Holding

The execution petition was filed after the expiry of the 12‑year limitation period and is therefore time‑barred.

Summary

The appellant, Antonysami, obtained a decree for specific performance of a sale, directing the judgment debtor to measure and demarcate the land by 23‑Sep‑1966 and to deposit the balance price by the same date. The appellant complied with the deposit, but the debtor delayed the measurement until 1973. An execution petition was filed in 1980. The issue was whether the petition was barred by the 12‑year limitation under Article 136 of the Limitation Act, 1963 – i.e., whether the limitation period began on the date the decree became enforceable (23‑Sep‑1966) or on the later date when the debtor complied with the measurement condition (1973). The Supreme Court held that the decree was not a conditional decree; it became enforceable on 23‑Sep‑1966, so the limitation expired in 1978. Consequently, the execution petition filed in 1980 was time‑barred. The appeal was dismissed.

Issues considered

Whether the execution petition filed by the decree‑holder is barred by the limitation period under Article 136 of the Limitation Act, 1963.
When does the limitation period for execution of a decree commence – on the date the decree becomes enforceable or on the date a condition in the decree is fulfilled?

Legislation cited

Code of Civil Procedure, 1908s. Order 20 Rule 7, s. Order 21 Rule 34, s. Order XXII
Limitation Act, 1963s. Article 136

Subjects

Limitation ActArticle 136execution of decreeconditional decreespecific performancemeasurement and demarcationtime‑barred petitionCivil Procedure Code

Judgment

A ANTONYSAMI
v.
ARULANANDAM PILLAI (D) BY LRS. AND ANR.

OCTOBER 30, 2001

B [D.P. MOHAPATRA AND K.G. BALAKRISHNAN, JJ.]

Limitation Act, 1963-Article 136-Execution o.f decree-Limitation
period-Specified date mentioned in decree to carry out directions, whereafter
execution could be applied-Compliance direction after the specified date-
C Execution petition filed within limitation period .from the date the direction
carried out and not from the specified date-Held, the petition was barred by
limitation-Civil Procedure Code, 1908, Order XXl.

Limitation-Period of-Detennination of~Held, is to be guided by strict
grammatical meaning of the words and not on equitable consideration.
·o
A suit for specific performance of contract of sale by predecessor in
interest of the decree holder-appellant against the judgment debtor-re-
spondent was decreed wherein the Court directed the judgment debtor to
measure and demarcate the boundaries of the land and directed the decree
E holder-appellant to deposit in the court the balance of the sale price for the
land measured and demarcated on or before 23.9.1966 and the judgment
debtor was to execute the sale deed in favour of the decree holder on such
measurement and demarcation and in default the court would execute the
sale deed on application ofthe decree-holder.
F
The decree holder deposited the balance of the sale price by 23.9.1966
but the measurement and demarcation was done by the judgment debtor
after a lapse of six years i.e. in 1973. Thereafter the decree holder-appel-
lant filed execution petition in 1980. Judgment-debtor raised objection to
the petition on the ground that it was barred by limitation because the
G decree was enforceable on 23.9.1966. The case of the decree holder-appel-,
lant w~ that since the condition regarding measurement and demarcation
.of the land was complied with by the judgment-debtor in 1973 the period
of 12 years is to be computed from the date.

H Executing Court held the petition to be within limitation period on
534
ANTONYSAMI v. ARULANANDAM PILLAI 535
the ground that the decree under execution was a conditional decree which A
became enforceable when the judgment debtor measured and demarcated
the land in 1973.

Appellate Court set aside the order of executing court and held that
it was not possible to conclude that just because the judgment debtor had
B
riot measured and 'demarcated the property, the decree-holder had not
acquired any right to execute the decree.

High Court dismissed the revision petition holding that there was no
' condition in the decree and therefore the execution petition was beyond the
limitation period. Hence the present appeal. c
Dismissing the appeal, the Cou'rt

HELD: 1. The Appellate Court was right in dismissing the execution
petition as time barred. In the facts and circumstances of the case and on a
fair reading of the decree in the context of the provisions of Article 136 of D
the Limitation Act, 1963 the execution petition was filed ~ter expiry of the
period of limitation prescribed under the Act. A specified date was men-
tioned in the decree for the judgment-debtor to carry out the direction i.e.
·23.9.1966 arid if he failed to carry out the direction, · it was open to the
decree holder to seek help of the executing court for measurement and ·E
demarcation of the land, and thereafter, to get the sale. deed executed by
the judgment-debtor if possible or by the Court if nee~ary. The decree
cannot· be said to be a conditional one, hi the sense that the plaintiff could
not enforce his rights under the decree till ·the defendant carried out the
direction under the decree for measurement and demarcation of the land. 'F
[543-H; 544·A·B]

2. Ordinarily a decree becomes enforceabie immedi,tely after the
judgment is pronounced. However, there may be situ~tions when a decree
may not be enforceable on the date it is passed. Usually this situation arises
where in the decree itself, the right of the decree-holder depends on hap- G
\
pening of certain event or on fulfilment of certain other c!>nditi.ons by the
parties in the case or by an external agency, under any 'provision of law.
(540.;i>-E]

W.B. Essenti'!-l Commodities Supply Corpn. v. Swedesh Agro Farming & J ~H
536 SUPREME COURT REPORTS (2001) SUPP. 4 S.C.R.
A Storage Pvt. Ltd. and Am:, (1999] 8 SCC 315, referred to.

Abdul Rashid v. Sri Sitaramaji Maharaj Brajman and Ors., AIR (1974)
All 275, distinguished.

3. The fixation of periods of li.mitation are bound to be to some extent
·e arbitrary and may at times result in hardship. But in construing such
provisions equitable considerations are out of place and the strict gram·
matical meaning of the words is the only safe guide.

Nagendra Nath Dey and Anr. v. Suresh Chandra Dey and Ors., AIR
c (1932) PC 165, referred to. .

CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Civil Appeal No. 14559of1996.

From the Judgment and Order dated 21.12.93 of the Madras High Court
in C.R.P: No. 1818 of 1986. ·
·D
A.T.M. Sampath and V. :Qalaji for the Appellant.

M.N. Pamanabhan, Ms. S. Janani, V. Prabhakar, Rakesh Garg, Revathy
Raghavan and K.K. Mani for the Respondents.

E The Judgment of the Court was delivered by

D.P. MOHAPATRA, J. Is the execution petition filed by the appellant
barred by limitation is the question that arises for determination in this
appeal. The High Court having answered the question in the affirmative the
F decree-holder has filed this appeal assailing the order of the High Court.

The factual backdrop of the case relevant for appreciating the points
raised may be shortly stated thus :

The predecessor in interest of the decree-holder filed the suit against
G the judgment-debtor, O.S.No.35/1965, for specific performance of the contract
of sale dated 7.2.1964. The suit property was described as 13 grounds and f
491 sq. ft. on measurement and demarcation. The suit was decreed on 23rd
July, 1966. The said decree reads as follows:

''(1) The defendant do measure and demarcate the boundaries for 13
H
ANTONYSAMI v. ARULANANDAM PILLAI [MOHAPATRA, J.] 537
grounds and 491 sq. ft. in the property described hereunder on or A
before 23.9.1966.

(2) That the plaintiff do deposit into court on or before 23.9.1966 the
balance of the sale price for 13 grounds and 491 sq. ft. on measurement
and demarcation.
B
(3) That on such measurement and demarcation and fixation of the
price and on deposit the defendant do execute the sale deed in respect
of the suit house-sites in favour of the plaintiff at her costs as agreed
and in default the court do execute the sale deed on application of the
plaintiff and the cost of the execution of such sale deed be recovered C
from the defendant.

(4) That the defendant do pay to the plaintiff the sum of Rs.1,423 being
costs of this suit and do bear his own costs of Rs.507.50."
D
The decree-holder deposited the balance of the sale price by 23.9.1966
but the measurement and demarcation was not done by the judgment-debtor
on or before 23.9.1966, the time fixed for the purpose. After a lapse of more
than six years the measurement and demarcation of the land was done by the
judgment-debtor in the year 1973. Thereafter the decree-holder filed the
execution petition on 19.4.1980 being E.P. No. 346/1981 for executing the
E
decree for specific performance of the contract praying therein to direct the
judgment-debtor to execute the sale deed as per the draft sale deed produced
in the Court by the decree-holder and in default to cause the execution of the
sale deed by the court.
F
The judgment-debtor in the objection filed against the execution petition
raised the question of limitation. It was the case of the judgment-debtor that
the decree became enforceable on and from 23.9.1966 by which date the
decree-holder had deposited the balance consideration. If the judgment-debtor

. had failed to measure and demarcate the land the decree-holder should have
moved the executing court for the purpose.
G

It was the contention of the decree-holder that since the condition regard-
ing measurement and demarcation of the land was complied by the judgment-
debtor only in 1973 the period of 12 years is to be computed from that date
H
538 SUPREME COURT REPORTS (2001) SUPP. 4 S.C.R.
A and on such computation the execution petition filed on 19.4.1980 was within
time.

The Executing Court accepted the case of the decree-holder and held that
the decree under execution was a conditional decree which became enforceable
B when the judgment-debtor measured and demarcated the land in 1973 and
therefore the ex~cution petition was not barred by limitation vide the order
dated 16.2J982.'

On appeal by the judgment-debtor the Additional "District Judge,
Tiruchirapalli, by the order passed on 6.8.1985 allowed the appeal and set aside
C the order passed by the Executing Court holding, inter alia, that it was not
possible to conclude that just because the judgment-debtor had not measured
, and demarcated the property the decree-holder had not acquired. any right to
'execute the decree. The appellate court was of the view that if the contention
of the decree-holder is accepted it would mean that in case the judgment-debtor
intentionally did not fulfil the condition imposed on ·him in the decree he
could defeat the fruits of the decree for the decree-holder and avoid the
execution· of the sale deed iri his favour. The appellate court took the view
that since the decree-holder after obtaining the decree on 23.9.1966 has not
executed the decree within 12 years from that date the petition is barred by
limitation. . ·
E
Feeling aggrieved by the order of the appellate court the decree-holder
filed the revision petition before the High Court at Madras assailing the said
order. /

.F The High Court on consideration of the points raised confirmed the order
. passed by the appellate court. The High Court observed that there is no
condition in the decree that the judgme~t-debtor .can measure and demarcate
the land as and when she pleases and the decree-holder could approach the '
Execution Court .only after such measurement and demarcation. Therefore, the
G Execution Petition filed on i9.4.1980 was beyond the period of 12 years from
23.9.1966 and hence it was liable to be dismissed as time barred. The revision
petition filed by the decree-holder was dismissed. The said order is under
challenge in this appeal filed by the decree-holder.
-
Thf? pr<;>vision. of Limitation Act, 1963 which is applicable in this case
· ·H is Article 136 which reads as under:
ANTONYSAMI v. ARULANANDAM PILLAI [MOHAPATRA, J.] 539

Description of Period of Time from which A
application Limitation period begins to run

136. For the execution Twelve years (When) the decree or order
of any decree (other becomes enforceable or where
than a decree grant- the decree or any subsequent
B
ing a mandatory order directs any payment of
injunction) or order of money or the delivery of any
any civil court. property to be made at a
certain date or at recurring
periods, when default in
making the payment or c
delivery in respect of which
execution is sought, takes
place:

Provided that an application
D
for the enforcement or
execution of a decree granting
a perpetual injunction shall not
be subject to any period of
limitation.
E
As per the above statutory provision the period of 12 years is to be
computed from the date when the decree or order becomes enforceable. The
question is when did the decree sought to be executed in the present case
become enforceable? Was it from 23.9.1966 when the period of two months
for measurement and demarcation of the land by the judgment-debtor fixed
under the decree expired or was it from the date in 1973 when according to
F
the decree-holder the judgment-debtor measured and demarcated the land? For
consideration of this question it is necessary to have a close look at the decree.
On reading the decree in its entirety it is clear to us that in paragraph 1 thereof
the Court specifically issued a direction to the judgment-debtor to measure and
demarcate the boundaries of 13 grounds and 491 sq. ft. of land on or before G
23.9.1966. In para 2 the Court directed the plaintiff to deposit in the Court
on or before 23.9.1966 the balance of the sale price for 13 grounds 491 sq. ft.
of land measured and demarcated. In paragraph 3 of the decree is incorporated
the direction that on such measurement and demarcation and on deposit of the
amount fixed in the decree, the judgment-debtor was to execute the sale deed H
540 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2001] SUPP. 4 S.C.R.
A in respect of the suit sites in favour of the decree-holder at her cost as agreed
and in default the Court would execute the sale deed on application of the
decree-holder and the cost of the execution of such sale deed was to be
recovered from the judgment-debtor. The Court took care·to fix the same date
i.e. 23.9.1966 for both the parties to comply with the respective directions
B issued to them under the decree; the judgment-debtor to measure and demar-
cate the boundaries of the property and the decree-holder to deposit in Court
the balance of the sale price of the property so measured and demarcated. The
execution of the sale deed was to be done after the parties carried out the
directions issued to them and tha~ is what has been stated in paragraph 3 of the
decree, with the default clause that in case the defendant failed to execute the
c sale deed, on application of the plaintiff, the executing court was to execute
the same and the cost was to be recovered from the defendant. Such a decree
cannot be said to be a conditional one, in the sense that the plaintiff could not
enforce his rights under the decree till defendant carried' out the direction under
the decree for measurement and demarcation of the land.
D
The position is well settled that ordinarily a decree becomes enforce-
able immediately after the judgment is pronounced. However, there may be
situations when a decree may not be enforceable on the date it is passed.
Usually this situation arises where in the decree itself the right of the decree-
E holder depends on happening of certain event or on fulfillment of certain other
conditions by the parties in the case or by an external agency, under any
provision oflaw. This position has been clarified in the case of W.B. Essential
Commodities Supply Corpn. v. SwadeshAgro Fanning & Storage Pvt. Ltd. and
Another, [1999] 8 SCC 315. Therein this Court repelling the impression that
a decree becomes enforceable only when it is drawn up and signed, observed:
F
"From a perusal of the article extracted above, it is clear that for
execution of any decree (other than a decree granting a mandatory
injunction) or order of a civil court, a period of 12 years is prescribed;
column 3 contains two limbs indicating the time from which the period
G of limitation begins to run, that is, the starting point of limitation; they
are (i) when the decree or order becomes enforceable, and (ii) where
the decree or any subsequent order directs any payment of money or
the delivery of any property to be made at a certain date or at recurring
periods when default in making the payment or delivery in respect
of which execution is sought, takes place. The proviso says that there
H
ANTONYSAMI v. ARULANANDAM PILLAI [MOHAPATRA, J.] 541
shall be no period of limitation for enforcement or execution of decree A
granting a perpetual injunction. We are concerned here with the first
of the above-mentioned starting points, namely, when the decree or an
order becomes enforceable. A decree or order is said to be enforceable
when it is executable. For a decree to be executable, it must be in
existence. A decree would be deemed to come into existence imme- B
diately on the pronouncement of the judgment. But it is a fact of which
judicial notice may be taken of that drawing up and signing of the
decree takes some time after the pronouncement of the judgment; the
Code of Civil Procedure itself enjoins that the decree shall be drawn
up expeditiously and in any case within 15 days from the date of the
judgment. If the decree were to bear the date when it is actually drawn
c
up and signed then that date will be incompatible with the date of the
judgment. This incongruity is taken care of by Order 20, Rule 7 CPC
which, inter alia, provides that the decree shall bear the date and the
day on which the judgment was pronounced.
D
xxx xxx xxx

It follows that the decree became enforceable the moment the
judgment is delivered and merely beca"Gse there will be delay in
drawing up of the decree, it cannot be said that the decree is not E
enforceable till it is prepared. This is so because an enforceable decree
in one form or the other is available to a decree-holder from the date
of the judgment till the expiry of the period of limitation under Article
136 of the Limitation Act.

xxx xxx xxx F

Under the scheme of the Limitation Act; execution applications,
like plaints have to be presented in the court within the time prescribed
by the Limitation Act. A decree-holder does not have the benefit of
exclusion of the time taken for obtaining _the certified copy of the G
decree like the appellant who prefers an appeal, much less can he claim
to deduct time taken by the court in drawing up and signing the decree.
In this view of the matter, the High Courts of Patna and Calcutta in
Chandra Mouli Deva v. Kumar Binoya Nand Singh, (AIR 1976 Pat
208) and Sunderlal & Sons v. Yagendra Nath Singh, (AIR 1976 Cal· H
542 SUJ;>REME COURT REPORTS [2001] SUPP. 4 S.C.R.
A 471) have correctly laid down the law; the opinion to the contra
expressed by the High Court of Calcutta in Ram Krishna Tarafdar v.
Nemai Krishna Tarafdar. (AIR 1974 ~al 173) is wrong. Section 5 of
the Limitation Act ·has no application; Section 12(2) of the Limitation
Act·is also inapplicable to an execution petition. If the time is reckoned
B not from the date of the decree but from the date when it is prepared,
it would amount to doing violence to the provisions of the Limitation
Act as well as of Order 20 ~d Order 2 i; Rule 11 CPC which is clearly.
impermissible."

Taking note of exceptions in certain cases to the general rule. referred
c to above this Court observed:

"There _may, however, be situations in which a decree may not be
enforceable on the date it is passed. First, a case.where a decree is not
executable until the happening of a given contingency, for example,
D when a decree for recovery of possession of immovable property
directs that it shall not be executed till the standing crop is harvested,
in such a case time wiU not begin to run until harvesting of the crop
and the decree becomes enforceable from that date and not from the
date of. the judgment/decree. But where no extraneous event is to
E happen on the fu)filment of which alone the decree can be executed
it is not a conditional decree and is capable of execution from the very·
date it is passed (Yeshwant Deorao Deshmukh v. Walchand Ramchand
Kothari, AIR (1951) SC 16). Secondly, when there is a legislative bar
for the execution of a decree then enforceability will commence when
the bar ceases. Thirdly, in a suit for partition of immovable properties
F
after passing of preliminary decree when, in final decree proceedings,
an order is passed by the court declaring the rights of the parties in the
suit properties, it is not executable till final decree is engrossed QR non-
judicial stamp paper supplied by the parties within the time specified
by the court and the same is signed by the Judge and sealed. It is in
G this context that the observations of this Court in Shankar Balwant
Lokhande V; Chandrakant Shankar Lokhande, [1995] 3 sec 413 have
to be understood. These observations· do not apply to a money decree
and, therefore, the appellant can derive no benefit from them."

(Emphasis supplied)
ANTONYSAMI v. ARULANANDAM PILLAI [MOHAPATRA, J.] 543
The learned counsel for the appellant placed strong reliance on a Full A
Bench decision of the Allahabad Hig.h Court in the case of Abdul Rashid v.
Sri Sitaramaji Maharaj Brajman and Ors., AIR (1974) All 275. In para 8 of
the judgment the High Court observed that the basic test is whether there .is
a right available to the decree-holder to apply for execution immediately or the
fulfillment of some condition is a condition precedent and further, whether the B
terms of the decree cast any obligation on the decree-holder to comply w~th
that condition within a specified period; where no such period is specified the
execution of the decree must be deemed to remain in abeyance and the limi-
tation would commence only from the date when the plaintiff chooses to
comply with the condition. The High Court drew support from the language
of Article 136 of the Limitation Act as giving a legislative approval to the view
c
that the Limitation remains in abeyance so long as the contingent condition
is not performed. Interpreting the decree in that case the High Court observed
"In the instant case there was a clear obstacle to the immediate execution of
the decree. Under the terms of the compromise decree it was obligatory
for the decree-holder to serve two months' notice on the judgment-debtor D
calling upon him to remove the constructions and delivering possession that
the decree-holder was entitled to execute the de~ree for possession; imme-
diate execution of the decree was therefore negatived by the terms of the
compromise decree".
E
This decision in our view is clearly distinguishable on facts. Even
accepting the principles referred to therein it cannot be said that in the present
case the decree passed was a conditional or contingent one.

The fixation of periods of limitation are bound to be to some extent
arbitrary and may at times result in hardship. But in construing such provisions
F
equitable considerations are out of place and the strict grammatical, meaning
.. of the words is the only safe guide. (See AIR 1932 PC 165). The decree was
enforceable immediately after the date specified in the decree i.e. 23.9.1966 for:
the decree-holder to deposit the consideration money. If the direction given
in the decree to the judgment-debtor to measure and demarcate the land by that G
date (23.9.1966) was not complied with the decree-holder was free to execute
the decree.. The steps to be taken by the decree-holder in this regard are
provided in Order 21, Rule 34(1) CPC.

In the case in hand a specified date was mentioned in the decree for the H
544 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2001) SUPP. 4 S.C.R.
A judgment-debtor to carry out the aforementioned direction i.e. 23.9.1966 and
if he failed to carry out the direction it was open to the decree-holder to seek
help of the executing court for measurement and demarcation of the land, and
thereafter, to get the sale deed executed by the judgment-debtor if possible or
by the Court if necessary. The decree-holder for reasons best known to him
B did not choose to execute the decree till April 1980. In the facts and circum.:
stances of the case and on a fair reading of the decree in the context of the
provisions of Article 136 of the Limitation Act the conclusion is inescapable
that the execution petition was filed after expiry of the period of limitation
prescribed under the Act. The Appellate Court was right in dismissing the
execution petition as time barred and the High Court committed no illegality
c in confirming the said order.

In the result this appeal being devoid of merit is dismissed. There will
however be no order as to costs.

Appeal dismissed.

r'