Proclamation of sales by public auction
Full Text
(1) Where any property is ordered to be sold by public auction in execution of a decree, the Court shall cause a proclamation of the intended sale to be made in the language of such Court.
(2) Such proclamation shall be drawn up after notice to the decree-holder and the judgment-debtor and shall state the time and place of sale, and specify as fairly and accurately as possible—
(a) the property to be sold or, where a part of the property would be sufficient to satisfy the decree, such part;
(b) the revenue assessed upon the estate or part of the estate, where the property to be sold is an interest in an estate or in part of an estate paying revenue to the Government;
(c) any incumbrance to which the property is liable;
(d) the amount for the recovery of which the sale is ordered; and
(e) every other thing which the Court considers material for a purchaser to know in order to judge of the nature and value of the property:
Provided that where notice of the date for settling the terms of the proclamation has been given to the judgment-debtor by means of an order under rule 54, it shall not be necessary to give notice under this rule to the judgment-debtor unless the Court otherwise directs:
Provided further that nothing in this rule shall be construed as requiring the Court to enter in the proclamation of sale its own estimate of the value of the property, but the proclamation shall include the estimate, if any, given, by either or both of the parties.
(3) Every application for an order for sale under this rule shall be accompanied by a statement signed and verified in the manner hereinbefore prescribed for the signing and verification of pleadings and containing, so far as they are known to or can be ascertained by the person making the verification, the matters required by sub-rule (2) to be specified in the proclamation.
(4) For the purpose of ascertaining the matters to be specified in the proclamation, the Court may summon any person whom it thinks necessary to summon and may examine him in respect to any such matters and require him to produce any document in his possession or power relating thereto.
Plain English Summary
Mandates the drawing up of a comprehensive Proclamation of Sale after notice to both parties, specifying exact property boundaries, government revenue, existing encumbrances, decretal amount, and valuation estimates provided by both parties.
Key Legal Elements
- Mandatory Settling of Proclamation Notice: Notice to debtor unless already notified under Rule 54(1A).
- Five Essential Particulars: (a) Description of property/lot; (b) Revenue assessed; (c) Existing encumbrances; (d) Decretal claim + costs; (e) Material details affecting value.
- Parties' Valuations (Second Proviso): Court need not fix its own price but MUST state valuations of both DH and JD.
- Verified Statement (Sub-rule 3): Decree-holder must file verified statement of particulars.
- Inquisitorial Powers (Sub-rule 4): Court can summon revenue records, encumbrance certificates, and witnesses.
Practical Note
Setting Aside Sales for Defective Proclamations: 1. Landmark Authorities - Desh Bandhu Gupta v. N.L. Anand (1994) 1 SCC 131 & Saheb Khan v. Mohd. Yousuf Pak (2006) 4 SCC 476: Non-service of notice for settling the terms of proclamation under Rule 66 is not a mere irregularity—it is a fundamental illegality that renders the subsequent auction sale void ab initio! 2. Disclosure of Encumbrances: Decree-holders must procure a 12-year Encumbrance Certificate (EC) from the Sub-Registrar's office to attach to the Rule 66 application. Concealing a mortgage or under-stating property value gives the judgment-debtor ground to set aside the sale under Rule 90.
हिंदी पाठ
(1) जहां किसी संपत्ति को लोक नीलाम द्वारा बेचे जाने का आदेश दिया जाता है, वहां न्यायालय ऐसी अदालत की भाषा में आशयित विक्रय की उद्घोषणा (Proclamation of Sale) कराएगा।
(2) ऐसी उद्घोषणा डिक्रीदार और निर्णय-ऋणी को सूचना दिए जाने के पश्चात तैयार की जाएगी और उसमें विक्रय का समय व स्थान तथा निम्नलिखित विशिष्टियां यथासंभव शुद्धता से दी जाएंगी—
(क) बेची जाने वाली संपत्ति या उसका आवश्यक भाग;
(ख) सरकारी राजस्व (यदि कोई हो);
(ग) संपत्ति पर कोई विल्लंगम (Encumbrance/बंधक आदि);
(घ) वह धनराशि जिसकी वसूली के लिए विक्रय का आदेश दिया गया है; तथा
(ङ) प्रत्येक ऐसी अन्य बात जिसे न्यायालय क्रेता द्वारा संपत्ति के स्वरूप व मूल्य को आंकने हेतु महत्वपूर्ण समझे:
परंतु जहां नियम 54 के आदेश द्वारा उद्घोषणा के निबंधन तय करने की तारीख की सूचना दी जा चुकी है, वहां अलग नोटिस आवश्यक नहीं होगा;
परंतु यह और कि न्यायालय के लिए उद्घोषणा में संपत्ति का अपना मूल्यांकन लिखना आवश्यक नहीं होगा, किंतु उसमें पक्षकारों द्वारा दिया गया अनुमानित मूल्य शामिल किया जाएगा।
(3) विक्रय के आवेदन के साथ सत्यापित विवरण संलग्न होगा।
(4) न्यायालय उद्घोषणा की विशिष्टियों का पता लगाने हेतु किसी भी व्यक्ति को तलब कर सकता है और दस्तावेज मंगा सकता है।