HIGH COURT OF CALCUTTA
S. Datta
NEW MONKHOOSHI TEA CO. LTD - Appellant
Versus
STATE - Respondent
. Of .
Decided On : January 15, 1965
COMPANY - SHARE REGISTER - RECTIFICATION - SUCCESSION CERTIFICATE - SCOPE - ESTOPPEL - COMPANY COURT JURISDICTION - COMPANIES ACT, 1956 - SECTION 155 - SUCCESSION ACT, 1925 - SECTION 370 - EVIDENCE ACT, 1872 - SECTION 115.
Fact of the Case:
The applicant, Kiron Kana Dasi, sought rectification of the share register of the company, claiming entitlement to 300 bonus shares and 100 shares out of the remaining 600 shares held jointly by her mother, Kumudini Dasi, and her minor sons, Rabindra and Arabinda. The company refused, arguing that the bonus shares were issued to the three joint holders and that, upon Kumudini's death, the shares devolved to the surviving joint holder, Arabinda, under the company's Articles of Association.
Finding of the Court:
The court held that the presumption of ownership arising from the share certificate issued in Kumudini's sole name was rebutted by overwhelming evidence indicating that the bonus shares were intended for the three joint holders. However, the court also held that the applicant could not rely on the deed of gift for registration of the shares as it did not comply with the requirements of Section 155 of the Companies Act, and that the succession certificate obtained by the applicant did not enable her to claim rectification of the register as the shares did not belong to Kumudini's estate upon her death.
Issues: 1. Whether Kumudini Dasi was the sole registered owner of the 300 bonus shares and whether the petitioner was entitled to them. 2. Whether the petitioner was entitled to 100 shares out of the remaining 600 shares held jointly by Kumudini Dasi and her minor sons. 3. Whether the petitioner was entitled to 180 bonus shares claimed in the petition. 4. What relief, if any, was the petitioner entitled to.
Ratio Decidendi: 1. The court held that the presumption of ownership arising from the share certificate issued in Kumudini's sole name was rebutted by overwhelming evidence indicating that the bonus shares were intended for the three joint holders. 2. The court held that the applicant could not rely on the deed of gift for registration of the shares as it did not comply with the requirements of Section 155 of the Companies Act. 3. The court held that the succession certificate obtained by the applicant did not enable her to claim rectification of the register as the shares did not belong to Kumudini's estate upon her death. 4. The court held that the company's refusal to rectify the share register was justified, and that the applicant was not entitled to any relief.
Final Decision: The court dismissed the application for rectification of the share register with costs.
( 2 ) SMT. Kumudini Dasi and her minor sons Rabindra and Arabinda were the joint holders of 600 shares of the Company, bearing numbers 38636 to 38935 and 77899 to 78198. In or about 1957 the company issued bonus shares which entitled the abovementioned joint holders to 300 bonus shares of the company. The company accordingly issued a letter of allotment indicating that the three abovementioned persons were entitled jointly to the 300 bonus shares. The company however, in fact issued a share certificate which bore the name of one of the joint holders only, namely, Smt. Kumudini Dasi. On or about the 4th day of July 1960 the said Kumudini Dasi armed with the said share certificate for 300 bonus shares bearing distinctive numbers 115542 to 115841 in her sole name made a gift of the said 300 shares to he daughter Kiron Kana Das. Smt. Kumudini Dasi, however, did not execute any transfer deed in favour of her daughter, the donee, and did not send the shares for registration of the transfer in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act. In these circumstances, on or about 21st day of August 1960, Smt. Kumudini Das died. Thereafter, Smt. Kiron Kana Dasi obtained a succession certificate for 400 shares of the said company on the footing that she was entitled to 300 shares which stood in the name of her mother alone and of which her mother had made a gift to her and 100 shares out of the remaining 600 shares which devolved on her by reason of the death of her mother. Smt. Kiron Kana Dasi fortified by the succession certificate claimed rectification of the share register. The company, however, refused to concede to the request of the applicant, Sm. Kiron Kana Dasi or the ground, inter alia, that under Article 53 of the company upon the death of the two joint holders out of three joint holders, the shares devolved on the surviving joint holder, namely, Arabinda and further on the ground that the share certificate for 300 shares was evidently issued in the name of Smt. Kumudini Dasi under some mistake or misapprehension of facts for the register records the names not only of Smt. Kumuduni Dasi but also of her sons, Rabindra and Arabinda as the owners of these 300 bonus shares. Moreover it was pointed out that Arabinda was claiming to be solely entitled to these shares under the Articles of the Company and consequently they cannot pay it to the applicant, Smt. Kiron Kana Dasi.
( 3 ) IN these circumstances, the matter was set down for hearing on evidence and the following issues were settled:- (1) Was Kumudini Dassi the sold registered owner of 300 shares Nos. 115542 to 115841? if so, is the petitioner entitled to the same? (2) Is the petitioner entitled to 100 shares out of the shares Nos. 38636 to 38935 and 77899 to 78198 registered in the joint names of late Kumudinin Dasi and her two minor sons, Rabindra Kumar Das and Arbinda Kumar Das? (3) Is the petitioner entitled to 180 Bonus shares claimed in paragraph 14 of the petition? (4) To what relief, if any, is the petitioner entitled?
( 4 ) MR. S. Ghose, learned counsel appearing for the company, first submitted that it is abundantly clear from the facts that subject matter Kumudini Dasi, Rabindra and Arabinda, the registered owners of the original 600 shares were also the owners of 300 bonus shares. The facts in support of this fact are so overwhelming that the presumption arising out of the issue of the share certificate must yield to it.
( 5 ) IT is beyond doubt that the 600 shares originally stood in the names of Smt. Kumudini Dasi and her minor sons Rabindra and Arbinda. It is also clear from the letter of allotment that these 300 shares were meant to be issued to these three persons jointly as owner of the original 600 sh
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