(1.) Plaintiff was the appellant against a confirming judgment in a suit for possession in respect of a house described in Schedule A of the plaint by evicting the defendant therefrom and for any other appropriate relief to which the plaintiff may be under law and equity. During the pendency of this appeal, the plaintiff having died his legal representatives have been substituted.
(2.) According to the plaint case, the defendant executed a registered agreement on 31-1-1968 whereunder on consideration of Rs. 20,300/- arranged to be paid by the plaintiff, the plaintiff would be put in possession of the house in question for a period of thirty years and during the said period of plaintiffs possession, the plaintiff would pay annual rent of Rs. 300/- and would have the liberty of constructing a doublestoried building at his own cost. It was also agreed that possession of the house would be delivered to the plaintiff on 1-2-1968 and plaintiff would also have a right of renewal for a further period of thirty years from February, 1998. It was also stipulated that on the failure on the part of the defendant to put the plaintiff in possession on 1-2-1968, the defendant would be liable to pay damage at the rate of Rs. 7/- per day for three months and on expiry of the said period, at the rate of Rs. 8/- per day till possession is delivered. Out of the consideration money of Rs. 20,300/-, Rs. 11,300/- was to be advanced by the plaintiff from "Rajkumari Trust Estate" of which the plaintiff was the Managing Director. Another registered tripartite agreement also was executed between the plaintiff, the defendant and "Rajkumari Trust Estate" that the defendant would execute a sale deed in favour of the Trust for Rs. 13, 500/- out of which on adjusting the advance of Rs. 11,300/- paid on 31-1-1968, a cash of Rs. 2,200/- would be paid at the time of registration. This document is Ext.12 and was also executed on 31-1-1968. Apart from the same, a receipt for Rs.9,000/- acknowledging rent for thirty years at the rate of Rs. 300/- per annum was also granted by the defendant in his own hand which is Ext.5. It is the plaintiff's case that notwithstanding the aforesaid agreement between the parties, though the plaintiff requested on several occasions subsequent to February, 1968, yet the defendant never put the plaintiff in possession. Plaintiff then served a notice on 25-9-1968 requiring the defendant to pay the arrear damages. On 3rd October, 1968, the defendant intimated that the document on the basis of which the plaintiff claims possession of the house was obtained from the defendant who signed the same without realising its implications and, therefore, the defendant was not in a position to give possession of the house to the plaintiff. It is the plaintiffs assertion that the plaintiff has also paid a sum of Rs. 9,000/- to the defendant which is the entire money payable by the plaintiff for his possession of thirty years. On these assertions, the plaintiff filed the suit for the reliefs as already stated.
(3.) The case of the defendant in the written statement is that one Premraj Patnaik was the original owner of the house in question and the defendant had taken a portion of the said house on rent. On 8-1-1963, Premraj entered into an agreement with the defendant to sell the house for a consideration of Rs. 18,000/-. But as he did not execute the sale deed, the defendant filed a suit for specific performance against Premraj which was Title Suit No. 9 of 1966 and the present plaintiff, Shri G.S. Misra was his Advocate all through. That suit was decreed on 30-11-1966. It was directed in the decree that on defendant depositing a sum of Rs. 21,750/- by 1-2-1967, said Premraj would execute the sale deed. It was also a condition in the decree that if the defendant failed to deposit the money in time then his right to have specific performance would stand forfeited. The defendant filed an application in the said suit that the cost awarded in his favour might be adjusted and he might be required to make deposit of the balance, but that application was rejected. Then on 2-2-1967, the defendant filed another application for extension of time for deposit of the money, but that was also rejected. He then carried a First Appeal and also a Civil Revision to this Court being First Appeal No. 64 of 1967 and Civil Revision No. 71 of 1967. Both these matters were disposed of on he basis of a compromise between the parties, namely the defendant and said Premraj Patnaik, to the effect that defendant would deposit Rs. 19,147.60 by 31-1-1968 with interest thereon at the rate of 6% per annum from 1-2-1967 till 31-1-1968 and in default of the said deposit, the defendant's right to specific performance would be forfeited and his decree for specific performance would be unexecutable and further he would be required to pay the arrear house rent. Thereafter the defendant tried his level best to get the money on loan for the purpose of depositing the same in the Court. But having failed in his attempts he approached the plaintiff who was in money-lending business and also on whom the defendant had ample faith and confidence as the plaintiff was his counsel throughout. The plaintiff agreed to give a loan of Rs. 20,000/- provided the defendant would agree to pay interest at the rate of 12% per annum. The plaintiff then asked him to get some stamps and handover the same so that the plaintiff would take necessary steps for preparing documents and ultimately the defendant purchased the stamp and handed it over to the plaintiff on 27-1-1968, but the plaintiff never paid the cash to the defendant. It is only on the last day i.e. on 31-1-1968, the plaintiff told the defendant that necessary documents had been drafted by him and the defendant should go to Court for registration. At that point of time when the defendant requested the plaintiff to explain the contents of the document, the plaintiff avoided on the ground that there would be unnecessary delay and the money could not be deposited in the bank. On such a precarious position, the defendant put his signature on some documents prepared by the plaintiff believing in good faith that the plaintiff was his advocate and would not do anything to harm the defendant. He executed the same without the document being explained to him and without understanding the implications of the terms of the document and the sum of Rs. 20,000/- was deposited by the plaintiff in the State Bank of India, Sambalpur Branch. Thus, according to the defendant the plaintiff being in a position to dominate the will of the defendant utilised the said position and obtained an unfair advantage over the defendant and the defendant executed the document in question without knowing the contents thereof. Therefore, the said document is vitiated on account of undue influence. The defendant denied the allegations made in the plaint and contended that the sum of Rs. 20,300/- had been paid to the defendant by way of loan. On these averments it was prayed that the suit was liable to be dismissed.