# KHAN BAHADUR SHAPOOR FREDOOM MAZDA v. DURGA PROSAD CHAMARIA AND OTHERS - **Citation:** [1962] 1 S.C.R. 140 - **Court:** Supreme Court of India - **Decided:** 1962 - **Case number:** Civil Appeal No. 77 of 1957 - **Bench:** P. B. Gajendragadkar, K. N. Wanchoo - **Source:** https://unisonlegal.in/judgment/supreme-court-of-india/khan-bahadur-shapoor-fredoom-mazda-v-durga-prosad-chamaria-and-others-1974 - **Pages:** 12 ## Headnote Limitation-Computation of fresh period of limitation-Leiter written by mortgagor to mortgagee-If acknowledgment of liabilityIndian Limitation Act, 1908 (9 of 1908), s. 19. In a mortgage suit brought by him, the respondent I, the mortgagee, pleaded that limitation was saved by a letter written to him by the mortgagor, the respondent 2, which amounted to acknowledgment under s. rg of the Indian Limitation Act. There was a prior mortgage and before writing the letter in question the mortgagor had written another letter appealing to respondent r to save the property from being sold at the instance of the prior mortgagee. Thereupon the respondent No. I paid the required amount and the threatened sale was averted. The property was again advertised for sale and that was why the letter in question was written; it ran as follows,- "Chandni Bazar is again advertised for sale on Friday the rrth instant. I am afraid it will go very cheap. I had a private offer of Rs. 2,75,000 a few days ago but as soon ·as they heard it was advertised by the Registrar they withdrew. As you are interested why do not you take up the whole. There is only about 70,000 due to the mortgagee-a payment of Rs. rn,ooo will stop the sale". The question was whether this letter amounted to an acknowledgment of the respondent r"s right as mortgagee under s. rg of the Indian Limitation Act. The trial Judge he.Id that it did not, but the Court of appeal took the contrary view. The auctionpurchaser appealed to this Court. Held, that it was obvious that the interest mentioned in the letter in the context of the previous one was none other than that of respondent r· as a puisne mortgagee and the appeal to take up the whole meant the entirety of the mortgagee's interest including that of the prior mortgagee; Since admittedly the only subsisting relation between the parties at the date of the letter was that of mortgagee and mortgagor and the letter acknowledged the existence of that jural relationship, it clearly amounted to an acknowledgment under s. 19 of the Act. Held, further, that the essential requirement for sustaining a plea of acknowledgment under s. rg of the Act is that the statement on which it is sought to be founded must relate to a .. I- • I S.C.R. SUPREME COURT REPORTS 141 subsisting liability, indicate the existence of the jural relationship between the parties and must be intended, either expressly Kh 8 h d or impliedly, to admit that i·ural relationship. Sh pan Fa ailur a oor te oom The words used in a particular statement must be construed Mazda in the light of its own tenor and according to the context and v. unless the words used are identical and the interest is similar, Durga Prosad previous decisions interpreting somewhat similar documents are Chaniaria & Ors. not of much help. Green v. Humphreys, (r884) 26 Ch. D. 474, referred to. Beti Maharani v. Collector of Etawah, (1894) LR. 22 I.A. 31, Sukhamoni Choudhrani v. lshan Chunder Roy, (1897) L.R. 25 I.A. 95, Munshi Lal v. Hira Lal, I.LR. 1947 All. rt and Swaminatha Odayar v. Subbarama Ayyar, (1927) I.LR. 50 'llad. 548, considered. Dharma Vithal v. Gov\nd Sadvallwr, (1881) I.LR. 8 Born. 99, held inapplicable. ## Text Morch I. 140 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1962] KHAN BAHADUR SHAPOOR FREDOOM MAZDA v. DURGA PROSAD CHAMARIA AND OTHERS (P. B. GAJENDRAGADKAR and K. N. WANCHOO, JJ.) Limitation-Computation of fresh period of limitation-Leiter written by mortgagor to mortgagee-If acknowledgment of liabilityIndian Limitation Act, 1908 (9 of 1908), s. 19. In a mortgage suit brought by him, the respondent I, the mortgagee, pleaded that limitation was saved by a letter written to him by the mortgagor, the respondent 2, which amounted to acknowledgment under s. rg of the Indian Limitation Act. There was a prior mortgage and before writing the letter in question the mortgagor had written another letter appealing to respondent r to save the property from being sold at the instance of the prior mortgagee. Thereupon the respondent No. I paid the required amount and the threatened sale was averted. The property was again advertised for sale and that was why the letter in question was written; it ran as follows,- "Chandni Bazar is again advertised for sale on Friday the rrth instant. I am afraid it will go very cheap. I had a private offer of Rs. 2,75,000 a few days ago but as soon ·as they heard it was advertised by the Registrar they withdrew. As you are interested why do not you take up the whole. There is only about 70,000 due to the mortgagee-a payment of Rs. rn,ooo will stop the sale". The question was whether this letter amounted to an acknowledgment of the respondent r"s right as mortgagee under s. rg of the Indian Limitation Act. The trial Judge he.Id that it did not, but the Court of appeal took the contrary view. The auctionpurchaser appealed to this Court. Held, that it was obvious that the interest mentioned in the letter in the context of the previous one was none other than that of respondent r· as a puisne mortgagee and the appeal to take up the whole meant the entirety of the mortgagee's interest including that of the prior mortgagee; Since admittedly the only subsisting relation between the parties at the date of the letter was that of mortgagee and mortgagor and the letter acknowledged the existence of that jural relationship, it clearly amounted to an acknowledgment under s. 19 of the Act. Held, further, that the essential requirement for sustaining a plea of acknowledgment under s. rg of the Act is that the statement on which it is sought to be founded must relate to a .. I- • I S.C.R. SUPREME COURT REPORTS 141 subsisting liability, indicate the existence of the jural relationship between the parties and must be intended, either expressly Kh 8 h d or impliedly, to admit that i·ural relationship. Sh pan Fa ailur a oor te oom The words used in a particular statement must be construed Mazda in the light of its own tenor and according to the context and v. unless the words used are identical and the interest is similar, Durga Prosad previous decisions interpreting somewhat similar documents are Chaniaria & Ors. not of much help. Green v. Humphreys, (r884) 26 Ch. D. 474, referred to. Beti Maharani v. Collector of Etawah, (1894) LR. 22 I.A. 31, Sukhamoni Choudhrani v. lshan Chunder Roy, (1897) L.R. 25 I.A. 95, Munshi Lal v. Hira Lal, I.LR. 1947 All. rt and Swaminatha Odayar v. Subbarama Ayyar, (1927) I.LR. 50 'llad. 548, considered. Dharma Vithal v. Gov\nd Sadvallwr, (1881) I.LR. 8 Born. 99, held inapplicable. CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Civil Appeal No. 77 of 1957. Appeal from the judgment and decree dated the August 6, 1954, of the Calcutta High Court in Appeal from Original Decree No. 73 of 1952. M. C. Setalvad, Attorney-General for India, W. S. Barlingay and A. G. Ratnaparkhi, for the appellant. A. V. Viswanatha Sastri and P. K. Chatterjee, for respondent No. 1. 1961. March 1. The Judgment of the Court was delivered by GAJENDRAGADKAR, J.-This appeal arises from a Gajenil,.gadkar J. suit filed by respondent 1 Durga Prosad Chamaria against respondent 2 the heirs of John Carapiet Galstaun and others in which he sought to recover Rs. 4,64,213-5-3 on the mortgages in suit. He had prayed for a preliminary mortgage decree according to 0. XXXlV, r. 4 of the Code of Civil Procedure and had asked for the appointment of a receiver in that behalf. The said mortgages were created by delivery of documents of title to immovable properties by the mortgagor John Carapiet Galstaun who died pending the suit. The properties mortgaged consisted of three items all of which are situated in Calcutta. These items are 24, Amratolla Lane, 96, Karaya Road 142 SUPREME COURT REPORTS (1962] z96r and premisesJ67/l and 167/5 Dhurrumtolla Street [(han Bahadur (Chandni Bazar). In the present appeal we are conShapoor Fredoom cerned with premises 167/1. Respondent l's case was Mazda that he had advanced several amounts on seven diffev. rent occasions to the mortgagor between August 2, Durg• Prosad 1926, and November 27, 1931. According to the terms Chamaria a> Ors. of the transaction no specific time for payment of the - mortgage dues had been fixed, and it was agreed that Gajendragadkar J. th • d d Id b d d b 'd e momes a vance wou ecome ue an e repa1 on- demand being actually made by the mortgagee. With this plea we are not concerned in the present appeal. It was further pleaded by the mortgagee that the mortgagor had acknowledged his liability of the mortgagee's claim by letters of March 5, 1932, and February 17, 1943, which were signed by him. It is on the strength of these acknowledgments that the mortgagee purported to bring his claim within time the suit having been filed on May 18, 1944. Pending the suit the appellant was added as a party defendant on August 23, 1944. By his application made by respondent 1 in that behalf it was alleged that the appellant had become the auction purchaser of premises 167 /1 at a sale held by the Sheriff of Calcutta on May 3, 1944, in execution of a decree passed in Suit No. 2356 of 1931 by the Calcutta High Court with notice of mortgage in favour of respondent 1. Since the said sale had been confumed on July 6, 1944, the appellant had become a necessary party to the suit. That is how the appellant became a party to the proceedings and was interested like the mortgagor in disputing the validity of the claim made by respondent 1. The principal issue which arose between the parties in the suit was one of limitation. It was not seriously disputed that the letter written by the mortgagor on February 17, 1943, amounted to an acknowledgment and it helped to bring within time respondent l's claim in respect of the last advance of Rs. 2,500 made on November 27, 1931. Respondent l's case that the earlier letter of March 5, 1932, amounted to an acknowledgment was, however, seriously disputed by the appellant. If this letter is held to amount to a .. ;. .. _ .. • 1 S.O.R. SUPREME COURT REPORTS 143 valid acknowledgment two items of consideration '96' pleaded by respondent I would be within time; they are Rs. 20,000 and Rs. 35,000 advanced on ~he 5~:;~:;;;:0•;,,, same day, September IO, 1926. Mr. Justrne Baneqee, Mazda who tried the suit on the Original Side of the Calcutta v. Hio-h Court, held that the letter in question did not Du,ga P,osad am~unt to an acknowledgment, and so he found that Chamada & a,,. only the last item of Rs. 2,500 was in time. In the G . d-dk . f a;en raga ar ]. result he passed a decree for Rs. 5,000 only m avour of respondent I. Then respondent 1 took the dispute before the Court of Appeal in the Calcutta High Court. The Court of Appeal has upheld the case made out by respondent 1 in regard to the acknowledgment based on the letter of March 5, 1932, and in consequence it has been held that the principal amounts due to respondent I are Rs. 55,000 and Rs. 2,500, and at the rate of interest payable thereon at 8% simple, the total amount payable being subject to the maximum allowable under the Money-lenders' Act. In accordance with these findings a preliminary decree has been drawn. It is this decree which is challenged before us by the appellant who has brought his appeal to this court with a certificate issued by the Calcutta High Court; and the only point which is raised for our decision is whether the letter in question amounts to a valid acknowledgment under s. I9 of the Limitation Act. The decision of this question would naturally depend upon the construction of the letter on which respondent 1 relies; but before reading the said letter it would be relevant to consider the essential requirements of s. 19 which provides for the effect of acknowledgment in writing . Section 19(1) says, inter alia, that where before the expiration of the period prescribed for a suit in respect of any right, an acknowledgment of liability in respect of such right has been made in writing signed by the party against whom such right is claimed, a fresh period of limitation shall be computed from the time when the acknowledgment was so signed. It would be noticed that some of the relevant essential requirements of a valid acknowledgment are that it must be made before the relevant period of limitation has 144 SUPREME COURT REPORTS. [1962] 1961 expired, it must be in regard to the liability in respect Kh B h d of the right in question and it must be made in writing H aau , . Shapoor Fredoom and must be signed by the party agamst whom such Ma:da right is claimed. Section 19(2) provides that where the v. writing containing the acknowledgment is undated Durga Prosad oral evidence may be given about the time when it Chamaiia"" o,,, was signed but it prescribes that subject to the proGajend;;,-;;,dkar 1. visions of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, oral evidence of its contents shall not be received; in other words, though oral evidence may be given about the date oral evidence about the contents of the document is excluded. Explanation 1 is also relevant. It provides, inter alia, that for the purpose of s. 19 an acknowledgment may be sufficient though it omits to specify the exact nature of the right or avers that the time for pa.yment has not yet come, or is accompanied by a refusal to pay, or is coupled with a claim to a set off, or is addressed to a person other thart the person entitled to the right. It is thus clear that acknowledgment as prescribed bys. 19 merely renews debt; it does not create a new right of action. It is a mere acknowledgment of the liability in respect of the right in question; it need not be accompanied by a promise to pay either expressly or even by implication. The statement on which a plea of acknowledgment is based must relate to a present subsisting liability though the exact nature or the specific character of the said liability may not be indicated in words. Words used in the acknowledgment must, however, indicate the existence of jural relationship between the parties such as that of debtor and creditor, and it must appear that the statement is made with the intention to admit such jural relationship. Such intention can be inferred by implication from the nature of the admission, and need not be expressed in words. If the statement is fairly clear then the intention to admit jural relationship may be implied from it. The admission in question need not be express but must be made in circumstances and in words from which the court can reasonably infer that the person making the admission intended to refer to a subsisting liability as at the date • .. • • IS.C.R. SUPREME COURT REPORTS 145 of the statement. In construing words used in the '961 statements made in writing on which a plea of Khan Bahadur acknowledgment rests oral evidence has been expressly Shapoor Fredoom excluded but surrounding circumstances can always be Mazda considered. Stated generally courts lean in favour of v. a liberal construction of such sta,tements though it does ChDurg~ Pr,,ad h h d . . . d h Jd amaria & Ors. not mean t at w ere no a m1ss10n 1s ma e one s ou be inferred, or where a statement was made clearly Gajendragadkar ]. without intending to admit the existence of jural relationship such intention could be fastened on the maker of the statement by an involved or far-fetched process of reasoning. Broadly stated that is the effect of the relevant provisions contained ins. 19, and there is really no substantial difference between the parties as to the true legal position in this matter. It is often said that in deciding the question as to whether any particular writing amounts to an acknowledgment as in construing wills, for instance, it is not very useful to refer to judicial decisions on the point. The effect of th A words used in a particular document must inevitably depend upon the context in which the words are used and would always be conditioned by the tenor of the said document, and so unless words used in a given document are identical with words used in a document judicially considered it would not serve any useful purpose to refer to judicial precedents in the matter. However, since decisions have been cited before us both by the learned Attorney-Genera] and Mr. Viswanatha Sastri we propose to refer to them very briefly before turning to the document in question. The question as to what is an acknowledgment has been answered by Fry, L. J., as early as 1884 A. D. in Green v. Humphreys('). This answer is often quoted with approval. "What is an acknowledgment", asked Fry, L.J., and he proceeded, "in my view an acknowledgment is an admission by the writer that there is a debt owing by him, either to the receiver of the letter or to some other person on whose behalf the letter is received but it is not enough that he refers to a debt (<) (1884) 26 Ch. D. 474, 481. 19 146 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1962] ' 96' as being due from somebody. In order to take the case Khan Bahadur out of the statute there must upon the fair construcShapoor Fredoom tion of the letter, read by the light of the surrounding Mazda circumstances, be an admission that the writer owes v. the debt". With respect, it may be added, that this Dur ga Pros ad t t t · ti d ] · h b f Ch . & 0 s a emen succmc y an terse y gives t e su stance o amar:_ rs. the provisions contained in s. 19 of the Limitation Act. Gajendragadkar J. Mr. Sastri has relied on the decision of the Privy Council in Beti Maharani v. Collector of Etawah (1) in which the Privy Council has recognised that it would be legitimate for the purpose of construing a document to look at the surrounding circumstances and that oral evidence about the intention of the maker of the statement cannot be admitted for the purpose of construing the said statement. "Their Lordships", observed Lord Hobhouse, who spoke for the Board, "cannot follow the learned judges of the High Court in admitting the Collector to give oral evidence of his intentions for the purpose of construing the notice. But they may for that purpose properly look at the surrounding circumstances". In Sukhamoni Chowdhrani v. Ishan Chunder Roy (') the statements on which reliance was placed. by the creditor was contained in the directions given by the debtor to apply surplus income "to the payment of the ijmali debts of us three co-owners of which a list is given below". It was held that by this statement the defendant acknowledged a joint debt and "from that follow the legal incidents of her position as a joint debtor with the plaintiff, one of which is that he may sue her for contribution". In other words, admission about a joint debt amounted to an acknowledgment though the liability to be sued for contribution is a matter of legal inference from the said admission and it had not been specifically included in the statement in question. Mr. Sastri has also relied on the decision of tho Full Bench of the Allahabad High Court in Munshi Lal v. Hira Lal (') where it has been held that a document said to constitute an acknowledgment has to be construed in the context in which it is given and that (1) (1894) 22 I.A. 31, 41. (2) (1897) 25 I.A. 95• (31 I.L.R. [1947] All. u. I • • .. 1 S.C.R. SUPREME COURT REPORTS 147 where its language is not clear in itself the context '96' must be examined to see what it is to which the words Kh B 1 d referred. The Court, however, added that its decision Shap::, ~::a:;m did not mean that any equivocation in an acknowledgMa:da ment can be cured by ascertaining what the probable v. intention of the acknowledger was. Similarly in DuYg~ PYOSad Swaminatha Odayar v. Subbarama Ayyar (1) the Madras Chamana & OYS. 1'.£ig?. Court has held that an acknowledgment for Gajendragadkar ]. hab1hty under s. 19 need not be express but may be implied from facts and circumstances under which a statement in a deposition was made but it cannot be implied as a. matter of law. On the other hand, the learned Attorney-General has strongly relied on an earlier decision of the Bombay High Court in Dharma V ithal v. Govind Sadvalkar ('). In that case certain statements made in the receipt given for the delivery of the land to the officer of the Court were relied upon as amounting to an acknowledgment. The said receipt referred to the suit and decree and the decree to which reference was thus made had set forth in ordinary course the then plaintiff's claim as resting on a mortgage. The contention was that the reference to the decree made the decree a part of the receipt and since the decree referred to the plaintiff's claim as resting on a mortgage the receipt itself served as an acknowledgment of a mortgage subsisting in 1827. This plea was rejected by the High Court. The High Court held that all that the receipt admits by implication is that the land had been awarded by the decree to the party who passed the receipt. "To extend it", observed West, J., "so as to make it an admission of the reasonings and legal grounds stated in the decree, would be to go beyond what probably was present at all to the consciousness of the recipient when he acknowledged having been put into possession". The learned judge then added that "the intention of the law manifestly is to make an admission in writing of an existing jural relation of the kind specified equivalent for the purposes of limitation to a new contract". As we will make it clear when we deal with the document before us it would be realised (I) (1927) l.L.R. 50 Mad. 548. (2) (1881) J,L,R. 8 Bom. 99. 148 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1962] 196' that this case cannot assist the appellant. The receipt '