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2001 Supreme(Bom) 1007

IN THE HIGH COURT OF BOMBAY
A.M. Khanwilkar, J.
Mumbai Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai .... Appellant.
Versus
Sushilaben I. Patel.... Respondent.
Appeal From Order No. 594 of 2001, decided on 30-10-2001.
Advocates appeared :
N.V. Walawalkar, for petitioner.
P.N. Godge, for respondent.

Headnote:Bombay Municipal Corporation Act, 1888 - - Section 351 - Illegal construction - Demolition of by Corpn. - Power of Court - Issuance of mandatory injunction directing reconstruction of demolished property - Held - Positive evidence of mala fide action by officials with ulterior purpose must be adduced by suitor - Court has discretionary power. - There can be no doubt that the Court possesses ample power to grant injunction in the mandatory form during the pendency of the suit, which could also be in the nature of requiring the authority to reconstruct the property which has been demolished. But, such relief is not an ordinary relief and is not granted as a matter of course. It is only in exceptional and rare cases that the Court would exercise its discretionary power in granting relief in the mandatory form. The quintessence for invoking such discretionary power of the Court would be, inter alia that the act of demolition undertaken by the officials has not been done bona fide and in good faith, but has been done with ulterior purpose including to defeat the rights of any party or settled peaceful possession. In other words, merely illegality would not visit with such a drastic order but when it is established that the action was mala fide done with ulterior purpose to defend the suitors claim that the Court would consider exercise of this discretion. Moreover, merely because the proposed action of the authority was intended to be challenged by way of suit or such other proceedings and the suitor would pray for interim relief, however, in the absence of any injunction or restrain order before the prescribed time, the authority will not be precluded from carrying out its proposed action in accordance with law. And if the authority proceeds to execute its proposed action that cannot be termed as mala fide or actuated with ulterior motive or for that matter not bona fide or not done in good faith, But, to seek the mandatory relief of this nature, the suitor will have to adduce positive evidence to indicate that the action was mala fide and actuated with ulterior purpose.

JUDGMENT - A.M. KHANWILKAR, J.:---This appeal takes exception to the order passed by the City Civil Court, Bombay dated June 20, 2001 in Notice of Motion No. 450 of 2001 in S.C. Suit No. 3910 of 1996. By this order the trial Court has directed the appellant-Corporation to reconstruct the second floor and first floor (part) of the suit premises of building Nos. 15 and 16 Patel Mansion situated at Kurla (West), Mumbai 400 070, within three weeks from the date of the order. The Corporation was further directed to forthwith return the 287 iron bars to the respondent-plaintiff which were taken by them at the time of demolition, between August 2, 2000 to August 7, 2000; and in the event the same were not available and destroyed by the Corporation then the Corporation was directed to pay compensation for the same to the respondent-plaintiff within three weeks from the date of the order. This order is the subject matter of the present appeal. In so far as the latter direction is concerned, the stand taken on behalf of the Corporation before this Court is that they would return all those materials confiscated by the Corporation during the demolition as specified in the list prepared by the Ward Officer. According to Mr. Walawalkar there is serious dispute with regard to the number of items claimed by the respondent-plaintiff and in the list submitted by the authorities.

2. Briefly stated, the suit structure, being Building Nos. 15 and 16, Patel Mansion, Jivan Jyot, situated at Kurla (West), Mumbai 400 070, consisted of ground plus two floors. The respondent had applied for permission to carry out certain repairs, which permission was granted on November 29, 1995 in exercise of powers under section 354 of the Bombay Municipal Corporations Act (hereinafter referred to as the said Act). While the said repair work was going on, it was noticed by the officers of the appellant-Corporation that the respondent was carrying out work in contravention of the permission granted by the Corporation, for which reason stop work notice was given under section 354-A of the Act. That notice was challenged by the respondent before the City Civil Court, Bombay, by way of Special Civil Suit No. 1430 of 1996. In the said suit the Court directed the parties to maintain status quo in respect of the suit property. Thereafter on March 19, 1996, the appellant-Corporation issued notice under section 351 of the Act calling upon the respondent to remove the structure specified in the said notice which, according to the corporation, was unauthorized and offending structure. On receipt of the said notice the respondent immediately rushed to the City Civil Court, Bombay by way of suit being Special Civil Suit No. 3910 of 1996. In the said suit the respondent took out the Notice of Motion praying for interim injunction during the pendency of the said suit. The City Civil Court on July 12, 1996 granted ad interim relief which was to enure till July 19, 1996. It is not in dispute that the said ad interim relief was subsequently continued by order dated October 4, 1996. However, it appears that the tenants of the respondent had reason to believe that the respondent after obtaining ad interim relief from the trial Court caused to misplace the papers pertaining to the suit filed before the trial Court as well as the original file of the Corporation and was taking advantage of the ad interim relief granted by the trial Court. The said tenant (hereinafter referred to as the Popat family) appears to have made this complaint about the said impropriety committed by the respondent not only to the City Civil Court, Bombay, but also to the Registrar of the High Court of Bombay. It appears that pursuant to the said complaint, the trial Court passed an order on June 9, 2000, which reads thus :

“Her Honour Judge Ms. Laxmi P. Rao: In pursuance of complaint lodged by Smt. Geeta Harshad Popat before the High Court at Bombay and further subsequent enquiries held in the matter regarding the




























































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