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2007 Supreme(Kar) 607

Karnataka High Court
Judges : H.N.NAGAMOHAN DAS
M/S.MAHESH CENTRE - Appellant
Versus
PEOPLE CHARITY Fund BY ITS TRUSTEES - Respondent
R. F. A. 654 Of 2002
Decided On : 09/14/2007
Advocates Appeared :
A.N.Jayaram, P.S.DINESH KUMAR, TARAKARAM, U.L.BHAT

Headnote:Limitation Act, 1963 - Section 21(1) - Amendment of cause title - Limitation - Applicability with reference to date of institution of suit - Plaintiff was described as proprietary concern - Amendment sought to describe plaintiff as joint family concern - Held, amendment would not change cause of action nor nature of claim - Section 21(1) not applicable - Doctrine of relation-back is not universal. [H.N. Nagamohan Das, J]: It is not in dispute that second plaintiff D.L.Nanjariaj negotiated with the defenant trusts Chairman by name Sri N. Krishanaswamy reddy for lease of schedule property for its development. the first plaintiff was described as M/s. Mahesh Centre, a proprietary concern represented by its properietor Sri. D.L. Nanjaraj, the second plaintiff. At the first instance, the suit of the palintfs was decreed. The defedants being aggrieved by the Judgment and Decree of the trail Court filed RFA No. 405/1998 on the file of this court. dluring the pendency of the appeal, defendants filed an application seeking amendment of the written statement to incorporarate on eadditional paragrapsh contending that there is no agreement or contract betweenthe plaintiffs and defendants. This court allowed the amendment application and remanded thematter to the Trial Court for fresh disposal in accordance withlaw. After remand plaintiffs filed an application to amend the cause title of the plaint to describe the first plaintiff as a joint family firm adn not a proprietary concern. The amendment ot the plaint was necessaistate don account of amendment of the writtedn statement by the defendants. The second plantiff remained sme even after amendment. The sameof first plaintif also remanied sme as M/s. Mahesh Centre. Onearlier occasion, the status of the first plaintiff was described as Proprietary concern. Now under the amednment the statue so ffirst plaintiff is described as joint family firm. The proposed amendment will not amount to introducing new idea or facts or relief. The amendment of cause title in the plaint with regard to the status of plainitff will not change the cause of action nor thenature of claim. The correction of misdescribption of status of first plaintiff in the cause title is necessary for just and effective adjustication of the controversy between the parties. Therefore, Section 21(1) of Limitation Act has not application to the facts and circumstances of this case. The Trial Court committed an error in concluding that the suit of the plaintiff is liable to be dismissed as the same is barred by limitation. The trial Court failed to examine the scope of proviso to Section 21(1) of the Limitation Act. I am satisfied that omission to describe the first plaintiff as joint family firm wasonly a mistake made in good laith. The description of status of first plaitnif relates back to the date of institution of suit.

       Cases Referred: AIR 1969 SC 1267; AIR 1970 All 406; 1973 (2) Mys.L.J. 325; AIR 1978 SC 484; AIR 1996 SC 642; (1997) 2 SCC 611; (2002) 2 SCC 445; (2002) 7 SCC 559.

       Practice and Procedure - Amendment of cause title - Whether omission to include was bonafide and due to mistake in good faith - Is required to be examined in facts and circumstances of each case.

       Cases Referred: AIR 1969 SC 1267; AIR 1970 All 406; 1973 (2) Mys.L.J. 325; AIR 1978 SC 484; AIR 1996 SC 642; (1997) 2 SCC 611; (2002) 2 SCC 445; (2002) 7 SCC 559.

       Pleadings - Amendment - Cause title - Addition of plaintiff - Effect. See, Limitation Act, 1963 - Section 21(1); Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 - Order 6, Rule 17

       Cases Referred: AIR 1969 SC 1267; AIR 1970 All 406; 1973 (2) Mys.L.J. 325; AIR 1978 SC 484; AIR 1996 SC 642; (1997) 2 SCC 611; (2002) 2 SCC 445; (2002) 7 SCC 559.

NAGAMOHAN DAS, J, J.


( 1 ) THIS Regular First Appeal arises out of judgment and decree dated 27/3/2002 in O. S. No. 5309/1990 passed by the XI Addl. City Civil Judge, Bangalore City dismissing the suit of plaintiff for specific performance for lease of schedule property.

( 2 ) THE appellants are the plaintiffs. Respondents are the defendants. The parties in this appeal are referred to by their status before the Trial Court.

( 3 ) FIRST defendant is a public charitable trust. Defendants 2 to 4 are the Trustees. Defendants are the owners of schedule property. Plaintiffs are engaged in developing modem building/ complexes. The defendants invited tenders in the month of May/ June 1980 for development of schedule property. Plaintiffs through their letter dated 17/6/1980 offered to develop the schedule property. According to the plaintiffs, after long correspondence, there came to be a concluded contract for development of schedule property. Since the defendants failed to perform their part of obligation and refused to lease the schedule property for development, the plaintiffs filed O. S. No. 5309/ 1990 for decree of specific performance to lease the schedule property by executing a registered lease deed. , for permanent injunction and for other reliefs. Defendants entered appearance before the trial Court, filed written statement denying the very status of plaintiffs and contended that there was no concluded contract. The defendants opposed the claim of the plaintiffs. On the basis of the pleadings the Trial Court framed the following issues: i) Do the plaintiffs prove concluded contract of agreement of lease by the defendants? ii) Whether the plaintiffs were ever ready to perform their part of contract? iii) Do the plaintiffs prove committing breach by the defendants? iv) Who will suffer greater hardship by grant of refusal of decree? v) Whether the defendant is liable to execute lease deed under Sec. 36 of the Indian Trust Act 1882? vi) Whether the plaintiffs are entitled for a decree for the specific performance? vii) Whether the plaintiffs are entitled for the possession of the suit property?

( 4 ) BEFORE the Trial Court the parties adduced evidence and addressed arguments. The trial Court by considering the pleadings, evidence and arguments of both the parties decreed O. S. No. 5309/ 1990 vide judgment dated 10-3-1998. Aggrieved by this judgment and decree of trial Court, the defendants filed an appeal before this court in RFA No. 405/1998. During the pendency of the appeal, the defendants filed an application seeking amendment of the written statement to incorporate one additional paragraph contending that there is no agreement or contract between the plaintiffs and the defendants. The correspondence was with a firm by name M/s. Mahesh Centre which is a partnership concern. The draft agreement relied on by the plaintiffs was with the partnership firm and plaintiffs are not a partnership firm but the same is proprietary concern. This court allowed the amendment of written statement. Consequently, this Court vide judgment dated 21-9-2001 allowed RFA No. 405/ 1998, set aside the judgment and decree of the trial court and remanded the matter to the trial Count for disposal on merits.

( 5 ) AFTER remand, the plaintiffs filed an application to amend the cause title in the plaint stating that first plaintiff is a joint family firm. The trial Court vide order dated 18-1-2002 allowed the application of the plaintiffs to amend the cause title with certain observations. After amendment of pleadings, the trial Court framed the following additional issues: i) Whether the suit is maintainable? ii) Whether the sale agreement is in favour of the firm or proprietary concern? iii) Whether the defendants prove that the suit is barred by limitation? iv) Whether the defendants prove that there is no privity of contract with the plaintiffs?

( 6 ) AFTER remand, both the parties adduced additional evidence and produced additional documents. On t























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