High Court Of Calcutta
A.K.Janah & A.N.Banerjee, JJ.
Republic Stores
Vs.
Jagajit Industries Ltd
First Miscellaneous Appeal No. 499 of 1976.
Decided On : Jan 16, 1977
INJUNCTION - SOLE DISTRIBUTORSHIP - AGREEMENT - SPECIFIC RELIEF ACT, 1963, SECTIONS 14, 40, 41 - TEMPORARY INJUNCTION CANNOT BE GRANTED TO RESTRAIN BREACH OF CONTRACT WHICH IS IN ITS NATURE DETERMINABLE.
Fact of the Case:
Plaintiff, claiming to be the sole distributor of defendant's products in West Bengal, sought a temporary injunction to restrain the defendant from interfering with its exclusive distribution rights. The plaintiff's claim was based on a verbal renewal of an earlier written contract that expired on 31st March 1975. The defendant denied the existence of a fresh contract and asserted that the plaintiff had no right to act as the sole distributor.
Finding of the Court:
The court found that there was a bona fide contention between the parties and that the plaintiff had a remedy by way of damages. The court also found that the balance of convenience was against the plaintiff.
Issues: 1. Whether the plaintiff was the sole distributor of the defendant's products in West Bengal? 2. Whether there was a fresh concluded contract between the parties for sole distributorship for another period of 3 years beginning from 1st April, 1975? 3. Whether the plaintiff was entitled to a temporary injunction restraining the defendant from interfering with its exclusive distribution rights?
Ratio Decidendi: 1. The court held that whether the plaintiff was the sole distributor or not was a matter to be decided in the suit itself. 2. The court held that even if there was a concluded contract between the parties, such an agreement was determinable at the will of either party under clause 23 of the agreement. 3. The court held that under Section 14 of the Specific Relief Act, 1963, a contract which is in its nature determinable cannot be specifically enforced. 4. The court held that under Section 41 of the Specific Relief Act, 1963, an injunction cannot be granted to prevent the breach of a contract the performance of which would not be specifically enforced.
Final Decision: The court dismissed the plaintiff's appeal and held that a temporary injunction could not be granted to restrain the breach of a contract which was in its nature determinable.
1. THIS appeal is by the plaintiff whose application for a temporary injunction has been dismissed. The plaintiff M/s Republic stores (Trade) instituted a suit against the defendant-respondent for a mandatory injunction directing the defendant to execute a formal agreement incorporating the terms, conditions and stipulations as set forth in the agreement dated 1st April, 1972 and also for other reliefs. In connection with that suit the plaintiff filed an application for a temporary injunction restraining the defendant from disturbing or interfering with the plaintiffs exclusive right of distribution, in the State of West Bengal, the products of the defendant company. The plaintiff claimed to be the sole distributor of the products of the defendant company throughout the State of West Bengal on the basis of a verbal renewal of an earlier written contract which expired on 31st March, 1975. It was alleged that in violation of the said agreement the defendant had been negotiating with other parties for the sale of its products through them, and thereby the defendant was causing or threatening to cause loss to the plaintiff. The application for temporary injunction was contested by the defendant who denied the material allegations in the application and asserted that after the expiry of the earlier agreement there had been no fresh concluded contract between the parties as alleged by the plaintiff. It was alleged by the defendant that the plaintiff had no right to act as the distributor of the products of the defendant company, far less to act as the sole distributor. The learned Judge was of the view that there was a bonafide contention between the parties but the plaintiff had its remedy by way of damages and the balance of conveyance was against the plaintiff. Upon this view the application for temporary injunction was rejected by the trial court.
2. MR. Banerjee appearing on behalf of the appellant has drawn our attention to certain annexure to the petitioner's affidavit-in-reply filed in this court and has contended that the minutes of the meeting between the plaintiff's representative and the defendant's representative as contained in the said annexure would show that there was a concluded contract between the parties on the same terms and conditions contained in the earlier agreement dated 1st April, 1972. By the said agreement dated 1st April, 1972 the plaintiff was appointed the distributor for the products of the defendant company, as mentioned in the said agreement, for the territory of the State of West Bengal. According to Mr. Banerjee although the word "sole distributor" does not appear in the said agreement yet on a reading of the agreement as a whole it follows by necessary implication that the plaintiff was appointed the sole distributor for the products of the defendant company, as mentioned in the said agreement, for the territory of West Bengal. Mr. Banerjee contended that as per verbal agreement between the parties there was a fresh concluded contract for such sole distributorship for another period of 3 years beginning from 1st April, 1975 on the same terms and conditions as in the earlier agreement. That being the position Mr. Banerjee contended that the trial court ought to have granted the injunction which was prayed for by the plaintiff.
On behalf of the respondent it was contended that since clause 2 (b) of the agreement provides that nothing in the agreement would preclude the company from selling and supplying its products in the territory directly through other whole seller the appellant was not and could not have been the sole distributor of the products of the respondent company. Whether the appellant was the sole distributor or not is a matter to be decided in the suit itself. Clause 23 of the agreement entitles either party to that agreement to terminate the same by giving the other party 30 days notice in writing without liability to pay any compensation. That being so even assuming that th
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