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2000 DIGILAW 400 (KAR)

M. N. Mastansab v. Abdul Wahabsab

2000-06-12

H.N.TILHARI

body2000
ORDER Hari Nath Tilhari, J.—This revision petition under Section 115 of the Code of Civil Procedure arises from the judgment and order dated 7th September, 1999 passed by Sri H.R. Deshpande, Additional Civil Judge (Senior Division), Bellary, in Miscellaneous Appeal No. 20 of 1997, whereby the lower appellate Court after considering the material placed on record and the relevant case law has opined that the order passed by the trial Court on I.A. No. IV filed under Order XXXIX, Rule 2(A) read with Section 151 of the Code of Civil Procedure was valid and justified and it did not suffer from any error of fact or law. 2. The facts of the case in brief are: That in Original Suit bearing No. 466 of 1993, the trial Court granted ex-parte temporary injunction order against the Defendant (revision Petitioner herein) on 31.7.1993. The Defendant appeared before the Court through his Counsel on 8.7.1994 and filed the application under Order XXXIX, Rule 4 of the Code for vacating the ad-interim order of injunction which had been granted in favour of the Plaintiff- revision Petitioner. On that very day the Defendant filed the undertaking that he will not undertake and will not raise the constructions over the disputed property i.e., item No. 2 of the suit schedule property pending decision of the case. Later on, on 5.9.1994 the Defendant filed the application under Order 39, Rule 2(A) of the Code against the Plaintiff for having violated the undertaking given by him to the Court. The material documents were produced as the Plaintiff denied those allegations. 3. The trial Court after examination of the evidence and law held that in this case the Plaintiff-revision Petitioner without seeking permission of the Court and without filing the application for modification of the injunction order he has demolished the disputed wall and completed the construction vide Exts. D-3 and D-4. It further found that the Plaintiff has not specifically denied these allegations. 4. The Plaintiff-revision Petitioner contended before the trial Court that he had completed the construction in the month of March 1993. D-3 and D-4. It further found that the Plaintiff has not specifically denied these allegations. 4. The Plaintiff-revision Petitioner contended before the trial Court that he had completed the construction in the month of March 1993. Thus it became clear that the party who had undertaken not to proceed with the construction and had given undertaking to the Court that he would not make construction without taking permission of the Court took law in his own hands and did proceed with the construction in breach of the undertaking given to the Court. A person who had given undertaking to the Court and then commits breach of the undertaking then that party who deliberately proceeds to commit breach of the order and the undertaking given by him may held to have committed contempt. The Court below found that the Plaintiff had committed breach of the undertaking and the injunction order. The trial Court allowed the application filed by the Defendant under Order XXXIX, Rule 2-A of the Code and accordingly the Plaintiff is hereby sentenced to commit to civil prison for a period of two months. 5. Being aggrieved of the said order of the II Additional Civil Judge, Bellary, allowing I.A. IV the Plaintiff-revision Petitioner filed the appeal before the lower Appellate Court. 6. The lower Appellate Court after considering the matter in detail dismissed the appeal and confirmed the order of the trial Court. 7. Feeling aggrieved of the said order passed by the lower appellate Court, the Appellant-revision Petitioner has come up in revision before this Court under Section 115 of the Code of Civil Procedure. 8. I have heard Sri K. Raghavendra Rao, learned Counsel for the revision Petitioner. 9. The learned Counsel for the revision Petitioner submitted that the Plaintiff-revision Petitioner had tendered un-conditional apology before the lower appellate Court and the appellate Court atleast should have in exercise of the inherent powers, accepted the un-conditional apology tendered by the revision Petitioner. Having not done so, it has failed its inherent jurisdiction. Really equity demanded that jurisdiction under Section 151 of the Code should have been exercised, the applicant could have been pardoned for un-intentional breach of the undertaking. The learned Counsel submitted that this revision is nothing but a mercy petition. 10. I have applied my mind to the contentions raised by the learned Counsel for the revision Petitioner. 11. Really equity demanded that jurisdiction under Section 151 of the Code should have been exercised, the applicant could have been pardoned for un-intentional breach of the undertaking. The learned Counsel submitted that this revision is nothing but a mercy petition. 10. I have applied my mind to the contentions raised by the learned Counsel for the revision Petitioner. 11. The finding which has been recorded by the two Courts below mainly is that the revision Petitioner had committed the breach of undertaking which had been given by him to the Court. When proceedings were initiated he took full defence to justify his action, of completing the construction which he had undertaken not to make and the breach of undertaking given to Court. Therefore, it cannot be said to be innocent act of the revision Petitioner. This finding which has been recorded by the trial Court is a pure and simple finding of fact. No illegality, or error of jurisdiction has been shown. The only submission that had been made that the inherent powers are there vested in the Court to pass such order as interest of justice requires. The inherent powers of the Court are there, but no doubt the said powers of the Court are to be exercised in the ends and interest of justice to save interest of justice and to prevent abuse of the process of the Court as well as to curb the abuse of the process of the Court. In the present case, I hold that the abuse of the process of the Court had been taken place because of the action of the revision Petitioner himself as he had given undertaking and thereafter he had committed the breach. The giving of the undertaking and then committing breach of the undertaking by doing the act which had been undertaken not to be done, is nothing but playing mockery of the Court and its order amounting to even contempt of Court. The dignity and honour of the Court has to be maintained, its orders are meant to be followed and adhered. No doubt, the aggrieved party could approach the higher Court challenging those orders by way of appeal. The party could move for modification of the injunction or interim orders. The dignity and honour of the Court has to be maintained, its orders are meant to be followed and adhered. No doubt, the aggrieved party could approach the higher Court challenging those orders by way of appeal. The party could move for modification of the injunction or interim orders. But, no party is entitled to commit disobedience or breach thereof without seeking modification of the order and particularly the party who has given undertaking to the Court to abstain from doing certain specific things is expected to honour and to keep pace therewith. But a person giving an undertaking to Court and later violating it plays even fraud with Court and showed disrespect to Courts. After giving the undertaking a person who commits breach of any undertaking in my opinion he commit the grave offence even of Contempt of the Court and to condone such grave offence will be nothing but to give encouragement to the people to do acts in disobeyance to the orders of the Court without seeking any modification. In my opinion, as no jurisdictional error has been committed by Courts below and orders cannot be held to suffer from any jurisdictional error. As such, the revision petition is misconceived and the two Courts below were justified in rejecting the alleged plea of un-conditional apology as being fake. 12. The Civil Revision Petition, as such, is hereby dismissed.