Chintala Madhavi vs S. Venkatamma, / Venkata Lakshmi on 5 June, 2023
In support of
this proposition a Full Bench decision of the Allahabad
High Court in Smt. Ram Peary and others v. Gauri and
others [ AIR 1978 All. 318] as well as a Division Bench
judgment of the Madras High Court was pressed into
service. Therefore, the question before us in this case is
what is the effect of the lis pendens on the subsequent sale
of the same property by the owner to the second
purchaser. Section 19 of the Specific Relief Act clearly
says subsequent sale can be enforced for good and
sufficient reason but in the present case, there is no
difficulty because the suit was filed on 3.5.1975 for
specific performance of the agreement and the second sale
took place on 5.5.1975. Therefore, it is the admitted
position that the second sale was definitely after the filing
of the suit in question. Had that not been the position then
we would have evaluated the effect of Section 52 of the
Transfer of Property Act. But in the present case it is more
than apparent that the suit was filed before the second sale
of the property. Therefore, the principle of lis pendens will
govern the present case and the second sale cannot have
the overriding effect on the first sale. The principle of lis
pendens is still settled principle of law.