Judges : P.K.BALASUBRAMANYAN,K.A.MOHAMED SHAFI
P.P.S.Pillai - Appellant
Versus
Catholic Syrian Bank - Respondent
Case No : C.M.A.No.198 of 1998
Decided On : 12/17/1999
Advocates Appeared :
S. Parameswaran For Appellant Jimmy John For Respondents
Kerala Court Fees and Suits Valuation Act 1959 S. 12(5) - Illegal - Evidence- Notice - Issue - Trial court raised an issue whether the valuation of suit was proper and court fee paid was sufficient - Raised an issue whether the suit was barred by further issue raised was whether first defendant Bank had obtained decree by playing fraud and whether the said decree was liable to declared as illegal and unenforceable - Somewhat surprising that no issue was raised on maintainability suit and on question whether the plaint disclosed cause of action for challenging the prior decree to which plaintiff was nominee party on ground of which appears to be basis on which relief in plaint is grounded -Held, Court therefore modify decision of lower appellate court directing return of appeal to the appellant - But Court hold in agreement with lower appellate court that the plaintiff is bound to correct valuation and pay court fee terms Court Fees Act - Court vacate finding of trial court on issues and remit the suit to trial court so as to enable plaintiff to correct valuation and to pay requisite court fee within two months from date and direct the trial court to dispose of suit afresh in light of finding that may enter on two issues directed reconsidered and on additional issue indicated this judgment -Order accordingly
P.K. Balasubramanyan, J.
This appeal is by the plaintiff in O.S.103 of 19t9 on the file of the Subordinate Judge's Court of Cochin. The appeal is filed under O. XLIIIR. l(a) of the Code of Civil Procedure. The appeal challenges the 'judgment of the lower appellate court' in A.S.10 of 1993 filed by the appellant directing a return of that appeal to the appellant. According to the appellant the order passed by the lower appellate court returning the appeal to the appellant came under O. XLIII R. l(a) of the Code of Civil Procedure which provides for an appeal against an order under R.10 of O. VII of the Code returning a plaint for representation in the proper court. We are not quite certain whether the appeal could be maintained under O. XLIII R. l(a) of the Code of Civil Procedure in this case. But in any view jurisdiction is available to this court under S.115 of the Code of Civil Procedure to consider whether the lower appellate court has exercised its jurisdiction properly or has acted outside its jurisdiction in returning the Memorandum of Appeal to the appellant. We are therefore not inclined to decide the question whether the appeal filed at the instance of the appellant invoking O. XLIII R.I (a) of the Code is maintainable or not.
2. The appellant, the plaintiff in the suit was the partner of Hi-Seas Fishing Company, a partnership firm. The firm had financial dealings with the first defendant Bank. The Bank filed a suit against the firm and its partners including the present plaintiff for recovery of the amounts due to it. That suit O.S.23 of 19t4 was decreed and the first defendant Bank took out execution of that decree. In that context the plaintiff filed the present suit seeking a declaration that the decree in O.S.23 of 19t4 dated 27.6.19t5 on the file of the Subordinate Judge's Court of Cochin was bad and unenforceable being vitiated by fraud and illegal and unsustainable for the grant of a mandatory injunction restraining the first defendant Bank from taking any coercive measures against the plaintiff in pursuance of the decree in O.S.23 of 19t4 for recovery of the amounts due to it from the plaintiff under that decree. According to the plaintiff there was a compromise discussion with the officials of the first defendant Bank regarding the repayment of the loan and even while the discussion was going on the suit O.S.23 of 19t4 was filed by the first defendant seeking recovery of the amounts due under the transactions. The officials of the Bank agreed to sanction a further loan subject to certain conditions and the plaintiff signified his agreement to fulfill 1 those conditions. The plaintiff was assured by the first defendant Bank that the suit O.S.23 of 19t4 would be ended. There arose some disputes regarding the actual amounts due. Meanwhile the plaintiff came to know that the suit O.S.23 of 19t4 filed by the first defendant Bank had ended in a decree. But the first defendant Bank assured the plaintiff that the agreement to be finalised will be implemented and no steps would be taken to execute the decree in O.S.23 of 19t4. Even while the discussions were going on, the plaintiff received notice from the execution court in execution of the decree in O.S.23 of 19t4 which came as a bolt from the blue. According to the plaintiff only when he came to know that he had been taken for a ride. The plaint avers that the decree passed by the Subordinate Judge's Court of Cochin in O.S.23 of 19t4 had been fraudulently obtained by the first defendant Bank and it is bad and unsustainable in law and is liable to be declared as illegal, invalid and unenforceable and is liable to be set aside by the court in the present suit. The passing of the decree in O.S.-23 of 19t4 and the appropriation of the fixed deposit available with the Bank and the levying of the execution of the decree in O.S.23 of 19t4 had given rise to the cause of action for the present suit. In its written statement the first defendant Bank denied the pl
SupremeToday
Login now and unlock free premium legal research
Login to SupremeToday AI and access free legal analysis, AI highlights, and smart tools.
Login
now!
India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!
Copyright © 2023 Vikas Info Solution Pvt Ltd. All Rights Reserved.