IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY AT AURANGABAD BENCH
VIBHA KANKANWADI, J.
Shaikh Arshad Mahebub - Appellant
Versus
Sayyed Samir Shah Mahmood - Respondent
First Appeal No. 3027 of 2015
Decided On : 01-10-2019
Bombay Public Trusts Act,1950 - Section 51 - Appointed as permanent Mutwallis - Obtaining permission from Charity Commissioner – Claim of compensation - In 1951, the predeceased of the defendants were appointed as permanent Mutwallis by District Judge in an ex parte proceedings and thereafter the defendants had taken over charge and possession of the trust properties. Thereafter, they felt that since they have been appointed as permanent Mutawallis, nobody can remove them and thereby they started mismanaging the properties and misappropriating funds of the trust. They have not kept regular accounts. So also, bank account has not been opened and therefore, the suit was filed after obtaining permission from Charity Commissioner, Bombay, under Section 51 of the then Bombay Public Trusts Act,1950, dated 25-10-1984. As aforesaid, in the suit, plaintiffs had claimed for declaration, removal of defendants from trusteeship and for accounts – Held, In view of the scheme, the learned Assistant Charity Commissioner was supposed to select four trustees with the consent of learned District Judge. It was in tune with the directions given in Letters Patent Appeal No.06 of 1975. The order that was earlier passed by the District Judge regarding the selection of the persons to be nominated by Assistant Charity Commissioner is concerned, it has been discarded thereby the act of publication of advertisement and inviting applications was not approved by this Court in the Letters Patent Appeal. However, it appears that the learned Assistant Charity Commissioner by passing the said order dated 29-10-2014, had issued paper publication inviting applications of interested persons to be appointed as trustees from the respective villagers. That means, the procedure which was discarded by this Court was adopted by learned Assistant Charity Commissioner and therefore, the learned Ad hoc District Judge was right in directing Assistant Charity Commissioner to correct the procedure because as per the scheme itself, it ought to have been with the consent of the District Judge. It can be observed that when in the scheme it was stated that the selection of trustees by Assistant Charity Commissioner would be with the consent of District Judge, then for obtaining consent there could have been an administrative order; it could not have been a judicial order in view of the fact that procedure of inviting applications for the appoint of trustees was deprecated by this Court. Therefore, when the impugned order is passed in consonance with the procedure stated in view of the judgment in the Letters Patent Appeal, no fault can be found though it appears that the learned Ad hoc District Judge was confused about the format of the order - Ahmednagar, would show that the District Court intended to take proceedings for final decree to be passed in Trust Suit – Appeal dismissed
JUDGMENT :
VIBHA KANKANWADI, J.
1. Present appeal has been filed by those persons in whose favour an order dated 19-05-2014 was passed by learned District Judge, Ahmednagar, in a trust matter. Respondents no.01 to 07 are those persons in whose favour the impugned order dated 28- 08-2015 was passed on the basis of order dated 14-08- 2015. Respondents no.08 and 09 are the persons in whose favour order dated 19-05-2014 was passed and respondents no.10 and 11 are the persons who had filed application Exhibit 1002 before the trial Court. Basically the first appeal arises out of the order below Exhibit 01 and decree in Trust Suit No. 2 of 1970 by learned Ad hoc District Judge-2, Ahmednagar, thereby the said suit came to be partly decreed. Seven trustees were appointed with the consent of the said Court as per the scheme which was already formed and then the Court Receiver who was appointed since 1977 was directed to hand over all the trust properties, including the account books, to the newly appointed trustees.
2. One Mahmod Sharif Usmanmiya and Mohamad Ibrahim Mohamad Sharif had filed R.C.S. No. 2 of 1970 before District Judge, Ahmednagar, to declare the trustees as guilty of mismanagement and misappropriation of breach of trust and as such, those trustees i.e. the defendants to be removed from their office. The consequential prayer for giving them directions to submit the accounts was also prayed. The suit was basically a trust suit in respect of trust called "Hajrat Sarkar Pir Sahab Sharif Dargah Dayra, Ahmednagar". It was registered with Assistant Charity Commissioner, Pune Region, Pune, vide No. B-117. The defendants were the trustees and one Shamsuddin Karimbhai was a trustee who expired in April 1968. It was contended that the plaintiffs are the beneficiaries of the trust and they are having interest in the same. They are the representatives of the family Saint Pir Shah Sharif. The trust properties were at Ekalahare village in Shrirampur Taluka and Konoshi village in Shevgaon Taluka. In 1951, the predeceased of the defendants were appointed as permanent 'Mutwallis' by District Judge in an ex parte proceedings and thereafter the defendants had taken over charge and possession of the trust properties. Thereafter, they felt that since they have been appointed as permanent 'Mutawallis', nobody can remove them and thereby they started mismanaging the properties and misappropriating funds of the trust. They have not kept regular accounts. So also, bank account has not been opened and therefore, the suit was filed after obtaining permission from Charity Commissioner, Bombay, under Section 51 of the then Bombay Public Trusts Act,1950, dated 25-10-1984. As aforesaid, in the suit, plaintiffs had claimed for declaration, removal of defendants from trusteeship and for accounts.
3. It appears from the proceedings, that by order dated 31-01-1973, a retired Civil Judge (Senior Division) was appointed as a Court Receiver and directions were given to manage the properties. Thereafter, it appears that some other receiver was appointed under the order of the Court. Thereafter, there was a compromise which was recorded before the trial Court on 16-10-2014 for appointment of in all seven persons as trustees and in view of order dated 16-10-2014, seven persons named in the order were appointed as trustees of the trust and copy of the order was directed to be given to Assistant Charity Commissioner, Ahmednagar, for taking further steps in the matter. In view of the said order, learned Assistant Charity Commissioner made enquiry under Enquiry Application No.335 of 1991 and passed order to that effect on 19-05-2015. Thereafter, application Exhibit 1002 was filed and thereby the order passed by learned Assistant Charity Commissioner, Ahmednagar, in Enquiry No. 335 of 1991 dated 19-05-2015 was partly set aside to the extent of nomination of four persons from four villages and the learned Assistant Charity Commissioner was directed to follow the order pass
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