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2024 Supreme(Gau) 208

IN THE HIGH COURT OF GAUHATI, ASSAM, NAGALAND, MIZORAM AND ARUNACHAL PRADESH
DEVASHIS BARUAH, J.
UCO Bank, Represented by its Authorised Officer, Maligaon Branch & Ors. - Petitioners
Versus
Arif Hussain, S/o. Abdul Hakim & Ors. - Respondents
CRP No. 57 of 2023
Decided On : 20-03-2024

Advocates Appeared:
For the Petitioners: Mr. A. Ganguly.
For the Respondents: Mr. A. Sattar.

IMPORTANT POINT
The main legal point established in the judgment is the applicability of Section 34 of the Act of 2002 and the entitlement of the plaintiff to remedies under Section 17 & 19 of the Act of 2002.

Headnote:

Code of Civil Procedure - Application under Section 115 - Challenging rejection of application under Order VII Rule 11 - Act Section List: Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 - Summary: The court considered the rejection of the application under Order VII Rule 11 and the statements made in the plaint to determine if interference under Section 115 was warranted. The plaintiff filed a suit seeking declaration and damages against the defendant bank for cancelling an auction sale. The defendant filed an application for rejection of the plaint under Order VII Rule 11, which was rejected by the Trial Court. The petitioners challenged this rejection under Section 115.

Fact of the Case:

The plaintiff filed a suit seeking declaration and damages against the defendant bank for cancelling an auction sale. The defendant filed an application for rejection of the plaint under Order VII Rule 11, which was rejected by the Trial Court.

Finding of the Court:

The court found that the suit was not barred under Section 34 of the Act of 2002 and that the plaintiff's grievances fell within the ambit of Section 17 of the Act of 2002. The court set aside the impugned order and rejected the plaint of Title Suit No.177/2022. The plaintiff was granted liberty to prefer an application before the Debt Recovery Tribunal, Guwahati seeking remedies in terms with Sections 17 & 19 of the Act of 2002 within 45 days from the date of the instant order.

Issues: The issues revolved around the rejection of the application under Order VII Rule 11, the applicability of Section 34 of the Act of 2002, and the plaintiff's entitlement to remedies under Section 17 & 19 of the Act of 2002.

Ratio Decidendi: The court held that the suit was not barred under Section 34 of the Act of 2002 and that the plaintiff's grievances fell within the ambit of Section 17 of the Act of 2002. The plaintiff was granted liberty to prefer an application before the Debt Recovery Tribunal, Guwahati seeking remedies in terms with Sections 17 & 19 of the Act of 2002 within 45 days from the date of the instant order.

Final Decision: The court set aside the impugned order and rejected the plaint of Title Suit No.177/2022. The plaintiff was granted liberty to prefer an application before the Debt Recovery Tribunal, Guwahati seeking remedies in terms with Sections 17 & 19 of the Act of 2002 within 45 days from the date of the instant order.

JUDGMENT :

This is an application under Section 115 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (for short, “the Code”) challenging the order dated 28.04.2023 passed by the learned Civil Judge No.2, Kamrup (M) at Guwahati in petition No.1703/2022 arising out of the Title Suit No.177/2022. By the said impugned order, the application which was filed by the petitioners under Order VII Rule 11 of the Code was rejected.

2. For deciding as to whether the said rejection of the application vide the impugned order dated 28.04.2023 can be interfered with in the instant proceedings under Section 115 of the Code, this Court finds it relevant to take note of the statements made in the plaint.

3. The respondent No.1 herein as plaintiff had filed Title Suit No.177/2022. The facts as stated in the plaint are that the defendant No.1 had issued an e-auction sale notice for sale of four numbers of immovable properties under the Securitization and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002 (for short, “the Act of 2002”) read with proviso to Rule 8(6) of the Security Interest (Enforcement) Rules, 2002 (for short, “the Rules of 2002) on 23.12.2020 by publishing the said in the newspaper. The plaintiff upon perusal of the said advertisement participated in the online question bid in respect to one of the properties to be auctioned which has been specifically described in Schedule-A to the plaint. Upon participation of the plaintiff, he became the highest bidder for bidding an amount of Rs.75,60,000/- for the property described in Schedule-A. Under such circumstances, the plaintiff received an e-mail on 30.01.2021 at 7:05 PM with the titled as ‘Sale Intimation Letter’ confirming that the quoted amount of Rs.75,60,000/- for the property described in Schedule-A and also stating therein that the status of the lot is Subject to Approved (STA). Subsequent thereto, another e-mail was received by the plaintiff at 7:32 PM from the Authorized Officer of defendant No.1 who is the defendant No.2 in the suit which contained details regarding the e-auction and the acceptance of the same as the highest bidder, and accordingly, declared the plaintiff as the “H1 bidder for the said property”. The plaintiff thereupon was required to deposit 25% of the bid amount, which came to Rs.18,90,000/-. Apart from that the plaintiff was also directed by a message received from the defendants No.1 & 2, to deposit the remaining 75% of the entire bid amount within the next 15 days i.e. on or before the 14.02.2021 in the account provided by the defendants. It was also mentioned in the message as stated in the plaint that in the circumstance, the plaintiff failed to deposit the said amount, it would result in the cancellation of the sale and any amount deposited relating to the bid shall be considered to be forfeited. The plaintiff thereupon deposited Rs.13,78,000/- on 01.02.2021 and on 12.02.2021 deposited the remaining amount of Rs.56,70,000/-, and therefore, in total had deposited Rs.75,60,000/- on 12.02.2021. The confirmation of the payments 01.02.2021 and 12.02.2021 was communicated vide a letter dated 17.02.2021 which was sent by the defendant No.1. Thereupon, the plaintiff was asked on 02.09.2021 to be present on the spot of the mortgaged property i.e. Schedule-A property on 04.09.2021, i.e. the date on which the learned Magistrate would bestow the physical possession of the mortgaged property to the plaintiff. However, on that date, the plaintiff could not visit on account of the health condition of his niece. Be that as it may, a letter was written to the plaintiff dated 06.09.2021 by the defendant No. 1 & 2 stating inter-alia that the Bank on 04.09.2021, in the absence of the plaintiff along with the learned Magistrate and other police personnel reached at the spot for taking physical possession of the mortgaged property. However as the guarantor one Shri Dharnya Ram Koch had offered a compromise proposal for Rs.1,05,00,000/- on the spot for se

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