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2015 Supreme(Gau) 1237

Gauhati High Court
N. Chaudhury, J.
Uco Bank - Appellant
Versus
Choudhury Rice Mill and Anr. - Respondent
RFA. No. 2 of 2005
Decided On : 13-05-2015

Advocates:
For the Appellant : Mr. P. K. Goswami
For the Respondents: Mr. A. B. Choudhury.

Headnote:

Civil Procedure Code, 1908 – Section 30 - Order XVIII - Rule 4 - Banker Books of Evidence Act, 1891 - Section 4 - Limitation Act, 1963 - Article 62 - Term loan - Monthly installments - Affidavit - Praying for a preliminary decree - Plaintiff bank agreed to sanction on condition to produce suitable financially sound guarantor undertaking to repay loan money subject to terms and conditions – Accordingly an agreement was executed by defendant with plaintiff relating to term loan on and a deed of hypothetication of plant and machinery was also executed on same date to secure loan - Defendant executed receipt documents in favour of plaintiff n- Defendant being a guarantor also executed necessary documents - He paid some money as per his convenience which was duly adjusted against loan amount with interest but repayment was so negligible that balance continued increasing day-by-day despite undertakings to liquidate loan - Defendants ultimately failed to honour commitment and under such circumstances bank issued notice through pleader on demanding on or before - Upon receipt of notice defendants replied that he deposited and on and respectively with plaintiff bank and requested bank to allow him to pay total sum of against whole amount along with interest – Held, Court have gone through plaint - In plaint petitioner has made a prayer for preliminary decree against defendants for payment of along with interest per annum - This is out and out a prayer for getting money decree and so it cannot be governed under article of the limitation Act - A prayer however has been made that in case defendants fail to make payment of decretal amount mentioned in preliminary decree in that event plaintiff may be permitted to apply for final decree for sale of mortgage property - As pointed out above plaintiff has miserably failed to bring necessary documents on records to show that defendants presented any title deed for creating mortgage by deposit of title deed - In case in hand there being no definite pleading as to mortgage created by defendant in respect of any mortgaged property title deed produced by plaintiff on record as Exhibit cannot be taken into consideration to presume that there was mortgage by deposit of title deed - Once mortgage is not established applicability of article of limitation Act also would be out of question – Exhbit is also beyond pleading and so this cannot be taken into consideration for purpose of deciding mutual transaction between parties - Having so noticed findings of learned trial court that suit of plaintiff is barred by limitation cannot be interfered with - This would amount to injustice to defendants and so findings of learned trial court that Exhibit is not admissible in evidence also cannot be interfered with - This being the position basic claim of plaintiff has remained unestablished - Appeal does not deserve to be allowed – Appeal Dismissed.

1. UCO Bank as appellant has preferred this appeal challenging decree of dismissal passed by the learned Civil Judge, Senior Division, Hailakandi on 18.6.2004 in Title Suit No. 37 of 1999.

2. The Regional office of the UCO Bank (shown as United Commercial Bank, Silchar) instituted Title Suit No.37 of 1999 in the court of the learned Civil Judge at Hailakandi stating that on receipt of application for loan from defendant No. 1, M/s. Choudhury Rice Mills owned by Md. Abdul Rahim Choudhury for loan of Rs.2,21,000, the plaintiff bank agreed to sanction Rs.1,93,000 on condition to produce suitable financially sound guarantor undertaking to repay the loan money subject to terms and conditions. Accordingly, an agreement was executed by defendant No. 1 with the plaintiff relating to term loan on 12.10.1989 and a deed of hypothetication of plant and machinery was also executed on the same date to secure the loan. The defendant No. 1 executed receipt documents in favour of the plaintiff. Defendant No. 2 being a guarantor also executed necessary documents. The aforesaid loan was supposed to be repaid on monthly installments within 7 years with a moratorium of six months and the equated money installments were Rs.2680 and the last installment was Rs.2,720. But defendant No. 1 violated the terms and conditions in regard to payment of installment. He paid some money as per his convenience which was duly adjusted against loan amount with interest but the repayment was so negligible that balance continued increasing day-by-day despite undertakings to liquidate the loan. The defendants ultimately failed to honour the commitment and under such circumstances, bank issued notice through pleader on 3.3.1998 demanding Rs.4,31,631.54 on or before 31st March, 1998. Upon receipt of the notice, the defendants replied that he deposited Rs.10,000 and Rs.3,000 on 16.3.1998 and 29.4.1998 respectively with the plaintiff bank and requested the bank to allow him to pay total sum of Rs.2,00,000 against the whole amount along with interest. As the same was not in keeping with the norms of the bank, the bank could not accede to the request and as such filing of the suit became necessary. The suit was accordingly filed on 23.9.1999 praying for a preliminary decree against the defendants for Rs.5,16,761.14 along with pendent lite interest @ 15.05% per annum and for a final decree thereafter if defendants failed to make payment of the amount. A final decree was prayed for sale of mortgaged property described in the Schedule to the plaint. However, in the body of the plaint there was no recital to the effect that the defendant No.1 made mortgage of any immovable property by deposit of title deed or otherwise.

2A. Upon receipt of summon, the defendants submitted a joint written statement denying the averments made in the plaint and denied all the statements in entirety. However, defendants stated that on 29.6.1969 defendant No. 1 prayed for loan of Rs.2,21,000 in respect of installment of rice mill known as M/s. Choudhury Rice Mills and accordingly, plaintiff bank sanctioned Rs.1,93,000 in favour of defendant No. on 28.8.1989 for which defendant No. 2 stood guarantor. But, the Government delayed issuance of license from 19.10.1989 to 7.8.1993 but for which the mill could not start functioning. The department of supply under the Government initiated proceeding against defendant No.1 under the Essential Commodities Act in which defendant No. 1 was ultimately discharged on 4.1.1994. It is under such circumstances defendant No.1 requested the plaintiff bank to exempt him from the payment of interest for the period from 19.10.1989 to 7.8.1993. The defendants also requested the bank to provide him with working capital which the bank did not comply and so the very purpose for which the loan was prayed for did not materialize. The bank permitted moratorium only for a period of 6 months. The defendant No. 1 further asserted that he did not commit default in repayment of loan mo


















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