2004 Supreme(Kar) 185
Karnataka High Court
K.P.DEVAIAH - Appellant
Versus
STATE OF KARNATAKA - Respondent
Decided On : 03-05-04
W.A. : 7878 of 2000
R.GOPAL HEGDE, U.Y.Kumar, UDAYA HOLLA
The Act does not permit transfer of property belonging to a society to a Trust.
Headnote:
Societies Registration Act - Dissolution of Society - Sections 21, 22, 23 - The court dismissed the writ petition challenging an endorsement issued by the Registrar of societies declining recognition to the dissolution of the Society and transfer of the school to the Trust. The court held that the Act did not permit transfer of property belonging to a society to a Trust, and suggested an enquiry by the Registrar of Societies to determine the validity of the dissolution and transfer.
Fact of the Case:
The Mathikere Cambridge Education Society was registered under the Karnataka Societies Registration Act, 1960, and later resolved to dissolve the society and transfer its assets and liabilities to Mathikere Cambridge Education Trust. The Registrar of Societies declined recognition to the dissolution and transfer, leading to a writ petition challenging the endorsement.
Finding of the Court:
The court found that the Act did not permit transfer of property belonging to a society to a Trust and dismissed the writ petition, suggesting an enquiry by the Registrar of Societies to determine the validity of the dissolution and transfer.
Issues: Dispute over the dissolution of the Society, creation of the Trust, and transfer of the school's management; Validity of the transfer in light of the provisions of Sections 22 and 23 of the Karnataka Societies Registration Act, 1960.
Ratio Decidendi: The court held that the Act did not permit transfer of property belonging to a society to a Trust and suggested an enquiry by the Registrar of Societies to determine the validity of the dissolution and transfer.
Final Decision: The court dismissed the writ petition, quashed the endorsement, and directed the Registrar of Societies to hold an enquiry into the questions of dissolution, creation of the Trust, and transfer of management.
( 2 ) WHILE the Trust was, according to the appellants, managing the institution, the Registrar of Societies has issued an endorsement dated 5-7-1993 by which he purports to have declined recognition to the dissolution of the Society and transfer of the school to the Trust. The endorsement inter alia records that there is no provision in the karnataka Societies Registration Act, 1960, under which a Society could be concerted into a Trust The conversion of the Society as a Trust was therefore in the opinion of the Registrar illegal.
( 3 ) AGGRIEVED by the endorsement aforementioned, the appellants filed w. P. No. 17842 of 1994 in this Court inter alia for a writ of certiorari quashing the endorsement and for a writ of mandamus directing the registrar of Societies not to receive any communication from respondent 3-Society or to enter into any correspondence with the said Society. The petitioners also sought a mandamus directing the Registrar to recognise the Trust deed dated 30-11-1990 and to declare that the Society was not in existence ever since the passing of resolution dated 20-9-1990.
( 4 ) IN the objections filed on behalf of the State and the Registrar of co-operative Societies, it was inter alia stated that the Karnataka societies Registration Act, 1960, did not envisage conversion of a Society into a Trust in the light of the bar contained in Sections 21 and 22 thereof and the decisions rendered by this Court from time to time. It was also stated that the accounts filed by the Secretary of the Society in terms of Section 13 of the Act and the correspondence made in that regard h