MATTAPALLI VENKATARATNAM Vs. VEPPU SITARAMAYYA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THE appellants in this case brought a suit for redemption and a decree was passed in 1917. THE appeal against the decree was decided on 22nd February 1918. In that judgment the Appellate Court passed the following order:-- "In a redemption suit there should be a final and complete adjustment of all the accounts between the parties upto the time of actual redemption and no claim for mesne profits can be kept outstanding or, can be enforced by the mortgagor subsequently--Account should, therefore, be taken down to the date to be fixed in the decree for redemption." A fresh enquiry was, therefore, held by the District Munsif and on 5 December 1918 he passed a decree finding that the mortgage amount deposited was in excess of the amount due to the mortgagee and that it was, therefore, unnecessary to pass decree for payment of the amount and possession to be given on payment. He accordingly gave a decree to the plaintiff for possession of the suit land and further held that the question of mesne profits was left undecided. Both the lower Courts have held that this is in itself a final decree and that this question of mesne profits not having been decided, the plaintiff is precluded from asking the Court to ascertain what those profits are. Ordinarily in a redemption suit there should be a preliminary decree, followed by a final decree. It seems to me that this decree is in fact partly final and partly preliminary. In so far as it is a decree for possession it is final, and in so far as it leaves the question of mesne profits undecided and expressly states that it was so left, it is preliminary to an ascertainment of those mesne profits. THE plaintiff put in an application which purports to be under Order XXI, Rule 11, for delivery of possession and for attachment of moveables under Order XXI, Rule 35 and Order XXI, Rule 43 and added a prayer to ascertain the mesne profits from the date of suit. This petition was put in on 3 November 1919 and it came before a different Munsif. He held that it was not open to the plaintiff to ask for mesne profits and, therefore, dismissed the petition. On appeal to the Subordinate Judge, his order was confirmed. If the Munsif intended by his order to have the ascertainment of mesne profits adjourned to a future date, these orders of dismissal are clearly wrong. THE language of the decree saying that the question of mesne profits is left undecided is somewhat unusual and it is contended for the respondents that it must be taken to mean that the relief was refused and that no effect can be given to the order leaving the mesne profits unascertained. When we consider that the appellate judgment directly ordered the Munsif to take an account and ascertain the mesne profits and has given as a ground, therefore, that the mortgagor would have no right to obtain any relief in a subsequent suit, it is hardly conceivable that the Munsif would have acted exactly contrary to the orders given by the Appellate Court, even though he might have been personally of the opinion that that order was wrong. That fact has to be taken into account in considering the suggestion of the respondents. On the other hand if the interpretation put upon the decree by the appellant is correct the Munsif would not have been guilty of this disrespect of the Appellate Court's order. Although this order is not strictly in accordance with the form that it should have taken, I think we must look to the circumstances which led up the decree and interpret it accordingly. 1 think it is clear that it was interpreted as a preliminary decree bv the appellants when they put in their subsequent application. No doubt their prayer for ascertainment of mesne profits should have been put in under Order XXXIV, but I do not think that the omission to specify the provision of law is a serious objection. If necessary, an amendment of the petition might have been ordered to bring it into confirmity with strict procedure but the omission to specify Order XXXIV, cannot deprive the plaintiff of his rights.

(2.) A large number of authorities have been cited before me in r.his respect but I do not think it is necessary to deal with them here because of the interpretation that I put. upon this decree. I may refer to a Privy Council case Muhammad Abdul Majid V/s. Muhammad Abdul Aziz 19 A. 155 : 24 I.A. 22 : 7 Sar. P.C.J. 111 : 9 Ind. Dec. (N.S.) 103 (P.C) in which the question of mesne profits was reserved when the decree was passed, and although there was a final disposal of one portion of the subject-matter of the suit, it was held that it was open to the Court to subsequently ascertain the mesne profits and pass further decree. It seems to me that that is in accordance with what I propose to do now. I, therefore, allow this appeal and remand the Execution Petition No. 529 of 1919 to the District Munsif for disposal according to law. The respondents will pay the appellant's costs in A.A.A.O. No. 36 of 1922 throughout. In this view the suit filed by the plaintiff to recover the mesne profits is not maintainable and, therefore, the second appeal must be dismissed. Under the circumstances I award no costs.