M NOOHUKAN Vs. BANK OF TRAVANCORE

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Leave granted.

(2.) The Bank of Travancore instituted a mortgage suit against the appellant which was dismissed by the trial court, but on appeal, the appellate court had set aside the judgment of the trial court and passed a preliminary decree. The preliminary decree, subsequently, was made final. In pursuance of the final decree, the Bank of Travancore filed an execution petition praying for an order to bring the mortgaged property to sale. By a court auction dated 29th of August, 2003, the property of the judgment debtor-appellant which was mortgaged with the Bank was sold for a sum of Rs.3,20,300/- in which the respondent No.2 was a successful bidder. The execution petition was thereafter posted on 29th of October, 2003 for passing an order confirming the sale. An application for setting aside the auction sale was filed by the appellant on 13th of September, 2003 in which the appellant prayed for setting aside the auction sale of the decretal premises and to decide the lawful amount that was required to be paid by the appellant to the Bank. The learned Subordinate Judge, Padmanabhapuram, however, dismissed the said application for setting aside the auction sale. Feeling aggrieved, the appellant filed an appeal before the learned District Judge, Kanyakumari. The learned District Judge also dismissed the appeal against which a revision petition was filed before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court. On 24th of November, 2005, a learned Judge of the High Court had passed an order by setting aside the sale on certain terms and condition as mentioned in the said order. Subsequent to the order dated 24th of November, 2005, another application was filed for correction of the order in the calculation and for extension of time and time to deposit the amount, as directed in the aforesaid order, was to be read as 23rd of December, 2005 instead of 1st of December, 2005. On failure to make such deposit in terms of the aforesaid order of the High Court, the appellant made an application for extension of time to deposit a sum of Rs.2,43,978.65 paise from 23rd of January, 2005 to 18th of January, 2006. But by an order dated 2nd of March, 2006 of the learned Judge which is impugned in this Court, the High Court dismissed the said application for extension of time by holding that the lodgment schedule for issuing challan for payment was ordered on 23rd of December, 2005 and since the appellant had not made such deposit and not availed of the opportunity given, the application for extension of time must be rejected. Feeling aggrieved by this order, this special leave petition has been filed in respect of which leave has already been granted.

(3.) By an order dated 4th of July, 2006, a notice was issued on the special leave petition and the following interim order was passed by this Court :