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2009 Supreme(Del) 675

IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI
HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE RAJIV SAHAI ENDLAW
M/S BASIC TELE SERVICES LTD - Plaintiff
Versus
UNION OF INDIA & ANOTHER - Defendants
CS(OS)2686/1996
Decided on: 28th May, 2009

Advocate Appeared
Mr. Rajiv Nayar, Sr Advocatte with Mr Ajay Roy and Mr B. Dubey, Advocates.
Through:Mr. Dalip Mehra and Rahul Sood, Advocates for the defendant No.1. Mr Amar Gupta, Advocate for the defendant No.2.

Headnote:Civil Procedure Code, 1908 Section 9 - Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997 Amendment Act, 2000 - Invocation of bank guarantee - suit instituted prior to the coming into force of Act - No provision for transfer of the pending suits - dispute only mean the dispute arising after the coming into force thereof and could not refer to the dispute which had already arisen and had been the subject matter of a lis before a For a competent to adjudicate the same - written demand nowhere notes either that the amount claimed was due or owing or that any of the conditions on the occurrence whereof the amount was payable had occurred - Guarantee was invocable only on the conditions - court will intervene to prevent any action on the part of beneficiary which is contrary to the terms to the terms of Bank Guarantee - Strict adherence to the terms of the Bank Guarantee has to be ensured - Invocation not in terms of the bank guarantee - Plaintiff is entitled to the relief of injunction - Suit decreed.

       

Judgment

RAJIV SAHAI ENDLAW, J.

1. The plaintiff has sued for declaration that the invocation dated 30th October, 1996 by the Ministry of Communications Department of Telecommunications of the defendant No.1 Union of India of the bank guarantee issued by the defendant No.2 Bank at the instance of the plaintiff in favour of the defendant No.1 is contrary to the terms of the guarantee and that the defendant No.1 is not entitled to invoke the said guarantee and for permanent injunction restraining the defendant No.2 from making payment under the guarantee and also for mandatory injunction directing the defendant No.1 to negotiate in good faith the terms and conditions of the licence and the interconnect agreement for which the bid of the plaintiff to the defendant No.1 had been accepted by the defendant No.1.

2. Vide interim order dated 1st November, 1996 after issuance of notice to the defendants and finding that the defendant No.1 had already invoked the bank guarantee, the defendant No.2 bank was restrained from remitting the proceeds of the bank guarantee to the defendant No.1. The plaintiff was, however, asked to keep the bank guarantee alive. On 28th August, 1998 on an application of the plaintiff for exemption from extension of bank guarantee it was held that there was no need for formal extension of bank guarantees and non-extension of the bank guarantee will not affect the rights of the defendant No.1 to get the remittance from the defendant No.2 bank in the event of the matter being decided finally in favour of the defendant No.1 on the basis of invocation made earlier during the term of validity of the bank guarantee. The defendant No.1 preferred FAO(OS) 217/1998 against the said order; on the concession of the counsel for the plaintiff and the counsel for the defendant No.2 bank, in the said appeal on 31st August, 1998, it was ordered that in the event of the plaintiff failing in the suit and the defendant No.1 succeeding therein, neither the plaintiff nor the defendant No.2 bank would object to payment of the bank guarantee amount being made to the defendant No.1 notwithstanding the non-extension of the validity of the bank guarantee. The counsel for the bank also stated that the defendant No.2 bank would not deny payment of the bank guarantee impugned, to the defendant No.1 on the ground that the bank guarantee had not been extended.

3. The order restraining the defendant No.2 bank from remitting the amount of the bank guarantee to the defendant No. 1 was confirmed vide order dated 5th October, 1999 during the pendency of the suit. The defendant No.1 Union of India preferred an appeal being FAO(OS)384/1999 against the said order and which was admitted. In the meanwhile, the suit proceeded. On change in pecuniary jurisdiction of this court, the suit was transferred to the district court. The plaintiff applied for amendment of the plaint to enhance the valuation of the suit and the said amendment was allowed and the suit transferred back to this court and given the original number. The FAO(OS) 384/1999 came up before the Division Bench of this court on 18th February, 2008 when finding that the trial in the suit had already been completed, the same was disposed of with direction for earlier disposal of the suit. 4. On the pleadings of the parties in the suit, the following issues were framed on 7th September, 2001. “1. Whether the present suit is liable to fail for want of legal notice contemplated under Section 80 of the Code of Civil Procedure? 2. Whether the plaint does not disclose a cause of action? 3. Whether there was no concluded contract between the plaintiff and the defendant No.1?

4. Whether the plaintiff is entitled to the relief for declaration and injunction as prayed?

5. Relief.” The defendant No.1 applied for allowing it to raise an objection that the suit is barred by Section 15 of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act 1997. This court, on 7th October, 2002 finding that the issue s













































































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