Punjab & Haryana High Court, Chandigarh
Citation(1994) 1 SCC 1
CourtSupreme Court of India
Date18 November 1993
Year1994
BenchS. Mohan, M.M. Punchhi JJ.
Acts/ArticlesCPC Section 151, Transfer of Property Act
CategoryConstitutional Law, Property & Land Law

Key Principle Established

A judgment or decree obtained by fraud is a nullity. Courts will not permit a party to benefit from fraud, suppression of facts, or misrepresentation. Fraud vitiates all transactions.

Brief Facts

A party obtained a property decree by suppressing a prior release deed that was crucial to the case. The opponent discovered this suppression and sought to set aside the decree.

Ratio Decidendi

The Supreme Court held that fraud vitiates everything — “fraus omnia corrumpit”. A judgment or decree obtained by fraud is a nullity and can be set aside at any time. The Court will not allow a person to retain any advantage obtained through fraud, suppression of material facts, or misrepresentation.

Impact & Significance

This is the most cited authority on fraud in property litigation. The principle “fraud vitiates all transactions” is applied across all branches of law.

Tags & Related Topics

Constitutional Law Property & Land Law CPC Section 151 Transfer of Property Act
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Disclaimer

This judgment summary is for educational and research purposes. While care has been taken to accurately represent the ratio and findings, for authoritative reference always consult the original judgment text from official sources (SCC Online, AIR, Manupatra, or court websites).

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