ppeal No 79 of 1962
Appeal by special leave from the judgment and decree dated February 20 1958 of the Madras High Court in Second Appeal Lo
91 of 1955
M section K Sastri and M section Narasimhan for the appellants
K N Rajagopal Sastri and B K B Naidu for respondents Nos 1 to 4
March 6 1964
The Judgment of the Court was delivered by GAJENDRAGADKAR CJ
This appeal by Special leave raises a short question about the correctness propriety and legality of the decree passed by the Madras High Court in second appeal No 91
of 1955
The respondents had sued the appellants in the Court of the District Munsif of Thiruvaiyaru for a mandatory injunction directing the removal of certain masonry structure standing on the suit site which was marked as A B C D in the plan attached to the plaint and for a permanent injunction restraining the appellants from building upon or otherwise encroaching upon the suit property and from causing obstruction to the right of way of the residents of the village in which the suit property was situated
According to the respondents the plot on which encroachment had been caused by the construction of the masonry structure by the appellants was a street and the reliefs they claimed were on the basis that the said property formed part of a public street and the appellants had no right to encroach upon it
This suit had been instituted by the respondents in a representative capacity on behalf of themselves and other residents in the locality
The appellants disputed the main allegation of the res pondents that the masonry structure to which the respondents had objected stood on any part of the public street
According to them the plot on which the masonry structure stood along with the adjoining property belonged to them as 51 absolute owners and as such they were entitled to use it in any manner they pleased
On these pleadings appropriate issues were framed by the learned trial Judge and on considering the evidence findings were recorded by him in favour of the respondents
In the result the respondents  suit was decreed and injunction was issued against the appellants
The appellants then took the dispute before the Subordi nate Judge at Kumbakonam
On the substantive issues which arose between the parties the learned Subordinate Judge made findings against the respondents and in consequence the decree passed by the Trial Court was set aside
The learned Subordinate Judge however made it clear that it might be open to the respondents to agitate against any case of customary rights in the nature of an easement in their favour if they can legally do so without any bar and if they are so advised
 That question was left by him as undecided as it did not arise before him in the present suit
This decree was challenged by the respondents by preferring a second appeal before the Madras High Court
BasheerAhmed Sayeed J who heard this appeal passed a decree which is challenged before us by the appellants in the present appeal
All that the learned Judge has done in his judgment is to state that after a careful consideration of all the issues that arise for decision in this Second Appeal 1 am of the opinion that the best form in which a decree could be given to the plaintiffs is in the following terms and then the learned Judge has proceeded to set out the terms of his decree in clauses 1 2  3 the 3rd clause being sub divided into clauses a b  c
As to the costs the learned Judge directed that parties should bear their own costs throughout
The appellants contend that the method adopted by the learned Judge in disposing of the second appeal before him clearly shows that the judgment delivered by him cannot be sustained
Before dealing with this contention however it is neces sary to refer to a preliminary objection raised by Mr Raja gopal Sastri on behalf of the respondents
He contends that it was open to the appellants to apply for leave to file a Letters Patent appeal against the judgment of the learned Single Judge and since the appellants have not adopted that course it is not open to them to come to this Court by special leave
He has therefore argued that either the leave granted by this Court to the appellants should be revoked or the appeal should be dismissed on the ground that this was not a matter in which this Court will interfere having regard to the fact that a remedy available to the appellant under the Letters Patent of the Madras High Court has not been availed of by them
In resisting this preliminary objection Mr M section K Sastri for the appellants has relied on the decision of this Court in 52 Raruha Singh vs Achal Singh and Others1
In that case this Court allowed an appeal preferred against a second appellate decision of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on the ground that the said impugned decision had interfered with a finding of fact contrary to the provisions of section 100 of the Civil Procedure Code
It appears that a preliminary objection had been raised in that case by the respondents similar to the one which is raised in the present appeal and in rejecting that preliminary objection this Court observed that since leave has been ranted we do not think we can or should virtually revoke the leave by accepting the preliminary objection
 It is because of this observation that this appeal has been referred to a larger Bench
It is true that the statement on which Mr M section K Sastri relies does seem to support his contention but we are satisfied that the said statement should no be interpreted as laying down a general proposition that if special leave is ranted in a given case it can never be revoked
On several occasions this Court has revoked special leave when facts were brought to its notice to justify the adoption of that course and so we do not think Mr M section K Sastri is justified in contending that leave granted to the appellants under article 136
as in the present case can never be revoked
The true position is that in a given case if the respondent brings to the notice of this Court facts which would justify the Court in revoking the leave already granted this Court would in the interests of justice not hesitate to adopt that course
Therefore the question which falls to be considered is whether the present appeal should be dismissed solely on the ground that the appellants did not apply for leave under the relevant clause of the Letters Patent of the Madras High Court
There is no doubt that if a party wants to avail himself of the remedy provided by article 136 in cases where the decree of the High Court under appeal has been passed under section 100 C P C it is necessary that the party must apply for leave under the Letters Patent if the relevant clause of the Letters Patent provides for an appeal to a Division Bench against the decision of a single Judge
Normally an application for special leave against a second appellate decision would not be granted unless the remedy of a Letters Patent Appeal has been availed of
In fact no appeal against second appellate decisions appears to be contemplated by the Constitution as is evident from the fact that article 1333 expressly provides that normally an appeal will not lie to this Court from the judgment decree or final order of one Judge of the High Court It is only where an application for special leave against a second appellate judgment raises issues of law of general importance that the Court would grant the application and proceed to deal with the merits of the contentions raised by the appellant
But even in such cases it is necessary that the remedy 53 by way of a Letters Patent Appeal must be resorted to before a party comes to this Court
Even so we do not think it would be possible to lay down an unqualified rule that leave should not be granted if the party has not moved for leave under the Letters Patent and it cannot be so granted nor is it possible to lay down an inflexible rule that if in such a case leave has been granted it must always and necessarily be revoked
Having regard to the wide scope of the powers conferred on this Court under article 136 it is not possible and indeed it would not be expedient to lay down any general rule which would govern all cases
The question as to whether the jurisdiction of this Court under article 136 should be exercised or not and if yes on what terms and conditions is a matter which this Court has to decide on the facts of each case
In dealing with the respondents  contention that the special leave granted to the appellant against a second appellate decision should be revoked on the ground that the appellant had not applied for leave under the relevant clause of the Letters Patent it is necessary to bear in mind one relevant fact
If at the stage when special leave is granted the respondent caveator appears and resists the grant of special leave on the ground that the appellant has not moved for Letters Patent Appeal and it appers that the said ground is argued and rejected on the merits and consequently special leave is granted then it would not be open to the respondent to raise the same point over again at the time of the final hearing of the appeal
If however the caveator does not appear or having appeared does not raise this point or even if he raises the point the Court does not decide it before granting special leave the same point can be raised at the time of final hearing
In such a case there would be no technical bar of res judicata and the de cision on the point will depend upon a proper consideration of all the relevant facts
Reverting then to the main point raised by the appellants in this appeal we do not think we would be justified in refus ing to deal with the merits of the appeal solely on the round that the appellants did not move the learned single Judge for leave to prefer an appeal before a Division Bench of the Madras High Court
The infirmity in the judgment under appeal is so glaring that the ends of justice require that we should set aside the decree and send the matter back to the Madras High Court for disposal in accordance with law
The limitations placed by section 100 CPC on the jurisdiction and powers of the High Courts in dealing with second appeals are well known and the procedure which has to be followed by the High Courts in dealing with such appeals is also well established
In the present case the learned Judge has passed an order which reads more like an award made by an arbitrator who 54 by terms of his reference is not under an obligation to give reasons for his conclusions embodied in the award
When such a course is adopted by the High Court in dealing with second appeals it must obviously be corrected and the High Court must be asked to deal with the matter in a normal way in accordance with law
That is why we think we cannot uphold the preliminary objection raised by Mr Rajagopal Sastri even though we disapprove of the conduct of the appellants in coming to this Court without attempting to obtain the leave of the learned single Judge to file a Letters Patent Appeal before a Division Bench of the Madras High Court
Therefore without expressing any opinion on the merits of the decree passed in second appeal we set it aside on the ground that the judgment delivered by the learned judge does not satisfy the basic and legitimate requirements of a judgment under the Code of Civil Procedure
The result is the appeal is allowed the decree passed by the High Court is set aside and second appeal No 91 of 1955 is sent back to the Madras High Court with a direction that it should be dealt with in accordance with law
The costs of this appeal would be costs in the second appeal
Appeal allowed


Summary:
The respondents brought a suit for a mandatory injunction directing the removal of certain masonry structure on suit site and for a permanent injunction restraining the appellants from encroaching upon the suit property and from causing obstruction to the right of way of the residents of the village
They claimed that the suit property formed part of a public street and the appellants had no right to encroach upon it
The appellants claimed the suit property as absolute owners and as such they were entitled to use it in any manner they pleased
The trial
Court decreed the suit
On appeal the learned Subordinate Judge set aside the decree
On challenge of this decree by the respondents in second appeal before the High Court the learned single Judge passed a decree in their favour
All that the learned Judge stated in his judgment was that after a careful consideration of all the issues that arise for decision in this second appeal I am of the opinion that the best form in which a decree could be given to the plaintiffs is in the following terms and then he proceeded to set out the terms of his decree
On appeal by Special Leave the appellants contended that the method adopted by the learned Judge in disposing of the second appeal before him clearly shows that the judgment delivered by him cannot be sustained
The respondents raised a preliminary objection that since the appellants did not avail themselves of the remedy available to them under the Letters Patent of the High Court either the special Leave granted by this Court should be revoked or the appeal should be dismissed
Held It would not be possible to lay down an unqualified rule that special leave should not be granted if the party has not moved for leave under the Letters Patent and it cannot be so granted nor is it possible to lay down an inflexible rule that if in such a case special leave has been granted it must always and necessarily be revoked
Having regard to the wide scope of the powers conferred on this Court under article 136 it is not possible and indeed it would not be expedient to lay down any general rule which would govern all cases
The question as to whether the jurisdiction of this Court under article 136 should be exercised or not and if yes on what terms and conditions is a matter which this Court has to decide on the facts of each case
50 Raruha Singh vs Achal AIR 1961 SC 1097 referred to
In the present case the learned Judge passed an order which reads more like an award made by an arbitrator who by terms of his reference is not under an obligation to give reasons for his conclusions embodied in the award
When such a course is adopted by the High Court in dealing with second appeals it must obviously be corrected and the High Court must be asked to deal with the matter in a normal way in accordance with law
Therefore the decree passed in second appeal must be set aside on the ground that the judgment delivered by the learned Judge did not satisfy the basic and legitimate requirements of a judgment under the Code of Civil Procedure