married or unmarried, has no legal right to live in that house and he can live
in that house only at the mercy of his parents upto the time the parents
allow. Merely because the parents have allowed him to live in the house so
long as his relations with the parents were cordial, does not mean that the
parents have to bear his burden throughout his life.
IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI
Date of Decision: 24th November,2016
RSA 136/2016 & CM No.19123/2016
SACHIN & ANR
v
JHABBU LAL & ANR
Citation: 2016 SCC ONLINE DEL6098,AIR 2017 Delhi 1
1. The appellant No.1, who is present in person, requests for an
adjournment on the ground that he wants to change his counsel. The
appellants are enjoying an ex-parte interim stay granted in their favour on
20th May, 2016 against their dispossession from the suit property.
2. On 29th August, 2016 the appellants requested for a date on the
ground that the counsel was suffering from fever. This Court passed the
following order:-
“1. Only for the reason that counsel for the appellants is said
to be down with fever, therefore, this case is adjourned,
otherwise prima facie I find no merits in the appeal where
appellants/defendants who are son and daughter-in-law of the
respondents/plaintiffs have been evicted from the suit premises.
2. List on 7th September, 2016.”
3. On 7th September, 2016 after hearing respondent No.2, mother of the
appellant No.1, with the consent of the parties, appellant No.1 Sachin was
directed to pay ` 3500/- per month to the respondents/parents with effect
from September, 2016. Appellant No.1 Sachin undertook to comply with
this obligation. He also agreed not to stop his elder brother Sanjay
(Defendant No.1) from using the second floor of the property. Matter was
also referred to the mediation. Mediation report dated 17th October, 2016
received with the report that it was ‘Non-Starter’.
4. Today appellant No.1 Sachin was asked as to whether he has
complied with the order dated 7th September, 2016 by making payment to
his parents, he simply stated that he has no money to pay and sought time to
change his counsel. The appellant No.1 was again asked whether he is ready
to comply with the directions dated 7th September, 2016 as in that case he
can be given time to make the payment to his parents. The appellant No.1
has refused to make any payment to his parents.
5. When the mediation failed on 17th October, 2016, if the appellants
intended to change their counsel, nothing prevented them from doing so.
The appellants cannot be permitted to abuse the process of law by seeking
adjournment on one pretext or the others especially when they are enjoying
ad-interim stay against their dispossession from this Court.
6. Heard.
7. The Regular Second Appeal No.136/2016 under Section 100 of the
Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 impugns the concurrent judgment of the
Court below i.e. of the trial Court dated 16th March, 2015 and of the First
Appellate Court dated 13th January, 2016 whereby Civil Suit No.49/14 filed
on 11th February, 2014 by the parents of the appellants (respondent Nos.1 &
2 herein) against their two sons and their wives seeking decree of permanent
and mandatory injunction has been decreed.
8. The suit was filed by respondent No.1, Sh.Jhabbu Lal and respondent
No.2, Smt.Raj Devi pleading that they are senior citizens residing on ground
floor in House No.RZ-H-81, Gali No.4, Nihal Vihar, Nangloi, Delhi-110041
and construction on the said plot has been raised upto second floor. Their
elder son Sanjay along with his wife Mamta was permitted to live on the
second floor whereas the younger son Sachin along with his wife Neetu was
permitted to live on the first floor of the said property out of love and
affection for their sons. The parents of the appellant No.1 claimed
themselves to be owner of the suit property which was self acquired. It was
further pleaded by the parents of the appellants that their sons as well their
wives made the life hell for them so much so that they were not even paying
the electricity bills. The old parents were constrained to make various
complaints to the police and also issued public notice on 5th January, 2007
and 17th May, 2012 disowning their sons and debarring them from their self
acquired property. It was also pleaded that said property was purchased by
them by selling their earlier property being RZ-H-215A, Nihal Vihar, Laxmi
Park, Nangloi, Delhi-110041. Since the behaviour of the two sons and their
wives became unbearable, they filed a suit seeking a decree of mandatory
injunction directing them to vacate the floors in their possession and also to
restrain them from creating any third party interest in the said property.
9. Two separate written statements were filed by the Sanjay and his wife
(Defendant Nos.1 & 2) and Sachin and his wife Neetu (Defendant Nos.3 and
4) denying the claims of the plaintiffs to be the exclusive owner of the suit
property or that it was their self acquired property. They claimed to be coowner
having contributed towards purchase as well as towards costs of
construction for the said property.
10. Perusal of the LCR shows that on 9th September, 2014 following
issues were framed:-
1. Whether the plaintiff is entitled to be relief of mandatory
and permanent injunction as prayed? OPPRSA 136/2016 Page 4 of 6
2. Whether the plaintiff is not the exclusive owner of the suit
property and the defendant are the co-owners? OPD
3. Relief.
11. Both the plaintiffs filed their examination-in-chief by way of affidavit
in support of the averments made in the plaint. However, all the four
defendants failed to appear at that stage thus their right to cross-examine
PW-1 & PW-2 was closed by the Court. Even at the stage of defence
evidence none of the defendants led any evidence to prove that plaintiffs
were not the exclusive owner of the suit property or that they were the coowners.
Believing the unrebutted testimony of the plaintiffs which was
supported by necessary documentary evidence, learned trial Court decreed
the suit interalia on the following grounds:-
(i) The documents i.e. GPA, agreement to sell, receipt and Will being in
favour of the plaintiff No.1 (Father of defendant Nos.1 & 3) though do not
make him absolute owner but he has a better title as compared to the
defendants.
(ii) It has not been denied by the defendants that the property stands in the
name of the plaintiff No.1 Sh. Jhabbu Lal and have not claimed any
ownership right of their own distinguished from the plaintiffs. No evidence
has been led to prove that they are the co-owners having contributed their
share towards the purchase of the said property.
(iii) The testimony of the plaintiffs that defendants were licensees and
their license has been revoked stands unrebutted.
(iv) Suit for mandatory injunction being filed within a reasonable time i.e.
within six months period after termination of the license, separate suit for
possession is not mandatory. Decree for mandatory and permanent
injunction was accordingly passed in respect of the suit property.
12. The first appeal bearing RCA No.63/15 was filed only by defendant
Nos.3 and 4 i.e. younger son Sachin and his wife Neetu. Before the First
Appellate Court the grievance was more towards the learned Presiding
Officer than on merits.
13. The appeal was dismissed observing that it was a case of grossnegligence
on the part of the appellants/defendant Nos.3 & 4 in defending
the case. It was further held that in the absence of any evidence being led by
the appellants and the testimony of the respondents/plaintiffs having
remained unchallenged, the impugned order was not suffering from any
illegality. Hence the appeal was dismissed.
14. The appellant No.1 is the younger son of the respondent No.1/plaintiff
No.1 Jhabbu Lal who has led detailed evidence both oral and documentary
duly corroborated by testimony of his wife, respondent No.2/plaintiff No.2
Smt. Raj Devi to prove their case. The respondent Nos.1 and 2/plaintiffs
may not have proved themselves to the owner of the suit property as may be
established in a case of acquiring title under a registered sale deed but surely
they would have better rights/entitlement to seek possession of the suit
property from his sons who were permitted to live on the first floor only out
of love and affection towards them.
15. Where the house is self acquired house of the parents, son whether
married or unmarried, has no legal right to live in that house and he can live
in that house only at the mercy of his parents upto the time the parents
allow. Merely because the parents have allowed him to live in the house so
long as his relations with the parents were cordial, does not mean that the
parents have to bear his burden throughout his life.
16. In my opinion in a case such as the present one where the
appellants/defendant Nos.3 & 4 have led no evidence to prove that it waived
self acquired or co-ownership in the suit property whereas
respondents/plaintiffs No.1 & 2 have proved their case on the basis of
documentary evidence i.e. copies of General Power of Attorney, Agreement
to Sell, Receipt possession letter Affidavit etc., the learned trial Court was
justified in decreeing the suit which was upheld by the First Appellate Court.
17. In view of the above no substantial question of law arises for this
Court to exercise its power under Section 100 of the Code of Civil
Procedure. Therefore, the appeal is dismissed leaving the parties to bear
their own costs.
PRATIBHA RANI, J.
NOVEMBER 24, 2016
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