In Brief
The Supreme Court set aside a decree for specific performance of a property sale agreement, substituting it with monetary compensation. The appellants had agreed to sell property (worth ~Rs. 6.30 lakhs) for only Rs. 1.60 lakhs to the respondent's money-lending father. The Court held that while specific performance is normally warranted, courts may exercise discretion under Section 20 of the Specific Relief Act when contract terms or circumstances give one party unfair advantage. Here, the respondent's father obtained an extraordinarily advantageous bargain. The Court awarded Rs. 15 lakhs compensation instead, finding this equitable remedy more just than enforcing the drastically underpriced sale agreement.
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