2021 Supreme(Raj) 1165
IN THE HIGH COURT OF RAJASTHAN AT JODHPUR
Arun Bhansali, J.
Balkishan and Ors. - Appellants
Vs.
Budh Singh and Ors. - Respondent
S.B. Civil Second Appeal Nos. 222 of 2018, 4 of 2019 and 6 of 2019
Decided On : 05-04-2021
For the Appellant : N.K. Rastogi and Amit Tatia
For the Respondents: Jitendra Chopra
Headnote:
Civil Procedural Code, 1908 - Order XXX Rule 1 - Partnership Act, 1932 - Section 68 – Appeal - Rules of evidence - Suit was filed by plaintiffs against Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited ('BPCL') and its Senior Divisional Manager for mandatory injunction and for making changes in dealership record – Held, plea sought to be raised by appellants seeking to claim the suit as barred by limitation and other issues sought to be raised do not give rise to any substantial question of law - So far as the submissions made by counsel for BPCL is concerned, the plea raised by BPCL regarding its insistence to continue with the partners, who have signed the dealership agreement dehors the status of the partnership, which since 1976 had the plaintiffs as partners, cannot be countenanced - The submission made that BPCL should not be directed by the civil court to include the names in the dealership agreement, is essentially questioning the jurisdiction of the civil court in granting such a direction based on the plea raised and proved in this regard, which submission apparently has no substance and the same also does not give rise to any substantial question of law. It is besides the fact that the appellant BPCL has already implemented the judgment & decree passed by the trial court – Appeals dismissed.
JUDGMENT :
Arun Bhansali, J.
1. These appeals are directed against the judgment & decree dated 4/10/2018 passed by the Addl. District Judge No. 2, Jodhpur (Metro), whereby, the appeals filed by the appellants-defendants against the judgment and decree dated 6/5/2014 passed by the Addl. Civil Judge (Sr. Div.) No. 7, Jodhpur (Metro) have been dismissed.
2. The suit was filed by the plaintiffs - Budh Singh and Kan Singh against Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited ('BPCL') and its Senior Divisional Manager for mandatory injunction and for making changes in the dealership record.
3. It was inter alia indicated in the suit that plaintiffs and Bal Kishan & Ganpat Singh were partners in the firm Jaman Singh Pabu Singh; the firm was created in 1957, which at the relevant time was dealer of M/s. Burma Shell Oil Storage & Distributing Company of India Limited; the firm established a petrol pump at Sumerpur; on 4/11/1975 a fresh partnership deed was executed and the same was registered on 7/5/1976 with the Registrar of Firms, Jaipur; at the relevant time there were six partners i.e. Pabu Singh, Bal Kishan, Budh Singh, Kunney Singh, Ganpat Singh and Kan Singh. On 27/7/1976, Pabu Singh died and in his place his wife Smt. Ganga Devi was inducted as partner. Whereafter, another partner Kunney Singh died on 3/8/1983 and Smt. Ganga Devi took retirement. Since 1983 there were only four partners. It was alleged that BPCL, which is successor of M/s. Burma Shell, in its dealership agreement indicated only Bal Kishan and Ganpat Singh as partners of the firm Jaman Singh Pabu Singh and left the names of Budh Singh & Kan Singh, however, all the four partners are operating the petrol pump at Sumerpur.
4. It was submitted that only on account of names of two partners having been indicated in the dealership agreement, there were disputes arising between the partners as to whether the firm had four partners or two partners, which lead to police case between the partners and their family members on 27/10/1994, and a compromise dated 28/10/1994 was executed between the four partners, whereby, the partners agreed that all the four partners were entitled to operate petrol pump, BPCL also accepted the same in its letter dated 1/11/1994.
5. Submissions were also made that on behalf of the firm, the plaintiffs wrote many letters to the company for indicating their names also for avoiding any future dispute, however, needful was not done. It was indicated that the cause of action arose on 17/10/1994 when the dispute arose between the partners for operating the petrol pump. It was prayed that defendants BPCL & its officer be directed to record the names of Budh Singh and Kan Singh as partners of the firm M/s. Jaman Singh Pabu Singh.
6. It may be noticed here that during the pendency of the suit, Bal Kishan and Ganpat Singh were impleaded as parties to the suit and the plaint was amended.
7. The defendants, BPCL and its officer filed written statement to the amended plaint and denied the averments made in the plaint and indicated that the dealership agreement was with two partners i.e. Bal Kishan and Ganpat Singh. The petrol pump was operated by Bal Kishan and Ganpat Singh and not by Budh Singh and Kan Singh. The company was not bound by any compromise between the parties. Averments made by the plaintiffs were against the law and no relief can be sought from the company. No cause of action has arisen.
8. Replication was filed by the plaintiffs further clarifying the averments made in the plaint and seeking that the suit be decreed.
9. Written statement was filed by Bal Kishan inter alia claiming that with the death of Kunney Singh and retirement of Smt. Ganga Devi, the existing firm was annulled and a new firm through partnership deed dated 16/8/1983 with the same name M/s. Jaman Singh Pabu Singh was formed in which partners were Budh Singh, Kan Singh, Bal Kishan & Ganpat Singh. As the new firm was not registered, the suit was not maintainable and as the BPCL entered dealers