, [2008] 11 S.C.R. 435

NUNE PRASAD AND ORS.

A v.

NUNE RAMAKRISHNA (Civil Appeal No; 4701 of 2008)

JULY 29, 2008 8

[DR. ARIJIT PASAYAT AND DR. MUKUNDAKAM

SHARMA, JJ.]

Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 - s. 100 - Second appeal-:- Substantial question of law - Non-formulation .:. Effct c of - On facts, second appeal allowed by High Court - Order does not show that substantial question of law was formulated or appeal was heard on any question so formulated - Thus, order of High Court set aside - Matters remitted to High Court.

The question which aros~ for consideration in this D

~ appeal was whether the High Court was justified in allowing the second appeal without framing any substantial question~ of law as mandated by s. 100 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908.

Disposing of the appeal, the Court E

HELD: A perusal of the impugned judgment passed by the High Court does not show that any substantial question of law has been formulated or that the second appeal was heard on the question, if any, so formulated.

,._...( That being so, the judgment cannot be maintained, which is set aside and remitted back to the High Court for proc~ding in the matter in accordance with law and fn terms of observat_ions made herein. [Para 5] [438-D-E]

lshwar Dass Jain v. Sohan Lal 2000 (1) SCC 434;_Roop G Singh v. Ram Singh 2000 (3) SCC 708; Kanhaiyalal and Ors.

-'\r

v. An_upkumar and Ors_. 2003 (1) SCC 430; Mathakala Krishnaiah v. V Rajagopal 2004(10) SCC 676; Smt. Ram Sakhi Devi v. Chhatra Devi and Ors.: JT 2005 (6) SC 167;

~ 435 H

SUPREME COURT REPORTS


A Sasikumar and Ors. v. Kunnath Chellappan Nair and Ors. 2005

(12) SCC 588; Gian Dass v. The Gram Panchayat Village Sunner Kalan and Ors. 2006 (6) SCC 271; Shah Mansukhla/ Chhaganial (d) through Lrs. v. Gohil Amarsing Govindbhai (d) through Lrs. 2006(13) SCALE 99 - relied on.

Case Law Reference

2000 (1 > sec 434 Relied on.

Para 6

2000 (3) sec 108 Relied on.

Para 7

2003 (1) sec 430 Relied on.

Para 8

2004 (1 O) sec 676 Relied on.

Para 8

JT 2005 (6) SC 167 Relied on.

Para 8

2005 (12) sec 588 Relied on.

Para 8

2006 (6) sec 211 Relied on.

Para 8

2006 (13) SCALE 99 Relied on.

Para 8

CIVILAPPELLATE JURISDrCTION: Civil Appeal No. 4701 of 2008

E From the final Judgment and Order dated 28.3.2006 of

the High Court of Andhra Pradesh at Hyerabad in Second Appeal No. 512 of 2001

T.V. Ratnam for the Appellants.

Anjani Aiyagari for the Respondent.

The Judgment of the Court was delivered by

Dr. ARIJIT PASAYAT, J. 1. Leave granted.

2. Challenge in this appeal is to the judgment of a learned G Single Judge of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh at Hyderabad

allowing the second appeal filed by the respondent under Section 100 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (in short 'CPC').

3. Factual background in a nutshell is as follows:

H The appellant-plaintiff filed O.S. No.78of1990 before the

NUNE PRASAD & ORS. v. NUNE 437

RAMAKRISHNA [DR. ARIJIT PASAYAT, J.] ·

Sub-Court, Ramachandrapuram, East Godavari District, Andhra A Pradesh against the respondent-defendant. The Trial Court by the judgment and order dated 27.06.1995 held that the plaintiffs

are the owners of the schedule property and they being the owners of the schedule property are entitled to possession.Aggrieved by the judgment and decree of the Trial court, the respondent- B

---(' defendant preferred an appeal in the Court of Additional District Judge, Rajahmundry, East Godavari District. By judgment and order dated 14.06.2001, the first appellate court confirmed the Trial Court's judgment. The respondent-defendant preferred a second appeal under Section 100 C.P:C. before the High Court c of Andhra Pradesh at Hyderabad, being Second Appeal No.512 of 2001. By the impugned judgment, the learned Single Judge allowed the second appeal and the judgments and decree passed by the courts below were set aside.

Though many points have been urged in support of the D appeal, the primary stand of the learned counsel for the appel-

~ !ants is that the second appeal was allowed without framing any substantial question of law as mandated by Section 100 CPC. Learned counsel for the respondent submitted that though the High Court's judgment does not show that any substantial E question of law was framed yet learned Single Judge has allowed the appeal after analyzing the factual position in the background of settled principles in law.

4. Section 100 of CPC deals with "Second Appeal". The provision reads as follows: F

~ "Section 100-Second Appeal: (1) Save as otherwise expressly provided in the body of this Code or by any other law for the time being in force, an appeal shall lie to the High Court from every decree passed in appeal by any Court subordinate to the High Court, if the High Court is satisfied G that the case involves a substantial question of law.

(2) An appeal may lie under this section from an appellate decree passed ex parte.

(3) In an appeal under this Section, the memorandum of H

SUPREME COURT.REPORTS

[2008] 11 S.C.R

appeal shall precisely state the substantial question of

law involved i~ the appeal. ~-~

(4) Where the High Court is satisfied that a substantial question of law is involved in any case, it shall formulate that question ..

(5) The appeal shall be heard on the question so formulated and the respondent shall, at the hearing of the appeal, be allowed to argue that the case does not involve such question:

Provided that nothing in this sub-section shall be deemed , to take away or abridge the power of the Court to hear, for reasons to be recorded, the appeal on any other substantial question of law, not formulated by it, if it is satisfied that the case involves such question."

5. A perusal of the impugned judgment passed by the High D Court does not show that any substantial question of law has been formulated or that the second appeal was heard on the question, if any, so formulated. That being so, the judgment cannot be maintained, which is set aside and remitted back to the.

High Court for proceeding in the matter in accordance with law E and in terms of observations made herein.

'6. In lshwar Dass Jain v. Sohan Lal (2000 (1) SCC 434), . '- this Court in para 10, hs stated thus: .

"10. Now under Section 100 CPC, after the- 1976-_ Amendment, it is essential for the High Court to formulate a substantial question of law and it is not permissible to reverse the judgment of the first appellate Court without doin_g so."

7. Yet again in Roop Singh v~ Ram Singh (2000 (3) SCC 708), this Court has xpress-ed that the jurisdiction of a High G Court is confined to ap~!s involving substantial question of law. Para 7 ofthe said judgment rads:

"7. It is to be reiterated that under section 100 CPC

- jurisdiction of the High Court to entertain a second appeal is confined only to such appeals which involv.e a substantial question of law and it does not conferany_jurisiction on

~ I

NUNE PRASAD & ORS. v. NUNE 439

-r- RAMAKRISHNA [DR ARiJIT PASAYAT, J.]

the High Court to interfere with pure questions of fact while A exercising its jurisdiction under section 100 CPC. That apart, at the time of disposing of the matter the High Court did not even notice the question of law formulated by it at the time of admission of the second appeal as there is no reference of it in the impugned judgment. Further, the fact findings courts after appreciating the evidence held that B

the defendant entered into the possession of the premises -as a batai, that is to say, as a tenant and his possession was permissive and there was no pleading or proof as to when it became adverse and hostile. These findings c recorded by the two courts below were based on proper appreciation of evidence and the material on record and there was no perversity, illegality or irregularity in those findings. If the defendant got the possession of suit land as a lessee or under a batai agreement then from the permissive possession it is for him to establish by cogent D

--1 and convincing evidence to show hostile animus and possession adverse to. the knowledge of the real owner.

Mere possession for a long time does not result in converting permissive possession into adverse possession (Thakur Kishan Singh v. Aniind Kumar (1994 (6) SCC 591 ).

E Hence the High Court ought not to have interfered with the findings of fact recorded by both the courts below."

8. The position has been reiterated in Kanhaiyalal and Ors.

v. Anupkumar and Ors. (2003 (1) SCC 430), Mathakala Krishnaiah v. V. Rajagopal (2004(10) SCC 676), Smt. Ram F Sakhi Devi v. Chhatra Devi & Ors. (JT 2005 (6) SC 167), Sasikumar & Ors. v. Kunnath Chellappan Nair & Ors. (2005

(12) SCC 588), Gian Dass v. The Gram Panchayat Village Sunner Kalan & Ors. (2006 (6) SCC 271 ), Shah Mansukhlal Chhaganjal (d) through Lrs V Gohil Amarsing Govindbhai (d) G ,.through Lrs. (2006(13) SCALE 99).

~- -9. The appeal stands disposed of in the above terms.

There will be no order as to costs.

N.J.

Appeal disposed of.