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2005 Supreme(Ker) 292

Judges : K.PADMANABHAN NAIR
Abhaya - Appellant
Versus
J.A.Raheem - Respondent
Case No : C.R.P.No.944 of 2003
Decided On : 05/26/2005
Advocates Appeared :
For the Petitioners: R. Gopalakrishnan Nair and A. Ahzar, Advocates. For the Respondents: D. Kishore, Advocate.

Headnote:

Literary Scientific and Charitable Societies Registration Act, 1955 (T.C.), Sections 8 and 25 -Trusts Act, 1882 -Section 3 - Counter petitioners 1 to 3, 5 and 7 to 9 in O.P. (Trust) No.129 of 2003, a petition filed under S.92 of the Code of Civil Procedure seeking leave to file a suit in a representative capacity before the District Court, Thiruvananthapuram are the revision petitioners Civil Revision Petition is filed challenging an order passed by the I Additional District Judge, Thiruvananthapuram granting leave to the respondents 1 to 6, institute a regular suit for the reliefs made in the petition -Held., According to court principles laid down in the above cited decisions can have no application to the facts of the present case - Whether the petition filed by respondents 1 to 6 under S.92 C.P.C. before the District Court alleging that the 1st petitioner is a Trust of public nature is maintainable or not -Civil Revision Petition is allowed -Original Petition is dismissed

Judgement Key Points

Key Points: - The petition addressed whether a Society registered under Act XII of 1955 can be treated as a public trust for Section 92 CPC reliefs. [15000029600004][15000029600015] - The District Court’s leave under Section 92 CPC was challenged on grounds that no prima facie trust existence is shown and that the petitioner is a society, not a trust. [15000029600003][15000029600008][15000029600012] - The judgment held that a Society under Act XII of 1955 is not automatically a public trust and Section 92 CPC cannot be invoked without prima facie evidence of a public trust; Section 25 of Act XII provides alternative intra-statute remedies with 10% member requirement. [15000029600008][15000029600009][15000029600013]

What is the maintainability of a Section 92 petition filed by respondents seeking leave to sue in a representative capacity against a Society registered under Act XII of 1955 to challenge whether the Society is a public trust?

What are the criteria for invoking Section 92 CPC in the context of a Society registered under Act XII of 1955, and does the petition establish prima facie that the petitioner is a public trust?

What is the proper forum and remedy for removal of trustees or framing a scheme where a Society registered under Act XII of 1955 is alleged to be mismanaged and the petition seeks reliefs akin to those under Section 25 of the Act?


Judgment :-

Counter petitioners 1 to 3, 5 and 7 to 9 in O.P. (Trust) No.129 of 2003, a petition filed under Section 92 of the Code of Civil Procedure seeking leave to file a suit in a representative capacity before the District Court, Thiruvananthapuram are the revision petitioners. This Civil Revision Petition is filed challenging an order passed by the I Additional District Judge, Thiruvananthapuram granting leave to the respondents 1 to 6, who were the petitioners therein, to institute a regular suit for the reliefs made in the petition.

2. The 1st petitioner is a Society registered under the Travancore-Cochin Literary, Scientific and Charitable Societies Registration Act (Act XII of 1955), hereinafter referred to as "Act XII of 1955" with Registration No.71 of 1986 and having registered office at "Varada", Nandavanam, Thiruvananthapuram. 2nd petitioner is the President and the 3rd petitioner is the Secretary. Petitioners 4 to 8 are office bearers of the 1st petitioner Society. Respondents 1 to 6 filed the petition under Section 92 of the Code of Civil Procedure seeking leave to institute a suit raising various allegations, mainly against the 3rd petitioner-Secretary. It is averred that the first petitioner organisation "Abhaya" was constituted with the objectives of serving the mentally ill-person, improving the social and non-social environment of the mental hospitals of Kerala, providing the mentally ill persons with facilities to improve their life conditions and rehabilitating the recovered patients, especially those who are unwanted by their families. It is also averred that the first petitioner had framed a Memorandum of Association and Rules and Regulations. It is also averred that the general body meeting of the Society held on 5-1-1986 decided to register the first petitioner under the Act XII of 1955. In the petition the provisions contained in Clauses 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 14, 15, 18 and 19 of the Memorandum of Association were extracted. It is averred that petitioners 2 onwards are acting against the provisions of the Rules and Regulations of Memorandum of Association and the Rules and procedure prescribed by the Act X11 of 1955 and those relating to public trust. It is averred that the first petitioner Society is a Public Trust. It is averred that the petitioners and respondents 7 and 8 committed acts of mismanagement; misconduct and misappropriation. Various acts of mismanagement; misconduct and misappropriation alleged to have been committed by the petitioners were narrated in paragraphs 18 to 21 of the petition. The gist of the allegation is that the 3rd revision petitioner, who is the Founder Secretary of the Society, is misusing and mismanaging the affairs of the Society and causing loss to the Society. It is averred that interference by way of directions by the District Court has become necessary for the administration of the first petitioner Trust. The reliefs which they propose to make in the suit are the following: (1) Removal of petitioners and respondents 7 and 8 from the trusteeship and members of the Managing Committee of the 1st petitioner Trust; (2) appointing new trustees for the management government and control of the 1st petitioner Trust; (3) vesting the property of the said Trust with the newly appointed trustees; (4) a direction to the petitioners and respondents 7 and 8 to deliver possession of the Trust property to the person/ persons who are entitled to possess the property of the 1st petitioner; and (5) directing accounts and enquiries; settling a Scheme and such other reliefs.

3. The revision petitioners contended that the petition is not maintainable. It is contended that the 1st revision petitioner is a Society registered under the provisions of Act XII of 1955 with registration No.71 of 1986 and it is not a Trust as defined under the provisions of the Trust Act. It is also contended that since the first petitioner is not a Public That, the present petition filed under Section 92 of the































































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