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Supreme Court of India

BHOLANATIIversusMONIKA (D) THROUGH LRS. ANDANR.

Citation
2007 INSC 971
Decided
24 September 2007
Disposal
Dismissed

Holding

The execution petition is not maintainable because the arbitration award directed allotment of plot No. 6 to the petitioner, and the sale deed for plot No. 66 was a mistake that the petitioner cannot rely upon.

Summary

The dispute involved a cooperative society that, after an arbitration award in 1981 directing allotment of plot No. 6 to the petitioner, mistakenly executed a sale deed for plot No. 66 in the petitioner's favour. In a separate arbitration, the respondent was awarded any one of plots 66, 91 or 15; with 91 and 15 unavailable, the respondent filed an execution petition to obtain plot 66 and the sale deed. The petitioner opposed the execution on the ground of lis pendens, arguing that the earlier deed precluded further proceedings. The court examined the awards and held that the award only concerned plot 6, and the deed for plot 66 was a clerical error that the petitioner could not exploit. Consequently, the appropriate remedy for the petitioner is to seek specific performance of the award, not to block the respondent’s execution. The appeal was dismissed.

Issues considered

  • Whether the execution petition filed by the respondent for allotment of plot No. 66 is maintainable in view of the earlier sale deed executed in favour of the petitioner.
  • Whether the doctrine of lis pendens applies to bar the execution of the respondent’s petition.
  • What is the appropriate remedy for the petitioner given the mistaken execution of the sale deed.

Subjects

ArbitrationAward enforcementLis pendensCooperative societyPlot allotmentMistake in deedCivil appeal

Judgment

                                                                              -t

A                             BHOLANATII
                                                                                   ·-If-
                                     v.
               MONIKA (D) THROUGH LRS. ANDANR.

                         SEPTEMBER 24,_ 2007
B                  [S.B. SINHA AND H.S. BEDI, JJ.J


        Arbitration:
                                                                                   ~-
       · Cooperative Society-Allotment ofplots by-Dispute-Matter
c referred to arbitration-Arbitrator directing allotment ofplot No. 6
   to petitioner-By mistake, sale deed ofplot No. 66 executed in favour
   ofpetitioner-In another dispute, plot No. 66 allotted by arbitrator
 · to respondent-Execution application by respondent for execution of
   sale deed in respect ofplot No. 66 in herfavour-Petitioner challenging
D maintainability ofexecution application filed by respondent on plea
   oflis pendens-Held: Plot No. 6 only was directed to be allotted to
                                                                                   )..
   petitioner and sale deed in respect of plot No. 66 was executed by
   mistake-Petitioner cannot take advantage thereof-Remedy for
   petitioner would be to take appropriate proceedings to give effect to
E award passed by arbitrator in his favour-Execution of award-
   Doctrine oflis pe~dens.
        CML APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Civil Appeal No. 4538 of
  2007.
        From the Judgment and Order dated 10.04.2007 of the High Court
F
  of Allahabad in Civil Revision No. 487 of 1987.
        Prashant Kumar and Joseph Pookkatt (for Mis. AP & J Chambers)
  for the Appellant.
        Brij Bhushan for the Respondents.
G       The following Order of the Court was delivered:
                                 ORDER                                               >--

        Leave granted.
        The dispute between the parties relates to plot No. 66, admeasuring
H                                   292
                        BHOLA NATH v. MONIKA                               293


_>·   45 ft. x 80 ft. total area 3600 sq.ft situated at Jawahar Nagar Extension A
      Colony, Mauja Bhadeni Pargana Dehat, City Varanasi. As a dispute arose
      between petitioner and a cooperative society, the same was referred to
      arbitration. In the year 1981 an award was passed in favour of the
      petitioner. The arbitrator directed allotment of plot No. 6 in his favour.
      However, treating the said plot to be 66 (instead of plot No. 6) a sale B
      deed was executed by the cooperative society in favour petitioner for plot
      No. 66. Another dispute arose between the respondent and the
_~    cooperative society in relation to award of a plot in her favour. In the
      award made in favour of the respondent, it was directed that any of the
      3 plots namely, plot Nos. 66, 91 or 15 may be allotted in her favour. As C
      the plot Nos. 91 and 15 were not available having been allotted to other
      members of the cooperative society, the respondent filed an execution
      application for allotment of the said plot No. 66 and execution of sale
      deed in her favour. In relation thereto, an objection filed by the petitioner
      herein has been dismissed. The revision petition filed thereagainst has also D
      been dismissed.
           The sole question which arose for consideration before the executing
      authority was as to whether in view of the fact that a deed of sale has
      been executed in favour of the petitioner in respect of the said plot No.
      66, the execution petition filed at the instance of the respondent was ·E
      maintainable.
            Petitioner sought to rely upon the docrtine of lis pendens to contend
      that the said execution application was not maintainable. Before us copies
      of the original awards have been produced for the perusal. It appears F
      that plot No. 6 was only directed to be allotted in favour of the petitioner.
      If in execution of the said award a sale deed in respect of plot No. 66
      has been executed, the same was evidently done by mistake and, thus,
      the petitioner cannot take any advantage thereof The remedy of the
      petitioner would, therefore, be to initiate an appropriate proceeding for G
      giving effect to the award passed by the Arbitrator in his favour. The appeal
      is devoid of any merit and is, therefore, dismissed.
            No costs.
      RP.                                                   Appeal dismissed. H


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