Baini Prasad (D) Thr. LRs. vs. Durga Devi [Civil Appeal No. 6182-6183 of 2009]

The doctrine of laches or acquiescence has no place to defeat the right of the plaintiff when the suit is filed within the limitation period

RELEVANT PARAGRAPH

21. As held by the learned Single Judge we are of the considered view that in a case where the owner of the land filed suit for recovery of possession of his land from the encroacher and once he establishes his title, merely because some structures are erected by the opposite party ignoring the objection, that too without any bona fide belief, denying the relief of recovery of possession would tantamount to allowing a trespasser/encroacher to purchase another man’s property against that man’s will. In Bodi Reddy’s decision (supra) the learned Judge held that in a suit for recovery of possession filed within the period of limitation provided under Limitation Act, the doctrine of laches or acquiescence has no place to defeat the right of the plaintiff to obtain the relief on his establishing his title. We may hold that in such a situation in the absence of any misrepresentation by an act or omission, the mere fact after making objection the plaintiff took some reasonable time to approach the Court for recovery of possession cannot, at any stretch of imagination, be a reason to deny him the relief him of recovery of possession of the encroached land on his establishing his title over it.