PRO V I SI O N S O F

SPECIFIC
RELIEF ACT
FO R I M M O VABL E PR O PE RT Y
CONTENTS

1.INTRODUCTION

2. PROVISONS REGARDING RECOVERY

SECTION 5 AND 6

3. LIMITATION PERIOD

4. CONCLUSION
INTRODUCTION T h e Specific Relief A c t 1963, w a s b r o u g h t i n t o force o n 13-12-1963. I t s m a i n objective is
t o pr ovide relief t o t h e p a r t i e s w h o h a v e s u ff e r e d civil wrong. Civil i n j u r y is a
v i o l a t i o n of a n obligation, specific relief for w h i c h c a n be provided b y c o u r t s . Specific
relief is a r e m e d y t h a t c o u r t s c a n provide. T h e r i g h t t o p r o p e r t y is a l s o r e c o g n i z e d b y
t h e c o n s t i t u t i o n . No p e r s o n s h a l l be d e n i e d h i s p r o p e r t y w i t h o u t d u e p r o c e s s of law.

T h e p r o v i s i o n s of t h e c o n s t i t u t i o n a r e s u p p l e m e n t e d b y l e g a l d e v i c e s t h a t h e l p
p e o p l e e n f o r c e t h e i r r i g h t s . F o r i n s t a n c e , if a p e r s o n h a s a c o n t r a c t u a l
o b l i g a t i o n t o p e r f o r m a s p e c i f i c a c t , h e o r s h e m u s t n o t f a i l t o d o s o . I n c a s e of
f a i l u r e , t h e o t h e r p a r t y m a y s u e f o r t h e p e r f o r m a n c e of t h e c o n t r a c t .

Specific p e r f o r m a n c e orders a r e issued w h e n t h e d a m a g e s a r e n o t e n o u g h to

p r o v i d e a p r o p e r r e m e d y. T h i s t y p e of o r d e r i s d i s c r e t i o n a r y a n d i s m a d e
c o n s i d e r i n g t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s of a c a s e .
SECTION 5
PRO V I D ES TH AT A PERSO N EN TI TLED TO TH E PO SSESSI O N O F AN Y SPECI FI C
IMMOVABLE PROPERTY CAN RECOVER IT I N THE MANNE R PRESCRIBED BY
THE CODE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE, 1908 (5 OF 1908). IT READS AS:

“A PERSON ENTITLED TO THE POSSESSION OF THE SPECIFIC IMMOVABLE

PRO PERTY CAN RECO V ER I T I N TH E M AN N ER PRO V I D ED BY TH E CO D E O F
CIVIL PROCEDURE, 1908”.

THE ESSENCE OF THIS SECTION IS ‘TITLE,’ I.E. THE PERSON W H O HAS BETTER
TITLE IS A PERSON ENTITLED TO THE POSSESSION. THE TITLE MAY BE OF
OWNERSHIP OR POSSESSION. THUS, IF ‘A’ ENTERS I NTO PEACEFUL
POSSESSION OF LAND CLAIMING HIS O W N ALTHOUGH HE MIGHT HAVE N O
TITLE, STILL HE HAS THE RIGHT TO SUE ANOTHER W H O HAS OUSTED H I M
FORCIBLY FROM POSSESSION BECAUSE HE MIGHT HAVE N O LEGAL TITLE BUT
AT LEAST HAS A POSSESSORY TITLE.
LIMITATION
PERIOD
U n d e r A r t i c l e 65 of t h e L i m i t a t i o n A c t , a s u i t f o r p o s s e s s i o n of i m m o v a b l e
p r o p e r t y, b a s e d o n t i t l e , c a n b e f i l e d b y a p e r s o n f o r c l a i m i n g t h e t i t l e . T h e
s t a t u t o r y l i m i t a t i o n p e r i o d f o r i m m o v a b l e p r o p e r t y i s w i t h i n 12 y e a r s .
A c c o r d i n g t o A r t i c l e 65, T h e l i m i t a t i o n c o m m e n c e s f r o m t h e d a t e w h e n t h e
p o s s e s s i o n of t h e d e f e n d a n t b e c o m e s a d v e r s e t o t h e p l a i n t i f f . I n t h e s e
c i r c u m s t a n c e s , it is a p p a r e n t t h a t t o c o n t e s t a s u i t for p o s s e s s i o n , filed by a
p e r s o n o n t h e b a s i s of h i s t i t l e , a p l e a of a d v e r s e p o s s e s s i o n c a n b e t a k e n b y a
d e f e n d a n t w h o i s i n h o s t i l e a n d o p e n p o s s e s s i o n if a p e r s o n h a s r e m a i n e d i n
p o s s e s s i o n f o r a p e r i o d of 12 y e a r s .
 “(1) IF ANY PERSON IS DISPOSSESSED WITHOUT HIS CONSENT OF
I M M O VABLE PRO PERTY O TH ERW I SE TH AN I N D UE CO URSE O F LAW, H E O R
SECTION 6
ANY PERSON CLAIMING THROUGH HIM, MAY BY SUIT RECOVER
POSSESSION THEREOF.
(2) N O SUIT UNDER THIS SECTION SHALL BE BROUGHT-
AFTER TH E EX PI RY O F SI X M O N TH S FRO M TH E D ATE O F
DISPOSSESSION.
AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT.
( 3 ) N O APPEAL SHALL LIE FROM ANY ORDER OR DECREE PASSED I N ANY
SUIT INSTITUTED UNDER THIS SECTION, NOR SHALL ANY REVIEW OF THE
DECREE UNDER THIS SECTION IS ALLOWED.
( 4 ) N O T H I N G I N THIS SECTION SHALL BARANY PERSON FROM SUIT TO
ESTABLI SH H I S TI TLE TO SUCH PRO PERTY AN D TO RECO V ER PO SSESSI O N
THEREOF.”
OF SECTION 6
APPLICABILTY
I f the plaintiff proves:
1.Tha t he is in juridica l possession of t he immova ble propert y in
dispute.
2. Tha t he ha d been dispossessed of wit hout his consent a nd wit hout
due process of law.
3.Tha t dispossession t ook pla ce wit hin six mont hs f rom t he da t e of
suit.
Possession in t he cont ext of sect ion 6 mea ns lega l possession which
may exist with or without actual possession and with or without
rightful origin. The plaintiff in a suit under section 6 need not
establish title.
CONCLUSION
t h e I n d i a n C o n t r a c t A c t of 1872 o n l y p r o v i d e s relief i n t h e f o r m of c o m p e n s a t i o n i n c a s e s
of c o n t r a c t b r e a c h , t h e r e m e d i e s offered b y t h e Specific Relief A c t b e c o m e r e q u i r e d . T h e
plaintiff h a d n o r e m e d y for specific p e r f o r m a n c e w h e r e t h e los s w a s n o t q u a n t i f i a b l e
a n d c o m p e n s a t i o n i n t h e f o r m of relief w a s i n s u ff i c i e n t t o c o m p e n s a t e for t h e loss. A
p e r s o n e n t i t l e d t o t h e p o s s e s s i o n of i m m o v a b l e p r o p e r t y o r h a v i n g a p a r t i c u l a r r i g h t t o
t h e p o s s e s s i o n m a y r e c o v e r i t t h r o u g h t h e l e g a l p r o c e s s u n d e r t h e r e q u i r e m e n t s of
s e c t i o n s 5 a n d 6. S i mi l a r l y, s e c t i o n s 7 a n d 8 give t h e p e r s o n t h e p o w e r t o r e c l a i m
c u s t o d y of t r a n s p o r t a b l e goods.
PRESENTED BY
PRAKASH
OCHWANI
BBA LLB 5th Year
C 17