Judgment

TULZAPURKAR, J. :- These appeals by certificates granted by the High Court of Judicature at Madras are directed against its common judgment and two decrees dated July 19, 1963 in A. S. No. 260 of 1958 and A. S. No. 165 of 1960 respectively whereby the High Court decreed the respondents suits (O. S. No. 319/1955 and O. S. No. 316/1955) in damages against the two appellants (M. Lachia Setty & Sons Ltd. and Giri Coffee Works) respectively.

2. The respondent (the Coffee Board, Bangalore) is a statutory body incorporated under the Coffee Act, 1942 having complete control - almost monopolistic - over the coffee trade, internal and external. Its functions and duties require it to keep a control over coffee prices regard being had to the interest of all concerned, the grower, planter, licensed curer, trader and consumer. Inter alia, it is entrusted with a duty of marketing coffee delivered to it by all owners of coffee estates and for that purpose it is empowered to make allotments of coffee between export and internal trade and in regard to the coffee allotment made to the latter category at the material time it adopted three methods for releasing the coffee to the trade for intern