Annapurna v. Mallikarjun
Background
Annapurna bought a house at a court auction in execution of a decree. The debtor applied to set aside the sale but did not make the deposit required for that particular remedy within the prescribed period. The High Court nevertheless allowed reconsideration after a later deposit, and the purchaser appealed.
Decision Breakdown
The Supreme Court allowed the purchaser's appeal and set aside the High Court's remand. For an application under Order XXI Rule 89, the required deposit had to be made within the same sixty-day period as the application to set aside the sale. Without a timely deposit, the executing court had to reject that application, so reconsidering it would serve no purpose. The debtor was ordered to pay the purchaser ₹10,000 in costs.
Lesson Learnt
Filing a request to undo a court auction is insufficient when the chosen remedy also requires a deposit by a deadline. A later payment cannot replace compliance with that condition.