Full Judgment Text
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CASE NO.:
Appeal (civil) 6327 of 2005
PETITIONER:
Kirpal Kaur & Anr
RESPONDENT:
V.M. Singh & Ors
DATE OF JUDGMENT: 30/08/2007
BENCH:
S.B. Sinha & Harjit Singh Bedi
JUDGMENT:
JUDGMENT
O R D E R
I.A. NO. 16 IN CIVIL APPEAL NO. 6327 OF 2005
AND
I.A. NO.17 IN I.A. NO. 16 IN CIVIL APPEAL NO.6327 OF 2005
W I T H
I.A. No.16 IN CIVIL APPEAL NO.6326 of 2005
AND
I.A. NO. 18 IN I.A. NO. 16 IN CIVIL APPEAL NO.6326 OF 2005
1. Two suits of partition, one filed in the year 1975 and the other in the
year 1989 were subject matter of the consent decree passed in or about April
1993. A deed of family settlement was executed between the parties to the
suit. Applicant-Respondent herein was a beneficiary of the said family
settlement. He had been acting on behalf of the appellants as their assignee.
Appeals preferred against the said judgments and decrees were dismissed by
the High Court by a learned Single Judge of the High Court by an order
dated 19.05.2000. Intra-court appeals preferred thereagainst were also
dismissed by a Division Bench of the said Court by a common judgment and
order dated 04.03.2003. Appellants herein filed applications for grant of
special leave thereagainst before this Court. The said appeals by grant of
special leave have been dismissed by this Court by an order dated 7.10. 2005
directing :
"However, having regard to the facts that the disputes
between the members of one family which are sought to
be solved leaving no outstanding area, we pass the
further direction that in the event KK and Guneeta
execute the General Power of Attorney in terms of the
first agreement in favour of VMS, VMS will pay the
balance amount due to KK and Guneeta in terms of the
agreement. Such execution of the General Power of
Attorney shall be within a period of our weeks from date
the entire balance of amount must be paid within a period
of four weeks thereafter.
As far as AA is concerned, subject to her executing
the necessary conveyance in respect of the 44 acres of
land mentioned in clause \026 e of the second agreement in
favour of VMS, VMS will pay the balance amount
payable to AA in terms of the second agreement. Such
conveyance must be executed within a period of four
weeks from date and the payment must be made within
four weeks thereafter."
2. Allegedly, the said directions were not carried out. A contempt
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petition was filed by Respondent No. 1 which was dismissed. Applicant
herein, viz., Shri V.M. Singh (original first respondent), however, filed an
application for grant of permission to deposit the amount in question before
this Court, despite the fact that no Power of Attorney had been executed in
his favour pursuant to the said direction of this Court. By an order dated
28.07.2006, the applicant was permitted to deposit the money as ordered in
the Civil Appeal with the Registrar General of this Court. However, by an
order dated 06.09.2006, he was permitted to deposit bank draft after
rectifying the defects pointed out by the Registry.
3. An application being I.A. No. 18 had been filed by Shri Shri
Anandamayee Sangha for permission to file an application for impleadment
as a party respondent in I.A. No. 16 in C.A. No. 6327 of 2005. The said
permission was accorded by this Court by an order dated 25.09.2006. The
application filed by the applicant-respondent for depositing the amount in
question has been opposed by the appellant.
4. Respondent-Applicant, who appeared in person, would submit that if
the respondents or the appellants in the appeals have any objection in regard
to acceptance of the amount deposited by him in this Court pursuant to the
aforementioned order, he would withdraw his application.
5. Ms. Kamini Jaiswal, learned counsel appearing on behalf of original
appellants, however, would draw our attention to the statements made in the
additional affidavit affirmed by the applicant and submitted that this Court,
in view of his conduct, should not permit him to withdraw this application at
this stage as correctness of the statement made in the said additional
affidavit is in question.
6. The learned counsel submitted that an affidavit had been affirmed by
one Harish Kumar containing serious allegations against the original
appellants which were defamatory in nature. The deponent of the said
affidavit should be permitted to be cross-examined.
7. Mr. Bhaskar P. Gupta, learned senior counsel appearing on behalf of
the applicants in I.A. No.17 filed in I.A. No.16 in C.A. No. 6327 of 2005,
would submit that it has become necessary for his client to be impleaded as a
party respondent to the proceedings as a deed of gift had been executed in its
favour by the appellants even prior to the institution of partition suit.
8. In these Interlocutory Applications, this Court is concerned only with
the question at this stage as to whether permission should be accorded to the
applicant to deposit the amount as directed by this Court on 28.07.2006. It
may be true that pursuant to the aforementioned order dated 28.07.2006, the
amount in question has already been deposited. However, the applicant has
expressed his intention to withdraw the said application. We do not see any
reason as to why he should not be permitted to do so. In a proceeding of this
nature, this Court need not go into the correctness or otherwise of the
allegations made by the applicant against the appellants or any other person.
The prayer of the appellants that a copy of the CD which has been filed
along with I.A. No.16 should be given to them also need not be considered
at this stage. In our opinion, interest of justice would be subserved if the
applicant is permitted to withdraw his Interlocutory Application. If the
appellant or any other person is /are aggrieved by the statements made in the
additional affidavit of the applicant and/ or in the affidavit affirmed by one
Harish Kumar, they may raise such contentions in appropriate proceedings
as are permissible in law. A copy of the CD filed by the applicant be sent in
a sealed cover to the executing court so as to enable the parties to file
appropriate applications before the executing court in respect thereof, if they
so desire.
9. As we are permitting the applicant to withdraw his application, the
application for impleadment has become infructuous. It is dismissed
accordingly. The amount deposited by Shri V.M. Singh be returned to him.
10. As the matter is pending for a long time, we would request the learned
executive court to consider the desirability of disposing of the execution
proceedings at an early date preferably within a period three months of the
from the communication of this order.
11. Subject to the observations made hereinbefore, I.A. No.16 in both the
appeals is permitted to be withdrawn and other interlocutory applications are
dismissed as having become infructuous.