Tag: Constructive Notice

Supreme Court Upholds Decree for Specific Performance; Unilateral Cancellation Not Permitted
Supreme Court

Supreme Court Upholds Decree for Specific Performance; Unilateral Cancellation Not Permitted

The Supreme Court upheld the decree for specific performance, ruling that a suit for specific performance is maintainable without a declaratory relief against a unilateral termination when the agreement is not determinable in nature. The subsequent purchasers were held not to be bona fide purchasers for value without notice under Section 19(b) of the Specific Relief Act, 1963. Facts Of The Case: On 28.04.2000, the original vendors executed an unregistered Agreement to Sell (ATS) in favour of the original vendees for agricultural land in Karnataka. The vendees paid a substantial part of the consideration and performed their obligations, including getting the land converted and tenants relocated. In 2003, the original vendors issued a unilateral termination notice citing pending litigation...
Supreme Court on Oral Gifts: Why Possession is Key in Muslim Law (Hiba)
Supreme Court

Supreme Court on Oral Gifts: Why Possession is Key in Muslim Law (Hiba)

The Supreme Court clarified that a valid Hiba (gift under Muslim Law) requires conclusive proof of declaration, acceptance, and delivery of possession. Mere oral claims or a memorandum are insufficient without contemporaneous evidence of the donee acting upon the gift. The Court also emphasized that declaratory suits must be filed within three years from when the right to sue first accrues, and long delays can render a suit barred by limitation. Facts Of The Case: Khadijabee was the original owner of an agricultural land. She allegedly made an oral gift (Hiba) of 10 acres to her daughter, Syeda Arifa Parveen (the Plaintiff), in 1988, followed by a memorandum of gift in 1989. After Khadijabee's death in 1990, her husband, Abdul Basit, mutated the entire property in his name. In 1995, ...