Judgment sc-s-2006-5-754-757

The Judgment of the Court was delivered by

ARIJIT PASAYAT, J. In these appeals challenge is to the judgment rendered by a learned Single Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court D allowing the Second Appeal filed under Section I 00 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (in shoJ"! the 'CPC'). The Second appeal was partially allowed by setting aside the judgment and decree of the First appellate Court in the plaintiffs suit for possession to the extent of land measuring 36 kanals comprised in Khasra Nos. 646, 647 and 648. E Though many points were urged basically itwas urged that the Second appeal was allowed without formulating any question of law for adjudication. This according to appellants rendered the judgment vulnerable.

Learned counsel for the respondents submitted that though specific question of law was not formulated, the' High Court analysed the evidence F and kept to the correct conclusion. J

Section I00 of the Code deals with "second appeal". The provision reads as follows:

"I 00( I). Save as otherwise expressly provided in the body of this G 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 that the case involves a substantial question of law. ( • (2) An appeal may lie under this section from an appellate decree H

p. 756 Copy page pinpoint

A passed ex parte. • r

(3) In an appeal under this section, the memorandum of appeal shall precisely state the substantial question of law involved in the appeal.

(4) Where the High Court is satisfied that a substantial question of B 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 c 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."

A perusal of the impugned judgment passed by the High Court does not show that any substantial question of law has been fonnulated or that the second appeal was heard on a question, if any, so formulated. That being· so, the judgment cannot be maintained.

In lshwar Dass Jain v. Sohan Lal, this Court in para I0 has stated

"IO. Now under Section 100 CPC, after the 1976 Amendment, it is essential for the High Court to fonnulate a substantial question of law it is not pennissible to reverse the judgment of the first appellate court without doing so."

Yet again in Roop Singh v. Ram Singh this Court has expressed that jurisdiction of a High Court is confined to appeals involving substantial question of law. Para 7 of the said judgment reads: (SCC p. 713, para 7)

"7. It is to be reiterated that under Section I00 CPC jurisdiction of the High Court to entertain a second appeal is confined only to such appeals which involve a substantial question of law and it does not confer any jurisdiction on the High Court to interfere with pure questions of fact while exercising its jurisdiction under Section I 00 CPC. That apart, at the time of disposing of the matter, the High Court did not even notice the question of law fonnulated by it at the time of admission of the second appeal as there is no reference of it in the

H impugned judgment. Further, the fact-finding courts after appreciating the evidence held that the defendant entered into the 'possession of .,

JAW ALA SINGH (D)BY LRS. v. JAGATSINGH(D) BY LRS. [PASA YAT.J.] 757

the premises as a batai, that is to say, as a tenant and his possession A was pennissive and there was no pleading or proof as to when it became adverse and hostile. These findings 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 B a lessee or under a batai agreement then from the permissive possession it is for him to establish by cogent 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. Arvind Kumar, [1994] 6 SCC 591 Hence, the High Court ought not to have interfered with the findings of fact recorded by both the courts below." The position has been reiterated in Kanhaiyalal v. Anupkumar, [2003] I SCC430.

In Chadat Singh v. Bahadur Ram, [2004] 6 SCC 359 it was observed thus: (SCC p. 360)

"6. In view of Section 100 of the Code the memorandum of appeal shall precisely state substantial question or questions involved in the appeal as required under sub-section (3) of Section JOO. Where the High E Court is satisfied that in any case any substantial question of law is involved, it shall fonnulate that question under sub-section (4) and the second appeal has to be heard on the question so formulated as stated in sub-section (5) of Section I00." The Position was highlighted by this Court in Joseph Severane and F, Ors. v. Benny Mathew and Ors., [2005) 7 SCC 667, Sasikumar and Ors. v. Kunnath Chellappan Nair and Ors., [2005] 12 SCC 588 and Gian Dass v. The Gram Panchayat, Village Sunner Kalan & Ors. (2006) 5 Supreme 776 .

Under the circumstances, the impugned judgment is set aside. We remit the matter to the High Court so far as it relates to Second Appeal No. 1832 G of 1979 for disposal in accordance with law. The appeals are disposed of on the aforesaid tenns with no order as to costs.

Since the matter is pending since long, we request the High Court to dispose of the appeal as early as practicable.

D.G. Appeals disposed of. H