Category: Specific Performance

Refund of any earnest money – The litmus test appears to be that unless a plaintiff specifically seeks the refund of the earnest money at the time of filing of the suit or by way of amendment, no such relief can be granted to him – Prayer clause is a sine qua non for grant of decree of refund of earnest money. HELD nature of ‘earnest money’, the onus to prove that the same was ‘penal’ in nature squarely lies on the party seeking refund of the same –

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH DESH RAJ AND OTHERS — Appellant Vs. ROHTASH SINGH — Respondent ( Before : Surya Kant and Bela M. Trivedi, JJ. ) Civil Appeal…

Suit for specific performance – There was no specific issue framed by the learned Trial Court on readiness and willingness on the part of the plaintiff – There must be a specific issue framed on readiness and willingness on the part of the plaintiff in a suit for specific performance and before giving any specific finding, the parties must be put to notice. Remanded

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH V.S. RAMAKRISHNAN — Appellant Vs. P.M. MUHAMMED ALI — Respondent ( Before : M.R. Shah and M.M. Sundresh, JJ. ) Civil Appeal Nos. 8050-8051…

Suit for specific performance of agreement to sell – Limitation had started running from the date the respondent noticed that the performance was refused by the appellant and not from the date of the execution of agreement in question – the compliance of “readiness and willingness” has to be in spirit and substance and not in letter and form, while making averments in the plaint. As per the Explanation (i) to Section 16(c), Specific Relief Act, 1963 – he need not tender to the defendant or deposit the amount in the court, but he must aver performance of, or readiness and willingness to perform the contract according to its true construction.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH P. DAIVASIGAMANI — Appellant Vs. S. S AMBANDAN — Respondent ( Before : Sanjiv Khanna and Bela M. Trivedi, JJ. ) Civil Appeal No.…

Decree for specific performance – Agreement of sale provided that in the event the permission was not obtained within 75 days – permission not granted agreement cancelled by defendant rightly – on equity Rs 15000 paid in 1978 by plaintiff ordered defendant to pay Rs 15,00,000 to plaintiff-

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISON BENCH KOLLI SATYANARAYANA (DEAD) BY LRS. — Appellant Vs. VALURIPALLI KESAVA RAO CHOWDARY (DEAD) THR. LRS. AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : B.R. Gavai…

Unregistered agreement to sell on ten rupees stamp paper – Admissibility of — Suit for permanent injunction — Counter-claim seeking possession — Unregistered document/agreement to sell shall not be admissible in evidence – Plaintiff cleverly prayed for a relief of permanent injunction only and did not seek for the substantive relief of specific performance- Dismissed

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA Before: M.R. Shah & Krishna Murari, JJ. Civil Appeal No. 6733 of 2022 Decided on : 23.09.2022 Balram Singh – Appellant Versus Kelo Devi – Respondent…

HELD by accepting the alternate relief claimed by the plaintiff of refund of the advance amount along with the interest @ 12% per annum. The High Court found suspicious circumstances and doubtful situations being raised by both the sides. The reasons given by the High Court as contained in paragraph 40, in our opinion, were sufficient to arrive at a conclusion of not awarding the relief of specific performance of contract

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISON BENCH AYILLYATH YADUNATH NAMBIAR — Appellant Vs. P. SREEDHARAN — Respondent ( Before : Hemant Gupta and Vikram Nath, JJ. ) Civil Appeal No(s). 4943…

Specific performance – There is no doubt that the claim of purchaser is hit by delay and laches on their part as they did not take appropriate measures within the stipulated time and filing of the suit was delayed by almost five years – It is not an appropriate case for granting relief to the purchaser in terms of Section 12 of the Specific Relief Act, 1963 as the claim of the purchaser is barred by delay, laches and limitation.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA FULL BENCH SMT. KATTA SUJATHA REDDY AND ANOTHER — Appellant Vs. SIDDAMSETTY INFRA PROJECTS PVT. LTD.AND OTHERS — Respondent ( Before : N.V. Ramana, CJI., Krishna…

Specific performance -There is a distinction between readiness and willingness to perform the contract and both ingredients are necessary for the relief of Specific Performance – While readiness means the capacity of the Plaintiff to perform the contract which would include his financial position, willingness relates to the conduct of the Plaintiff.

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISON BENCH U.N. KRISHNAMURTHY (SINCE DECEASED) THR. LRS. — Appellant Vs. A. M. KRISHNAMURTHY — Respondent ( Before : Indira Banerjee and Hrishikesh Roy, JJ. )…

Specific performance of agreement – Agreement to sell – Three Courts below have recorded the concurrent findings of facts in favour of the respondent-plaintiff with regard to the respondent having proved his readiness and willingness to perform his part of contract, – Appeal dismissed

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA DIVISION BENCH SATNAM SINGH — Appellant Vs. SATNAM SINGH — Respondent ( Before : Ajay Rastogi and Bela M. Trivedi, JJ. ) Civil Appeal No. 8037…

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“Husband Has No Right On Wife’s Stridhan” Matrimonial Law – The appeal concerns a matrimonial dispute involving misappropriation of gold jewellery and monetary gifts – The appellant, a widow, married the first respondent, a divorcee, and alleged misappropriation of her jewelry and money by the respondents – The core issue is whether the appellant established the misappropriation of her gold jewellery by the respondents and if the High Court erred in its judgment – The appellant claimed that her jewellery was taken under the pretext of safekeeping on her wedding night and misappropriated by the respondents to settle their financial liabilities – The respondents denied the allegations, stating no dowry was demanded and that the appellant had custody of her jewellery, which she took to her paternal home six days after the marriage – The Supreme Court set aside the High Court’s judgment, upheld the Family Court’s decree, and awarded the appellant Rs. 25,00,000 as compensation for her misappropriated stridhan – The Court found the High Court’s approach legally unsustainable, criticizing it for demanding a criminal standard of proof and basing findings on assumptions not supported by evidence – The Court emphasized the civil standard of proof as the balance of probabilities and noted that the appellant’s claim for return of stridhan does not require proof of acquisition – The Supreme Court concluded that the appellant had established a more probable case and directed the first respondent to pay the compensation within six months, with a 6% interest per annum in case of default.