by him
that the said order tantamounts to refusal of exercise of
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jurisdiction duly vested in a Court and, therefore, such an error
has to be rectified in exercise of the power of superintendence
by the High Court under Article 227 of the Constitution of
India. It is his further submission that the view expressed by
the High Court is fallacious as far as its understanding of the
1
ratio of the decision in Babulal v. Raj Kumar and Others . To
pyramid the submission that there has to be an adjudication as
warranted in law, learned counsel has placed reliance on Ghasi
2
Ram and Others v. Chait Ram Saini and others and Ram
3
Kumar Tiwari and Others v. Deenanath and Others .
12. Mr. Jayesh Gaurav, learned counsel appearing for the
respondents in support of the order passed by the High Court
has contended that when the executing court had clearly
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expressed the view that it has no jurisdiction to embark upon the
issues as required to be gone into under Order XXI, Rules 97 to
103 of C.P.C., there was no necessity to proceed further and it
would be a travesty of justice if it is construed that when there
has been no adjudication of an application on behalf of a third
party it would not be a decree. It is canvassed by him that
adjudication does not necessarily mean to record evidence and
1
(1996) 3 SCC 154
2
(1998) 6 SCC 200
3
AIR 2002 Chhattisgarh 1
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deal with the issue of right, title and interest to make the order a
deemed decree as stipulated under Order XXI, Rule 103. It is
urged by him that when finality is given to the objection it
assumes the character of a decree as envisaged under Order XXI,
Rule 103 and, therefore, the reasons ascribed by the High Court
cannot be faulted. In support of his contention, learned counsel
has commended us to the authority in S. Rajeswari v. S.N.
4
Kulasekaran and Others .
13. To appreciate the submissions raised at the Bar, it is
necessary to appreciate the whole gamut of provisions contained
in Order XXI, Rules 97 to 103 of CPC and the fundamental
objects behind the same. Rule 97 deals with resistance or
obstruction to possession by the holder of a decree for
possession or the purchaser of any such property sold in
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execution of a decree. It empowers such a person to file an
application to the Court complaining of such resistance or
obstruction and requires the Court under sub-rule (2) to
adjudicate upon the application in accordance with the
provisions provided therein. Rule 99 deals with dispossession
by decree-holder or purchaser. It stipulates that where any
person other than the judgment-debtor is dispossessed of
4
(2006) 4 SCC 412
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1
immovable property by the holder of a decree for the possession
of such property or where such property has been sold in
execution of a decree, by the purchaser thereof, he may make an
application to the Court complaining of such dispossession. The
Court is obliged to adjudicate such an application. Thus this
rule, as is manifest, includes any person other than the
judgment-debtor. Rule 101 deals with the questions to be
determined. It provides that all questions including questions
relating to right, title or interest in the property arising between
the parties to a proceeding on an application under Rule 97 or
Rule 99 or their representatives, and relevant to the adjudication
of the application shall be determined by the Court dealing with
an application and not by a separate suit and for the said
purpose, the executing court has been conferred the jurisdiction
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to decide the same. Rule 100 deals with orders to be passed
upon application complaining of dispossession. It is apt to
reproduce the said rule:-
“ Rule 100. Order to be passed upon
application complaining of dispossession. -
Upon the determination of the questions
referred in Rule 101, the Court shall, in
accordance with such determination,-
(a) make an order allowing the application
and directing that the applicant be put
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into possession of the property or
dismissing the application; or
(b) pass such order as, in the
circumstances of the case, it may deem
fit.”
14. Rule 98 deals with orders after adjudication. Sub-rule
(1) provides that upon the determination of questions referred
to in Rule 101, the Court in accordance with determination and
subject to provisions of sub-rule (2) therein make an order
allowing the application and directing that the applicant be put
in possession of the property or dismissing the application or
pass such other order, as in the circumstances of the case it
may deem fit. As far as sub-rule (2) is concerned, the same is
not necessary to be taken note of for the purposes of present
case. Rule 103 which is significant reads as follows:-
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“Rule 103. Orders to be treated as decrees. -
Where any application has been adjudicated
upon under Rule 98 or Rule 100, the order
made thereon shall have the same force and be
subject to the same conditions as to an appeal
or otherwise as if it were a decree.”
15. The submission of the learned counsel for the appellants
is that if the scheme underlying the said Rules is appositely
appreciated, it is clear as crystal that the legislature in order to
avoid multiplicity of proceedings has empowered the executing
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court to conduct necessary enquiry and adjudicate by
permitting the parties to adduce evidence, both oral and
documentary, and to determine the right, title and interest of
the parties and, therefore, such an order has been given the
status of a decree. As has been put forth by him, a proceeding
in terms of Rule 97 or Rule 99 is in the nature of a suit and the
adjudication is similar to that of a suit and when in the case at
hand, the Court has declined to embark upon any enquiry by
calling for reply, recording evidence and appropriately
adjudicating the controversy, the order passed cannot be
regarded under Rule 103 of Order XXI as a decree. In this
context, the authorities that have been commended to us need
to be carefully noticed.
5
16. In Noorduddin v. Dr. K.L. Anand , the executing court
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had rejected the application of the appellant therein on the
ground that the High Court had already adjudicated the lis.
Analysing the language employed in Rules 97, 98 and 100 to
104, the Court held:-
“Thus, the scheme of the Code clearly
adumbrates that when an application has
been made under Order 21, Rule 97, the court
is enjoined to adjudicate upon the right, title
5
(1995) 1 SCC 242
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1
and interest claimed in the property arising
between the parties to a proceeding or between
the decree-holder and the person claiming
independent right, title or interest in the
immovable property and an order in that
behalf be made. The determination shall be
conclusive between the parties as if it was a
decree subject to right of appeal and not a
matter to be agitated by a separate suit. In
other words, no other proceedings were
allowed to be taken. It has to be remembered
that preceding Civil Procedure Code
Amendment Act, 1976, right of suit under
Order 21, Rule 103 of 1908 Code was available
which has been now taken away. By necessary
implication, the legislature relegated the
parties to an adjudication of right, title or
interest in the immovable property under
execution and finality has been accorded to it.
Thus, the scheme of the Code appears to be to
put an end to the protraction of the execution
and to shorten the litigation between the
parties or persons claiming right, title and
interest in the immovable property in
execution.”
Elucidating further, the Court opined that adjudication
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before execution is an efficacious remedy to prevent fraud,
oppression, abuse of the process of the court or miscarriage of
justice. The object of law is to meet out justice and, therefore,
adjudication under Order XXI, Rules 98, 100 and 101 and its
successive rules is sine qua non to a finality of the adjudication
of the right, title or interest in the immovable property under
execution.
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17.
In Babulal (supra), the appellant apprehending that it
would be dispossessed in an execution proceeding had filed an
application based on possessory title and obtained interim
injunction. He had also filed an application stating, inter alia ,
that he should not be dispossessed. His objection was
overruled by the executing court holding that since he had not
been dispossessed, an application under Order XXI, Rule 98
was not maintainable. The said view was affirmed by the High
Court in Civil Revision Petition. The Court while interpreting
the Order XXI, Rules 98 to 102 referred to the decision in
6
Bhanwar Lal v. Satyanarain and Another and opined that
it is clear that an adjudication is required to be conducted
under Order XXI, Rule 98 before removal of the obstruction
caused by the objector or the appellant and a finding is
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required to be recorded in that behalf. The Court ruled that the
order is treated as a decree under Order XXI, Rule 103 and it is
subject to an appeal. It has been observed in the said case that
prior to 1976, the order was subject to suit, but under the
amended Code, right of suit under Order XXI, Rule 63 of old
Code has been taken away, and the determination of the
question of the right, title or interest of the objector in the
6
(1995) 1 SCC 6
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1
immovable property under execution needs to be adjudicated
under Order XXI, Rule 98 which is an order and is a decree
under Order XXI, Rule 103 for the purpose of appeal subject to
the same conditions as to an appeal or otherwise as if it were a
decree. The Court further opined that the procedure prescribed
is a complete code in itself and, therefore, the executing
court is
required to determine the question.
18. In Ghasi Ram and Others (supra) while making a
distinction between the provisions prior to the amendment
brought in 1976 in CPC and the situation after the amendment,
a two-Judge Bench observed thus:-
“The position has changed after amendment of the
Code of Civil Procedure by the Amendment Act of
1976. Now, under the amended provisions, all
questions, including right, title, interests in the
property arising between the parties to the
proceedings under Rule 97, have to be adjudicated
by the executing court itself and not left to be
decided by way of a fresh suit.”
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19. In the case of S. Rajeswari (supra), the appellant was
one of the persons who had obstructed the execution of a
st
decree obtained by the 1 respondent therein and had filed an
application under Section 151 of CPC which was rejected by the
executing court on the ground that it was not maintainable.
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Being grieved by the said order he preferred a revision petition
which was allowed by the High Court. The Court treated the
application preferred under Section 151 of C.P.C. to be one
under Order XXI, Rule 97 because the executing court
proceeded to record evidence and thereupon adjudicated the
matter. The evidence of the decree-holder was considered and a
conclusion was arrived at that the identity of plot in question
had not been established and thereby the plaintiff was disabled
from executing the decree for possession of the land. A
contention was raised before this Court that the High Court had
erred in entertaining a revision petition under Section 115,
C.P.C., for the order was a decree under Order XXI, Rule 103 of
C.P.C. and hence, an appeal lay. The said contention was
accepted by this Court.
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20. At this juncture, we may refer with profit to the
pronouncement in Brahmdeo Chaudhary v. Rishikesh
7
Prasad Jaiswal and another wherein a two-Judge Bench
scanning the anatomy of the rules came to hold that:-
“... a stranger to the decree who claims an
independent right, title and interest in the
decretal property can offer his resistance before
getting actually dispossessed. He can equally
7
AIR 1997 SC 856
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1
agitate his grievance and claim for adjudication
of his independent right, title and interest in
the decretal property even after losing
possession as per Order XXI, Rule 99. Order
XXI, Rule 97 deals with a stage which is prior
to the actual execution of the decree for
possession wherein the grievance of the
obstructionist can be adjudicated upon before
actual delivery of possession to the decree-
holder. While Order XXI, Rule 99 on the other
hand deals with the subsequent stage in the
execution proceedings where a stranger
claiming any right, title and interest in the
decretal property might have got actually
dispossessed and claims restoration of
possession on adjudication of his independent
right, title and interest dehors the interest of
the judgment-debtor. Both these types
of
enquiries in connection with the right, title and
interest of a stranger to the decree are clearly
contemplated by the aforesaid scheme of Order
XXI and it is not as if that such a stranger to
the decree can come in the picture only at the
final stage after losing the possession and not
before it if he is vigilant enough to raise his
objection and obstruction before the warrant
for possession gets actually executed against
him.”
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21. The aforesaid authorities clearly spell out that the court
has the authority to adjudicate all the questions pertaining to
right, title or interest in the property arising between the
parties. It also includes the claim of a stranger who
apprehends dispossession or has already been dispossessed
from the immovable property. The self-contained Code, as has
been emphasised by this Court, enjoins the executing court to
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adjudicate the lis and the purpose is to avoid multiplicity of
proceedings. It is also so because prior to 1976 amendment
the grievance was required to be agitated by filing a suit but
after the amendment the entire enquiry has to be conducted by
the executing court. Order XXI, Rule 101 provides for the
determination of necessary issues. Rule 103 clearly stipulates
that when an application is adjudicated upon under Rule 98 or
Rule 100 the said order shall have the same force as if it were
a decree. Thus, it is a deemed decree. If a Court declines to
adjudicate on the ground that it does not have jurisdiction, the
said order cannot earn the status of a decree. If an executing
court only expresses its inability to adjudicate by stating that it
lacks jurisdiction, then the status of the order has to be
different. In the instant case the executing court has
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expressed an opinion that it has become functus officio and
hence, it cannot initiate or launch any enquiry. The appellants
had invoked the jurisdiction of the High Court under Article
227 of the Constitution assailing the order passed by the
executing court on the foundation that it had failed to exercise
the jurisdiction vested in it. The appellants had approached
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the High Court as per the dictum laid down by this Court in
8
Surya Dev Rai v. Ram Chander Rai and others .
22.
Whether the executing court, in the obtaining
circumstances, has correctly expressed the view that it has
become functus officio or not and thereby it has jurisdiction or
not, fundamentally pertains to rectification of a jurisdictional
error. It is so as there has been no adjudication. If a
subordinate court exercises its jurisdiction not vested in it by
law or fails to exercise the jurisdiction so vested, the said order
under Section 115 of the Code is revisable as has been held in
Joy Chand Lal Babu v. Kamalaksha Chaudhury and
9
others . The same principle has been reiterated in Keshardeo
10
Chamria v. Radha Kissan Chamria and others and
Chaube Jagdish Prasad and another v. Ganga Prasad
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11
Chaturvedi . Needless to emphasise, the said principle is
well-settled. After the amendment of Section 115, C.P.C. w.e.f.
1.7.2002, the said power is exercised under Article 227 of the
Constitution as per the principle laid down in Surya Dev Rai
(supra). Had the executing court apart from expressing the
view that it had become functus officio had adjudicated the
8
(2003) 6 SCC 675
9
AIR 1949 PC 239
10
AIR 1953 SC 23
11
AIR 1959 SC 492
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2
issues on merits, the question would have been different, for in
that event there would have been an adjudication.
23. In view of the forgoing analysis, we conclude and hold
that the High Court has fallen into error by opining that the
decision rendered by the executing court is a decree and,
therefore, an appeal should have been filed, and resultantly
allow the appeal and set aside the impugned order. The High
Court shall decide the matter as necessary under Article 227 of
the Constitution of India. As a long span of time has expired
we would request the High Court to dispose of the matter
within a period of three months. There shall be no order as to
costs.
.............................J.
[Dipak Misra]
JUDGMENT
.............................J.
[V. Gopala Gowda]
New Delhi;
October 14, 2014
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