1980 PLP 1878 (CLC)

3. The suit was filed in the year 1972. By Act XIV of 1973 the following new clause (iv-A) was added to section 7 of the Court Fees Act:- 'In suits for a declaratory decree with or without consequential relief as to right in or title to immovable property based on alleged sale, gift, exchange or mortgage-according to the value of the property." Clause (v) of section 7 was also amended. Prior to the amendment. Cause (v) provided that in suits for the possession of land, houses and gardens the court-fee was payable ad valorem according to the value of the subject-matter and such value was deemed to be where the subject-matter is land permanently asseesed to land revenue ten times the revenue so payable; where land revenue is settled but not permanently five times the revenue so payable; where the land pays no such revenue, or has been partially exempted from such payment: or is charged with any fixed Payment in lieu of such revenue and nest profits have arisen from the land' luring the year (text before the gate of presenting the plaint fifteen times, such net profits; but where no such nett profits have arisen therefrom- the amount at which tire Court shall estimate the land with reference to the value of similar land in the neighbourhood ; and where the land forms part of an estate paying revenue to Government, but is not a definite share of such estate and is not separately assessed- the market value of the land.

4. BY the amendment the first two criteria have been eliminated and in suits for possession of the Land the value shall "bee deemed to be where the subject-matter is land and where nett profits have arisen from such land during the year next before the date of presenting the plaint-" times such nett profits, and in the other case the market value of the land.

5. In the present case, two reliefs, one for declaration and the other for possession has been sought as consequential relief, which would bring the case within the ambit of clause (iv) of section 7 and would allow the plaintiff to fix his own value for the relief sought arid yet the court-f value has been fixed as if the suit was for possession only and w covered by clause (v) of section

7. By the Amendment Act now no only the criterion to fix the valuation in suits for possession has been changed but one other category of suits has also been added in clause (iv-A). Thus under this section whets a suit for possession of land is filed the matter would be governed by clause (v) of section 7, and the land would be valued at fifteen times of the mesne profits or the market value of tee land, as the case may be. The cases falling under clause (iv) of section 7 can be valued by the plaintiff for the purpose of court- according to his own choice. But if a suit is filed for declaratory with or without consequential relief as to the right in or title to immovable property based on the alleged sale, gift, exchange or mortgage the vat would still be regulated by fifteen times of the mesne profits for the preceding year or the market value of the immovable property.

6. The judgment of the learned Additional District Judge cannot be sustains if the case is found to fall under clause (Iv)(c) but if it is found to fat: either under clause (iv-A) or clause (v), it would be unexceptionable.

7. The first point is whether this is a case falling under clause (iv-A) of section

7. My answer to this question is that it is not a case falling under the clause. That clause, as stated above, applies to suit, for declaratory decree with or without consequential relief as to 'la right in tile to immovable property based inter alia on tile allegd gift, The suit..' however; is not based on the alleged gift. It is based upon,, inheritance only or upon the negation of the gift. As a suit for declaratory decree with consequential relief it can fall under clause (iv)(c) of section 7.

7. The suit, no doubt involves the validity of an alleged gift. B, t even if it is treated to be a suit based on denial of the gift, it would rat fall tinder clause (iv-A) which includes only those units which are based on gift and not based on denial of the gift. 8. 11; however, the two reliefs are to be treated as separate reliefs, the suit regarding declaration would have to be separately valued while the relief for possession would be valued in accordance with clause (v) of section 7.

9. In the present case, it is clear that the main relief is that of declaration based on ownership on the basis of inheritance and the relief for possession is only consequential relief. The relief of declaration was essential in the view of the dispute between the parties about the validity of a gift on which the claim of defendants was based. The matter is, therefore, governed by clause (iv). See Harkishan Lal v. Barkat sell and others (A I R 1962 Lah. 209). The value already put in by the plaintiffs, would remain the value for the purpose of payment of the court fee in the appeal also however arbitrarily it might have been fixed. The appeal was not, therefore, deficiently stamped. The petitioners, on the other hand had paid excess court-fee.

10. I, therefore, allow this petition, set aside the order of the learned Additional District Judge, remand the case to him and direct him to decide the appeal on merits. The parties shall bear their own costs. K. M. A. Petition allowed.