Mool Chand Yadav
v.
S Raza Buland Sugar Company Limited, Rampur
(Supreme Court Of India)
Civil Appeal No. 3343 Of 1982 | 15-10-1982
( 2 ) The matter discloses a battle of wits rather than of any legal substance or injured rights. There is one room in Hari Bhawan which at present is occupied by a gentleman called Mool Chand Yadav who is described as General Manager of U.P. State Sugar Corporation Ltd., Rampur Unit (Corporation, for short). The dispute going on is whether Hari Bhawan is a property which has vested In the Corporation and whether the Corporation is entitled to occupy it and whether a part of-it can be used by the General Manager of the Corporation. In a suit filed by respondents an injunction was granted restraining the present appellants or their officers from occupying Hari Bhawan against which an appeal was filed by the present appellants which is pending. Subsequently, an application was made alleging flouting of the courts order and the court was invited to hold the Corporation and its officers in contempt and to punish them for the same. This application resulted in the following order : Accordingly the application Ex. IV-1 is being accepted. One months time is being granted to defendant, Mool Chand Yadav, to vacate the disputed room and if he does not do so all the movable property of defendants 2 and 3 will be attached in compliance with the order of temporary injunction passed on 2/11/1979.
( 3 ) An appeal from the order was preferred being F.A.F.O. No. Nil of 1982. We are told that appeal was admitted and notice of motion was taken out for suspension of the order under appeal. But the division bench of the Allahabad High court declined to grant stay. Hence, this appeal by special leave.
( 4 ) We heard Mr. 5.N. Kacker, learned counsel for the appellants and the respondents appeared by Caveat through Mr. Manoj Swarup, Advocate. We are not inclined to examine any contention on merits at present, but we would like to take notice of the emerging situation if the operation of the order under appeal is not suspended during the pendency of the appeal. If the F.A.F.O. is allowed obviously Mool Chand Yadav would be entitled to continue in possession. Now, if she order is not suspended in order to avoid any action in contempt pending the appeal) Mool Chand Yadav would have to vacate the room and hand over the possession to the respondents in obedience to the courts order. We are in full agreement with Mr. Manoj Swarup, learned Advocate for respondents, that the courts order cannot be flouted and even a covert disrespect to courts order cannot be tolerated. But if orders are challenged and the appeals are pending, one cannot permit a swinging pendulum continuously taking place during the pendency of the appeal. Mr. Manoj 486 Swarup may be wholly right in submitting that there is intentional flouting of the courts order. We are not Interdicting that finding. But Judicial approach requires that during the pendency of the appeal the operation of an order having serious civil consequences must be suspended. More so when appeal is admitted. Previous history of litigation cannot be overlooked. And it is not seriously disputed that the whole of the building, Hari Bhawan, except one room in dispute is in possession of the Corporation. We accordingly suspend the operation of the order dated 6/08/1982 directing the appellants to hand over the possession of the room to the respondents till the disposal of the first appeal against that order pending in the High court of Allahabad. Mr. Manoj Swarup requests that both the earlier and later appeals should be heard together as early as possible. We order accordingly and request the High court If it considers proper in us own discretion to hear both the appeals as expeditiously a possible in order to avoid the continuance of the boiling situation. The appeal stands disposed of. There shall be no order as to costs.
Advocates List
For The Appearing Parties S.N. Kackar, R.B. Mahto, Manoj Svarup, Lalita Kohli, Advocates.
For Petitioner
- Shekhar Naphade
- Mahesh Agrawal
- Tarun Dua
For Respondent
- S. Vani
- B. Sunita Rao
- Sushil Kumar Pathak
Bench List
HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE D.A. DESAI
HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE R.B. MISRA
Eq Citation
1983 (31) BLJR 96
(1982) 3 SCC 484
1982 (14) UJ 831
1982 (2) SCALE 947
LQ/SC/1982/147
HeadNote
Civil Procedure Code, 1908 — S. 109 — Stay of operation of order pending appeal — One room in Hari Bhawan occupied by General Manager of Corporation in dispute whether it is property which has vested in Corporation and whether Corporation is entitled to occupy it — Order of High Court restraining appellants or their officers from occupying Hari Bhawan — Appeal from order was preferred — Appeal was admitted and notice of motion was taken out for suspension of order under appeal — Division Bench of High Court declined to grant stay — Held, if operation of order under appeal is not suspended during pendency of appeal, if appeal is allowed, Mool Chand Yadav would be entitled to continue in possession — If order is not suspended, in order to avoid any action in contempt pending appeal, Mool Chand Yadav would have to vacate room and hand over possession to respondents in obedience to court's order — Courts order cannot be flouted and even a covert disrespect to court's order cannot be tolerated — But if orders are challenged and appeals are pending, one cannot permit a swinging pendulum continuously taking place during pendency of appeal — Previous history of litigation cannot be overlooked — It is not seriously disputed that whole of building Hari Bhawan except one room in dispute is in possession of Corporation — Operation of order directing appellants to hand over possession of room to respondents till disposal of first appeal against that order pending in High Court suspended — Both the earlier and later appeals should be heard together as early as possible