R. RAJANNAversusS.R. VENKATASWAMY & ORS.

                   [2014) 14 S.C.R. 535


                       R. RAJANNA                               A
                             v.
              S.R. VENKATASWAMY & ORS.
         (Civil Appeal Nos. 10416-10417 of 2014)
                   NOVEMBER 20, 2014                            B
        [T. S. THAKUR ANO R. BANUMATHI, JJ.]
      Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 "-- Or. XX/II r. 3 -
Compromise of suit - Validity of a decree passed on a
compromise in a suit - Challenged to, in a separate suit- C
Held: Separate suit is 'not maintainable - Only remedy
available to the aggrieved parly is to approach the Courl
which had passed the compromise decree.
      Allowing the appeals, the Court
      HELD: Order XXlll Rule 3A of Code of Civil                D
Procedure, 1908 clearly bars a suit to set aside a decree
on the ground that the compromise on which the decree
is based was not lawful. This implies that no sooner a
question relating to lawfulness of the agreement or
compromise is raised· before the Court that passed the          E
decree on the basis of any such agreement or
compromise, it is that Court and that Court alone who
can examine and determine that question. The Court
cannot direct the parties to file a separate suit on the
subject for no such suit Will lie in view of the provisions     F
of Order XXlll Rule 3A. On facts, the High Court fell in a
palpable error in directing the plaintiff to take recourse
to the remedy by way of separate suit, challenging the
validity of the compromise decree. The High Court in the
process remained oblivious of the provisions of Order           G
XXlll Rules 3 and 3A as also orders passed by the City
Civil Court rejecting the plaint in which the trial court had
not only placed reliance upon Order XXlll Rule 3A but
also the decision of the Court in *Pushpa Devi's case
holding that a separate suit was not maintainable and           H
                            535
536        SUPREME COURT REPORTS                    [2014) 14 S.C.R.


A that the only remedy available to the aggrieved party was
  to approach the Court which h.ad passed the
  compromise decree. The order passed by the High Court
  is set aside and the'matter is remitted back to the High
  Court. [Paras 10, 11, 12 and 13)[540-E-G; 541-C-D;
B 542-D-E]
          Pushpa Devi Bhagat v. Rajinder Singh and Ors.
          2006 (3) Suppl. SCR 370 : (2006) 5 sec 566 -
          relied on.
          Banwari Lal v. Chanda Devi 1992 (3) Suppl. SCR
c         524: (1993) 1 sec 581 ~referred to.
                     CASE LAW REFERENCE
      2006 (3) Suppl. SCR 370           relied on.       Para 11
    1992 (3) Suppl. SCR'524 ·         referred to Para 12
D         CIVILAPPELLATE JURISDICTION: Civil Appeal Nos.
    10416-10417 of2014.
          From the Judgment and Order dated 12.01.2012 of the
   ·High .Court of Karnataka at Bangalore in I.A. No. 1 of 2011
  ·and I.A. No. 2 of 2011 in RF.A. No. 223of1991.
E         Shesagiri Rao, Joseph Pookatt, Ms. Awantika Manohar,
      Prashant Kumar, Mis. AP & J Chambers, Advs., for the
      Appellal')t.              '  .
          .s. N. Bhat, Adv., for the Respondents.
F         The Judgment of the Cour.t was delivered by
          T. S. THAKUR, J. 1. Leave granted.
        2. Can the validity of a decree passed on a compromise
                      a'
  be challenged in separate suit is the short question that falls
  for determin'ation in this appeal. It arises in the following
G circumstari"ces:
        3. The appellant filed .a suit for declaration to the effect
  that gift~deed dated 12'h August. 1982 executed by one
  Ramaiah was void and for a permanent prohibitory injur:iction
  restraining the defendant-respondent from alienating the suit
H schedule property or interfering with the peaceful possession
      R. RAJANNA v. S.R. VENKATASWAMY &ORS.                    537
                  [T. S. THAKUR, J.)

and enjoyment of the same by the plaintiff. By its judgment A
and order dated 25'" March, 1991, the Trial Court decreed the
suit holding the gift-deed in question to be null and void, hence
not binding on the plaintiff-appellant. Defendants No.2 and 3
in the said suit were also directed to demolish the building
constructed in the schedule property and surrender possession B
thereof to the plaintiff. Aggrieved by the judgment and decree
passed against him the respondent filed RFA No.223of1991
before the High Court of Karnataka at Bangalore. According
to the respondent a compromise petition was in terms of Order
XXlll Rule 3 of Civil Procedure Code filed.by the parties before C
the High Court in the said appeal settling the dispute amicably.
The appellant stoutly disputes that position and asserts that
no such comprise was either needed nor was the same ever
entered into between the parties. The appellant describes the
so-called compromise deed as a forged and fabricated ·          o
document. The appellant denies that he ever signed any such
compromise petition or asked his advocate to file the same
before the Court. Even so the High Court had proceeded on
the basis that a compromise had indeed taken place between
 the parties in the light whereof the High Court set aside the E
judgment and decree of the Trial Court and allowed the appeal
filed by the-respondents. The appellant's case is that order
 dated 1"August, 1.995 passed by the High Court in RFA NO.
223of1991 was the result of fraud played upon the High Court.
      4. Aggrieved by the judgment and order dated 1•1August, F
 1995 passed by the High Court, the appellant appears to have
filed OS No.5236 of 2005 before the Additional City Civil
Judge, Bangalore, in which the appellant prayed for setting
aside of the compromise recorded in the High Court's order
dated 1''August, 1995 and the decree passed on the basis G
thereof. The defendant-respondent No.1 moved an application
in the said suit under Order VII Rule 11 (d) read with Section
151 Code ofCivil Procedure for rejection of the plaint on the
ground that the suit in question was barred by Rule 3A of Order
XXlll of the Code of Civil Procedure.                           H
538       SUPREME COURT REPORTS                 ,. [2014] 14 S.C.R.


A·      5. By its order dated 11'" February, 2011, the City Civil
  Court, Bangalore; allowed the application filed by the
  respondent and rejected the plaint filed by the plaintiff-appellant
  The Court took the view that in the light of the proviso t9 Order
  XXlll Rule 3 of the CPC inserted w.e.f. 1.2.1997, a party
B aggrieved of a decree on compromise had to approach the
  Court that passed the decree to .establish that no comp'rornise
  had taken place between the parties which could provide a
  basis for the Court to act upon the same: In doing so the Court
  placed reliance upon the decision of this Court in Pushpa Devi
C Bhagat v. Rajinder Singh and Ors. (2006) 5 SCC 566.
        6. ltwas afterthe rejectiori'ofthe plaintthatthe appellant
  filed miscellaneous application IA Nos. 1 and.2 of2011 in RFA
  No.223 of 1991 praying for setting aside of order dated 1"
  August. 1995 by which the Higti"Court had allowed the appeal
D filed by the 'respondents and set aside the decree passed in
  OS No.5236 of 2005 on the basis of the alleged compromise
  betWeen the parties. The appellant's case before the High
  Court was ttia(rio such compromise had taken· place nor was
  any compromise petition ever signed by him. It was also alleged
E that the appellant had given   noinstructions to his advocate for
  presenting any compromise· petition and that the alleged
  compromise petition was totally fraudulent ana based on.
  forged signature of the appellantapart from being unau_thorised
  as the counsel 'engaged by him had no authority to present or
F report any such compromise before the Court. The appellant
  also prayed for condonation of delay in filing the application
  for setting aside the compromise decree passed by the High
  Court.                           1
                                           •


       7. The High Court of Karnataka has by its orders
G impugned in this appeal, disni'issed IA No.1 of 2011 filed by
  the appellant without even adverting to the provisions of Order
  ~Ill Rule 3 CPC and in particular Rule 3A which bars a suit to
  have a compromise decree set aside on the ground that the
  compromise on which the decree had b~en passed did not
H
      R. RAJANNA v. S.R. VENKATASWAMY & ORS.                         539
                  [T. S. THAKUR, J.]

exist or take place. The High Court appears to have taken the A
view that even if the compromise was fraudulent since the
appellant had filed a suit for declaration he ought to pursue the
same to its logical conclusion. The High Court further held
that even if the plaint in the suit filed by the appellant had been
rejected in terms of Order VII Rule 11(d)ofCPC, the appellant B
ought to seek redress against any such order of rejection. The
High Court has on that basis declined to consider the prayer
made by the appellant for setting aside the compromise
decree.
     8. The precise question that falls for determination in the C
above backdrop is whether the High Court was right in directing
the appellant to seek redress in the suit having regard to the
provisions of Order XXlll rule 3 and Rule 3A of CPC.
     9. Order XXlll Rule 3 and Rule 3A of CPC may at this
stage be extracted for ready reference:                   0
     "3. Compromise of suit. - Where it is proved to the
     satisfaction of the Courl that a suit has been adjusted
     wholly or in parl by any lawful agreement or compromise
     {in writing and signed by the patties], or where the E
     defendant satisfies the plaintiff in respect of the whole
     or any parl of the subject-matter of the suit, the Courl
     shall order such agreement, compromise or satisfaction
     to be recorded, and shall pass a decree in accordance
     therewith [so farit relates to the parties to the suit, whethf;1r F
     or not the subject-matter of the agreement,
     compromise, or satisfaction is the same as the subject-
     matter of the suit]: ·
     {Provided that where it is alleged by one party and
     denied by the other that an adjustment or satisfaction G
     has been arrived at, the Courl shall decide the question;
     but no adjournment shall be granted for the purpose of
     deciding the question, unless the Court, for reasons to
     be recorded, thinks fit to grant such adjournment.]
                                                                      H
.540       SUPREME COURT REPORTS                  [2014] 14 S.C.R.


 A       . Explanation - An agreement or compromise which is
           void or voidable under the Indian Contract Act, 1872
           shall not be deemed to be lawful within the meaning of
           this rule."
     '    10. It is manifest from a plain reading of the above that in
 B terms of the proviso to Order XXlll Rule 3 where one party
   alleges and the other denies adjustment or satisfaction cif any
   suit by a laWful agreement or compromise in writing and signed
   by the parties, the Court before·whom such question is raised,
   shall decide the same. What is important is that in terms of
 C Explanation-to Order XXlll Rule 3, the agreement or
   compromise shall not be deemed to be lawful within meaning
   of the'said rule if the same is void or voidable under Indian
   Contract Act, 1872. It follows that in every case where the
   question arises whether or not there has been a lawful
 D agreement or compromise in writing and signed by the parties,
   the question whether the agreement or compromise is lawful
   ha.s to be determined by the Court concerned. What is lawful
   will in turn depend upon whether the allegations suggest any
   infirmity in the compromise and the decree that would make
 E th'e same void or voidable under the Contract Act. More
   importantly, Order XXI 11 f3ule 3A clearly bars a suit to set aside
   a decree on the ground that the compromise on which the
   decree is based was not lawful. This implies that no sooner a
   question relating to lawfulness of the agreement or compromise
 F is raised before the Court that passed the decree on the basis
   of any such agreement or compromise, it is that Court and
   that court alone who can examine and determine that question.
   The Court cannot direct the parties to file a separate· suit on
   the subject for no such suit will lie in view of the provisions of
 G Order XXlll Rule 3A of CPC. That is precisely what has
   happened in the case at hand: When the appellant filed OS
   No.5326 of 2005 to challenge validity of the compromise
   decree, the Court before whom the suit came up rejected the
   plaint under Order VII Rule 11 CPC on the application made
 H by the respondents holding that such a suit was barred by the
      R. RAJAN NA v. S.R. VENKATASWAMY & ORS.                   541
                   [T. S. THAKUR, J.]

provisions of Order XXll I Rule 3A of the CPC. Having thus got A
the plaint rejected, the defendants (respondents herein) could
hardly be heard to argue that the plaintiff (appellant herein)
ought to pursue his.remedy against the compromise decree
in pursuance of OS No.5326 of 2005 and if the plaint in the
suit has been rejected to pursue his remedy against such B
rejection before a higher Court.
      11. The upshot of the above discussion is that the High
Court fell in a palpable error in directing the plaintiff to take
recourse to the ·remedy by way of separate suit. The High Court
in the process remained obttvious of the provisions of Order· C
XXlll Rules 3 and 3A of the CPC as also orders passed by the
City Civil Court rejecting the plaint in which the Trial Court had
not only placed reliance upon Order XXlll Rule 3A but also the
decision of the Court in Pushpa Devi's case (supra) holding
that a separate suit was not maintainable and that the only D
remedy available to the aggrieved party was to approach the
Court which had passed the compromise decree. The
following passage from the decision of Pushpa Devi (supra)
case is. in this regard, apposite:              ·
      "17 . .. Therefore, the only remedy available to a party to E
      a consent decree to avoid such consent decree, is to
      approach the court which recorded the compromise and
      made a decree in terms of it, and establish that there
      was no compromise. In that event, the court which
      recorded the compromise will itself consider and decide F
      the question as to whether there was a valid compromise
      or not. This is so because a consent decree is nothing
      but contract between parties superimposed with the seal
      of approval of the court. The validity of.a consent decree
      depends wholly on the validity of the agreement or G
      compromise on which it is. made. The second
      defendant, who challenged the consent compromise
      decree was fully aware of this position as she filed an
      application for setting aside the consent decree on 21-
    . 8-2001 by alleging that there was no valid compromise · H
542          SUPREME COURT REPORTS                 [2014] 14 S.C.R.


A           in accordance with law. Significantly, none of the other
            defendants challenged the consent decree. For reasons
            best known to herself, the second defendant within a
            few days thereafter (that is on 27-8-2001) filed an appeal
            and chose not to pursue the application filed before the
B           court which passed the consent decree. Such an appeal
            by the second defendant was not maintainable, having
            regard to the express bar contained in Section 96(3) of
            ttie Code."      ·
            12. We may also refer to the decision of this Court in
C     Banwari Lal v. Chando Devi (1993) 1 SCC 581 where also
      this Court had observed:
            "As·such aparty challenging a compromise· can file a·
            petition under proviso to' Rule 3 of Order XX/II; or an
            appeal under S. 96(1) ·of the Code, in which he can now
D         · question the validity of the compromise in view of Rule
            1-A of Order 13 of the Code."
            13. In the light of the above, we allow these appeals, set
      aside the' order passed by the High Court and remit the matter
E     back to the High Court for disposal of IA Ncis.1 and 2 of 2011
      in accordance with law in the light of the observations made
      hereinabove. In the peculiar facts and circumstances of the
      case. We leave the parties to bear their own costs. We make it
      clear that we have expressed no opinion as to the merits of
 F    the application seeking setting aside of the compromise
      decree which aspect is left for the High Court to examine in
      accordance with law.
                                        "'
      Nidhi Jain                                       Appeals allowed.