High Court Of Delhi
J. M. Malik
RAM KUMAR - Appellant
Versus
RAVINDER KUMAR GULATI - Respondents
RSA 378 Of 2006
Decided On : 01/17/2007
Order 39 Rules 1 & 2 - Permanent injunction - Jurisdiction of civil court - Appellant purchased a property from respondent No 1 - Agreement was executed - Appellant came to know that respondent No 1 had taken loan from respondent No.2 bank against the hypothecation of suit property - Respondent No. 2 started legal action against respondent No 1 for repayment of loan amount Court considered that respondent No 1 entered into agreement with the respondent No.2 bank prior to agreement with the appellants & Section 34 of Securitisation and reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Interest Act barred the jurisdiction of civil court in respect of any matter where a Debts Recovery Tribunal has jurisdiction - No merit - Hence, Court upheld the verdict of civil court & first appellant court - Appeal dismissed. [Paras6 & 7]
J. M. MALIK, J.
( 1 ) CM 16122/2006 (u/s 5 of the Limitation Act) the delay in filing the present appeal is condoned and the application stands disposed of. FAO 377-78/2006 1. Both the Trial Court and the first Appellate Court have handed down a verdict that Civil Court has no jurisdiction to entertain this suit. Adumberated in brief, the case of the appellants is this. Appellants purchased a property comprising of ground floor measuring 87 square yards approximately, bearing No. 11/4-A (l) Tilak Nagar, for a consideration of Rs. 2,80,000/- from respondent No. 1 after appellant was assured that the property is free from all encumbrances or charges etc. The agreement was also executed in this regard. In the meantime, it transpired on 19. 4. 2005 that respondent No. 1 had taken loan from Citi Bank, respondent No. 2 against the hypothecation of suit property. In their written statement the bank, respondent No. 2 made the following averments. The respondent No. 1 entered into a loan agreement with the respondent No. 2 bank in the month of March 2002 and took loan in the sum of Rs. 29,00,000/- against the entire property No, 11/4-A (l) Tilak Nagar, Delh. The said borrower undertook to ' repay the said loan in 84 MMRS of Rs. 56778/- each and handed over the title deed of the said property to the bank. The respondent No. 1 did not adhere to the financial discipline towards the repayment of the said loan and hence the legal action was initiated against him.
( 2 ) IT is averred that the plaintiffs/appellants are bonafide purchasers of the suit property and have sought the relief of permanent injunction against respondent No. 2, restraining respondent No. 2 or their officials from attaching the suit property of the appellants or from dispossessing them from the suit property.
( 3 ) I have heard counsel for the appellants. He did not pick up a conflict with the fact that the suit property was mortgaged with Giti Bank, respondent No. 2 for the loan granted to respondent No. 1. The argument raised by the learned counsel for the appellants has three prongs. Firstly, the appellants are a third party and cannot approach the D. R. T because they are neither the borrowers nor have concern with the bank. Again, they are not privy to contract with the bank. Secondly, they are bonafide purchasers. Lastly they did not receive the loan and loan was received by respondent no. 1. The learned counsel for the appellant could not draw the attention of the Court to any provision which may come to the rescue of the appellants.
( 4 ) I clap no significance to these arguments. Section 13 of Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Interest Act (to be called as Act henceforth) lays down a special mechanism for the enforcement of security interest. The Act envisages that in case borrower makes any default in repayment, it entitles the creditor to take over the possession of the mortgaged property. Learned counsel for the appellant did not dispute this legal position.
( 5 ) AGAIN, Section 17 of the above said Act provides a remedy for 'any person' including the borrower. It has wide connotation. There lies no legal impediment for the person who claims to be bonafide purchaser to approach the D. R. T. and ventilate his grievance.
( 6 ) HOWEVER, there lies a rub in filing the suit before a Civil Court as provided in Section 34 of the above said Act which is re-produced as under: "no civil court shall have jurisdiction to entertain any suit or proceeding in respect of any matter which a Debts Recovery Tribunal or the appellate Tribunal is empowered by or under this Act to determine and no injunction shall be granted by any court or other authority in respect of any action taken or to be taken in pursuance of any power conferred by or under this Act or under the Recovery of Debts Due to Banks and financial Institutions Act, 1993 (51 of 1993)".
( 7 ) THE facts of this case speak for themselves. Respondent No. 1 entered into agr
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