SupremeToday Landscape Ad
Back
Next
Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation
Listen Audio Icon Pause Audio Icon
judgment-img

1981 Supreme(Bom) 270

IN THE HIGH COURT OF BOMBAY
Deshpande S.J. J.
Shrikrishna Annaji Sonatake .... Appellant.
Versus
Ramnarayan Pannalal Lathi and others .... Respondents.
Second Appeal No. 532 of 1976 decided on 6/7–10–1981.
Advocate Appeared:
For appellant-J. R. Lalit.
For respondent Nos. 1 to 3-V. Z. Kankaria.

All the trustees must be before the Court when the question of liability of trust properties is involved.

Headnote:

PUBLIC TRUST - APPEAL - COMPETENCY - TRUSTEES - JOINT LIABILITY - ORDER 41, RULE 4, CODE OF CIVIL PROCEDURE - INTERPRETATION - TRUSTEES AS JOINT OFFICE HOLDERS - SUIT REGARDING TRUST PROPERTIES - NECESSITY OF ALL TRUSTEES AS PARTIES - DEFECTIVE APPEAL - INCOMPETENT APPEAL.

Fact of the Case:

Plaintiff, a teacher employed by a public trust, filed a suit to recover his salary for the remaining six months of the academic year after the school was closed. The trial court decreed the suit, holding that the bar of Order 2, rule 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure did not apply as the cause of action for the present suit was different from that of an earlier suit for the first six months' salary. On appeal, the district court reversed the trial court's decree, holding that the appeal was barred by Order 2, rule 2.

Finding of the Court:

The High Court held that the appeal filed by three trustees of the trust was incompetent as it was defective for not joining the other trustees as appellants or respondents. The court found that the decree of the trial court was only against the trust and not against the individual trustees, and therefore, the appeal by the three trustees was not maintainable. The court also held that the provisions of Order 41, rule 4 of the Code of Civil Procedure, which deals with appeals by or against multiple plaintiffs or defendants, were not applicable in this case as the interest of the trust and the trustees was not one and the same.

Issues: 1. Whether the appeal filed by three trustees of the trust was competent? 2. Whether the bar of Order 2, rule 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure applied to the present suit?

Ratio Decidendi: 1. The office of a trustee is a joint one, and co-trustees form one trustee and must execute their duties jointly. 2. A suit regarding trust properties cannot be maintained by one or some of the trustees only, if the remaining trustees are not before the Court either as plaintiffs or even as defendants. 3. The provisions of Order 41, rule 4 of the Code of Civil Procedure, which deals with appeals by or against multiple plaintiffs or defendants, are not applicable where the interest of the trust and the trustees is not one and the same.

Final Decision: The High Court allowed the appeal, set aside the appellate decree, and restored and confirmed the decree of the trial court.

JUDGMENT - Deshpande S.J. J.:-This second appeal is filed by original plaintiff against the appellate decree passed against respondent No. 4 Trust. Respondent Nos. 1 to 3 are the trustees of the Trust-respondent No. 4, though they are not described as such.

2. The plaintiff had filed a suit against the Trust initially in the Court of the Joint Civil Judge, Junior Division, Jalgaon, being Regular Civil Suit No. 618 of 1972 impleading the Trust as the first defendant and defendant Nos. 2 to 11 as original trustees. The suit was filed to recover an amount of Rs. 2,322 with future interest and costs. The case of the plaintiff was that the first defendant is a Public Trust and he was the employee of this Trust working as a teacher in one of the high schools conducted by the Trust. The plaintiff was appointed as the Head Master for academic year 1969–70 on monthly pay of Rs. 200 as the basic pay and permitted dearness allowance. The total salary of the plaintiff was Rs. 327 per month. It was the case of the plaintiff that he was appointed on June 11, 1969 for a period of one year i. e. from June 11, 1969 to June 10, 1970.

3. It appears that the school was closed within that time after appointment and the defendants did not pay the plaintiff the agreed amount of salary, and therefore, the plaintiff was required to file a suit for recovery of his pay. The plaintiff had, therefore, filed an earlier suit, being Regular Civil Suit No. 529 of 1969 to recover his salary and it appears that suit related to the first six months of academic year 1969–70. That suit came to be decreed and the decree in that suit is on record which shows that the plaintiff's claim to the extent of six months' period was decreed on the basis that the defendant-Trust committed breach of contract.

4. In this suit, which is filed by the plaintiff, the plaintiff says that he was ready and willing to work as Head Master for the whole year but Vidyalaya was closed and the defendant Trust is liable to pay for the remaining six months of the academic year 1969–70.

5. Defendant Trust raised a plea that the suit is barred by the provisions of Order 2, rule 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure, in view of the judgment and decree passed in the earlier suit being Regular Civil Suit No. 529 of 1969. It also denied that the Trust had committed any breach of contract and finally contended that the plaintiff is not entitled to any relief because he has no cause of action to file the present suit.

6. The learned trial Judge framed as many as seven issues. On consideration of the evidence on record, he held on issue No. 5, which related to the closure of the school, that as on this issue no evidence was given by the defendants, therefore, the contention of the plaintiff was accepted by the trial Judge that the school was not closed and therefore holding the contract continues he held that the plaintiff is entitled to the relief claimed by him. On issue No. 6, which related to the bar under Order 2, rule 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure, the learned trial Judge held that the bar is not attracted, because the cause of action for the present suit and the cause of action for the earlier suit are different, holding that the former suit was for recovery of damages of the earlier six months and the present suit is confined to the period from November 12, 1969 to June 11, 1970 and the bar of Order 2 rule 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure does not arise. The learned trial Judge was of the view that since the plaintiff's claim relates to the monthly salary in which event monthly salary becomes due per month and as this cause of action is recurring cause of action, he held that the bar of Order 2 rule 2 of the Code cannot be attracted to the present suit. The other issues are not necessary to be taken into consideration. On these principal issues, the trial Judge having held in favour of the plaintiff passed a decree in the sum of Rs. 2,322 plus interest. It is material to note that the decree reads as

















Click Here to Read the rest of this document
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Judicial Analysis

AI

SupremeToday Portrait Ad
supreme today icon
logo-black

An indispensable Tool for Legal Professionals, Endorsed by Various High Court and Judicial Officers

Please visit our Training & Support
Center or Contact Us for assistance

qr

Scan Me!

India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!

For Daily Legal Updates, Join us on :

whatsapp-icon Back to top