SupremeToday Landscape Ad
Back
Next
Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation
Listen Audio Icon Pause Audio Icon
judgment-img

2014 Supreme(Ker) 707

IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM
ASHOK BHUSHAN & A.M. SHAFFIQUE, JJ.
P.N. Sivadasan – Appellant
Versus
P.C. Alexander & Others – Respondents
W.A. No. 1217 of 2014 & W.P. (C) No. 31325 of 2011
Decided On : 1.10.2014

Advocate Appeared:
For the Appellant:Shri N.N. Sugunapalan, Senior Advocate and Shri S. Sujin, Advocate.
For the Respondent:Shri Rasheed C. and Shri P.B. Sahasranaman, Advocates.

Headnote:Kerala Municipalities Act, 1994, Section 447(6)- Section 10 of the general clauses act - The petitioner was to start the fast food restaurant and applied for the licenses and the municipality failed to reply with 30 days and from the date of the application the license will be deemed to be granted.

JUDGMENT

ASHOK BHUSHAN, J.

1. This Writ Appeal has been filed by the appellant who was respondent No. 3 in the Writ Petition challenging the judgment dated 20.6.2014 passed by the learned Single Judge in W.P. (C) No. 31325 of 2011 by which judgment the learned Single Judge allowed the Writ Petition and quashed the order passed by the Tribunal for Local Self Government Institutions.

2. Brief facts giving rise to the Writ Appeal are:-

The appellant who shall hereinafter be referred to as the tenant had obtained tenancy of a shop room which was owned by respondent No. 1, P.C. Alexander, who shall hereinafter be referred to as the landlord for conducting fruit/vegetable business. Tenant had also obtained licence from the Municipality as per the Kerala Municipalities Act, 1994 (for short, Act, 1994). The tenant on account of loss in the business of fruit/vegetable decided to conduct the business of fast-food restaurant in the said shop room. An application was submitted by the tenant before the Municipality on 13.1.2011 for the grant of licence for running a restaurant. The Municipality issued a notice dated 8.2.2011 directing the tenant to comply with certain requirements. The notice however, mentioned that the application be considered only upon compliance of the three conditions mentioned in the notice. The notice dated 8.2.2011 was received by the tenant on 14.2.2014. The tenant on 16.2.2011 filed an appeal before the Municipal Council which was dismissed by the Municipal Council. The tenant challenging the order of the Municipal Council filed a revision before the Tribunal for Local Self Government Institutions (for short, the Tribunal). The Tribunal set aside the notice dated 8.2.2011 as well as the order of the Municipal Council dismissing the appeal. The Tribunal directed the Secretary to consider the application for licence dated 13.1.2011. Landlord filed O.P. (C) No. 2573 of 2011 whereas O.P. (C) No. 3047 of 2011 was filed by the Municipality against the order passed by the Tribunal. This Court vide its judgment dated 28.9.2011 set aside the order of the Tribunal and directed the Tribunal to take a fresh decision in the light of the observations made in the judgment. After the order of this Court, the Tribunal has taken a decision dated 10.11.2011 by which the revision filed by the tenant has been allowed and the order of the Municipal Council as well as the notice issued by the Municipality dated 8.2.2011 have been set aside. The Tribunal held that the tenant has obtained a deemed licence for conducting fast-food restaurant and the Secretary was directed to issue proper licence. Aggrieved by the order of the Tribunal, W.P. (C) No. 31325 of 2011 has been filed by the landlord which was allowed by the learned Single Judge vide his judgment dated 20.6.2014 against which judgment this Writ Appeal has been filed.

3. We have heard Shri N.N. Sugunapalan, learned Senior Advocate for the appellant and Shri P.B. Sahasranaman for respondent No. 1. Learned counsel Shri Rasheed has appeared for the Municipality.

4. Learned counsel for the tenant in support of the appeal raised the following submissions:-

(i) The tenant having submitted application for grant of licence on 13.1.2011 to the Municipality and the Municipality having not communicated its decision within 30 days, the tenant shall be deemed to have granted licence within the meaning of Section 447(6) of Act, 1994 and the tenant could not have been obstructed running of fast-food business in the shop room.

(ii) Learned Single Judge has erred in holding that the Municipality is entitled to rely on Section 9 of the Kerala Interpretation of General Clauses Act, 1125 (for short, Act, 1125) since in the present case, the Municipality cannot taken benefit of Section 9 of Act, 1125 which was not applicable to the facts of the case since the act or proceeding was not required to be taken in the office of the Municipality.

(iii) The tenant was not required to have submitted a fresh con























Click Here to Read the rest of this document

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Judicial Analysis

SupremeToday

SupremeToday Portrait Ad
supreme today icon
logo-black

An indispensable Tool for Legal Professionals, Endorsed by Various High Court and Judicial Officers

Please visit our Training & Support
Center or Contact Us for assistance

qr

Scan Me!

India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!

For Daily Legal Updates, Join us on :

whatsapp-icon Back to top