Full Order Text
Final Order 8 · 04 Oct 2024 · CNR DLCT030014332023
Order Details: COPY OF ORDER Pdf Text: Contempt Petition No.14/23 ATTAR CHAND Vs. SUNITA 04.10.2024 Present: None for applicant. Ld. Counsel for respondents. This is an application u/o 39 Rule 2A on behalf of plaintiff alleging violation of undertaking dt. 27.08.21 given by defendant no.1. Arguments heard on behalf of respondents. Be awaited for applicant. Put up for arguments at 11:00 AM. Bharat Aggarwal CJ-08 (Central) 04.10.2024/Delhi At 12:34 PM Present: SPA of Applicant in person. Mr. Mohit Kumar, ld. LAC for both defendants. At request, be passed over for appearance of counsel for the applicant. Put up at 02:00 PM. Bharat Aggarwal CJ-08 (Central) 04.10.2024/Delhi 1 of 6 -- 1 of 6 -- At 03:12 PM Present: None. Put up for orders, at 04:00 PM. Bharat Aggarwal CJ-08 (Central) 04.10.2024/Delhi At 04:15 PM Present: None. Vide this order, I shall decide the present application under Order XXXIX Rule 2 A of CPC filed by the plaintiff. 1. The applicant/plaintiff has prayed for initiation of contempt proceedings against the defendants for violation of the undertaking given by the defendant no.1 on 27.08.2021 and further directions have been sought to direct Sh. Bal Kishan to vacate the suit premises immediately. 2. It is stated that on 27.08.2021, an undertaking was given by the defendant no.1 that possession of the suit property shall not be handed over to any third person and on the basis of such undertaking, the interim application filed by the plaintiff under Order XXXIX Rule 1 and 2 of CPC was disposed off. It is alleged that despite such undertaking, defendants have created third party interest by handing over the possession of the premises to one Sh. Bal Kishan and he has been allowed to stay in the property since 03.03.2023. Accordingly, it is stated that defendants have 2 of 6 -- 2 of 6 -- committed contempt of the court by flouting the undertaking given and creating third party interest in the suit property. 3. Reply has been filed by the defendants to such application, whereby inter alia it is stated that defendants have not created any third party interest in the suit property and Sh. Bal Kishan is the brother-in-law of the defendant no.1 and brother of Sh. Hari Kishan i.e. the defendant no.2 who has been residing with the family since 2013. 4. Arguments of the respondents were heard and the application, reply and documents have been perused. No arguments were advanced on behalf of the applicant despite repeated pass-overs since morning. 5. The present suit has been filed by the plaintiff seeking mandatory injunction directing the defendants to evict from the suit property i.e. property bearing no.861/2, Tilak Gali, Kashmiri Gate, Delhi – 110 006 and further permanent injunction restraining the defendants from handing over the possession to any other person. Plaintiff has alleged that his wife expired on 05.05.2017 and thereafter, the defendant started residing with the plaintiff as he is a senior citizen and suffering from serious ailments. It is further stated that plaintiff has filed complaints against the defendant and he has terminated the license of the defendants and also issued legal notice dated 04.01.2021 after which the defendants have become trespassers in the suit property. Defendants have opposed the suit by inter-alia stating that defendant no.1 was adopted by plaintiff and 3 of 6 -- 3 of 6 -- his late wife Smt. Kuntia. Defendants have further stated that the suit property is her ancestral home and defendant no.1 is paying the rent in respect of the suit property. 6. The fulcrum of the allegations of the applicant is that the defendant no.1 therein i.e. wife of the defendant no.2 gave a statement on 27.08.2021 whereby she stated that she shall not hand over the possession of the suit premises to any third person. It is the allegation of the applicant that depsite such undertaking one Sh. Bal Kishan has been allowed by the defendants to stay in the premises since 03.03.2023. 7. From the very plain reading of Order XXXIX Rule 2A of CPC it becomes apparent that the present application filed by the plaintiff/ applicant is bereft of any merit. The provision contained under Rule 2 A of Order XXXIX CPC is reproduced below for better understanding. [2A. Consequence of disobedience or breach of injunction.—(1) In the case of disobedience of any injunction granted or other order made under rule 1 or rule 2 or breach of any of the terms on which the injunction was granted or the order made, the Court granting the injunction or making the order, or any Court to which the suit or proceeding is transferred, may order the property of the person guilty of such disobedience or breach to be attached, and may also order such person to be detained in the civil prison for a term not exceeding three months, unless in the meantime the Court directs his release. 4 of 6 -- 4 of 6 -- (2) No attachment made under this rule shall remain in force for more than one year, at the end of which time, if the disobedience or breach continues, the property attached may be sold and out of the proceeds, the Court may award such compensation as it thinks fit to the injured party and shall pay the balance, if any, to the party entitled thereto.] 8. A bare reading of aforesaid rule would show that there must be a deliberate disobedience or breach of injunction order granted in favour of the applicant under Order XXXIX Rule 1 and 2 of CPC for the present application to be maintainable. The defendants/non-applicants have filed election ID Card, Aadhar Card, E-Shram Card, certificate of person with disabilities issued by Government of NCT of Delhi, PAN card, bank account statement of Indian Bank of Sh. Bal Kishan which are all reflecting the suit property as his residential address. Bare perusal of such documents shows that some of the documents pertains to year 2018 which is much prior to even the institution of the present suit itself. Even otherwise, such person Sh. Bal Kishan is quite apparently not having any independent claim to the suit property as such and is claiming his rights through the defendants and therefore, it cannot be stated that defendants have violated the undertaking dated 27.08.2021. The Hon’ble High Court of Delhi has in Cross Fit LLC v. Renjith Kunnumal & Ors. [2023: DHC: 7334] inter alia observed that there has to be strict and irrefutable proof of disobedience for a punitive action to follow under Order XXXIX Rule 2 A of CPC and such powers are not to be exercised on strong suspicion itself. Bare perusal of the application per se shows that the application has been filed on account of suspicion and the documents relied upon by the non- 5 of 6 -- 5 of 6 -- applicants/ defendants clearly show that Sh. Bal Kishan has not been inducted in the property by the defendants pursuant to the undertaking dated 27.08.2021 and has been residing therein even prior to the institution of the present suit. 9. The applicant has also not filed any documents at all to even prima facie show alleged disobedience at behest of the non-applicant. It appears that the applicant has filed the present application in haste without having any merit whatsoever. 10. Accordingly, the application is dismissed and disposed off. File be consigned to Record Room, after due compliance. Bharat Aggarwal CJ-08 (Central) 04.10.2024/Delhi 6 of 6 -- 6 of 6 --
