IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
G.CHANDRASEKHARAN, J.
P.Annadurai - Petitioner
Versus
Pachamuthu Educational Trust Represented by its Chairman P.Baskar, D.No.12, Kaliappagoundar Street, Mathikonepalayam, Dharmapuri Taluk, Dharmapuri Taluk, Dharmapuri District. - Respondents
CRP. (PD) No. 1809 of 2021 and C.M.P. No. 14025 of 2021
Delivered on : 28-09-2021
Civil Procedure code, 1908 - Order 1 Rule 10 - Suit was filed by petitioner against respondents seeking relief of declaration that defendants 2 to 6 have created forged, false document styled as letter of resignation; declare that resolution said to have passed by defendants 2 to 5, is void, baseless, shame and nominal, arbitrary, capricious and not binding on plaintiff; declaring that codicil bearing registration, said to have been executed by second defendant as chairman of first defendant is void, baseless, shame and nominal, arbitrary, capricious and not binding on plaintiff; declaring that resolutions passed by defendants 2 to 6 in respect of first defendant trust on and in absence of plaintiff are all void, baseless, shame and nominal, arbitrary, capricious and not binding on plaintiff and first defendant; declaring that trustee / Secretary of first defendant entitle to continue to function as Secretary / Trustee and consequently for injunction reliefs – Held, court may at any stage of suit order impleading of plaintiff, if it is necessary for determination of real matter in dispute - Any suit relating to public trust, requires two persons having interest in trust to institute suit - Technical defect of filing suit by petitioner can be cured by allowing impleading petition to implead proposed party as second plaintiff in suit - Learned Principal District Judge, without considering broader perspective of interest of trust, dismissed petition - Since technical defect of not filing suit by two persons is sought to be remediate at earliest possible opportunity, Court finds aforesaid rulings relied on by learned counsel for respondents are not applicable to facts of this case - Civil Revision Petition allowed.
ORDER :
This petition is filed challenging the order passed in I.A. No.4 of 2021 in I.A. No.1 of 2020 in O.S. No.129 of 2020, on the file of the learned Principal District Judge, Dharmapuri.
2. The suit in O.S. No.129 of 2020 was filed by the petitioner against the respondents seeking the relief of declaration that defendants 2 to 6 have created forged, false document styled as letter of resignation dated 15.04.2018; declare that the resolution said to have passed by the defendants 2 to 5 dated 20.04.2018, is void, baseless, shame and nominal, arbitrary, capricious and not binding on the plaintiff; declaring that the codicil bearing registration No.7/BK4/2018, said to have been executed by the second defendant as the chairman of the first defendant is void, baseless, shame and nominal, arbitrary, capricious and not binding on the plaintiff; declaring that the resolutions passed by the defendants 2 to 6 in respect of the first defendant trust on and after 15.04.2018, in the absence of plaintiff are all void, baseless, shame and nominal, arbitrary, capricious and not binding on the plaintiff and the first defendant; declaring that the trustee / Secretary of the first defendant entitle to continue to function as Secretary / Trustee and consequently for injunction reliefs.
3. In order to dispose this Civil Revision Petition, it is necessary to find out the background and necessity of filing the application in I.A. No.4 of 2021. The case of the petitioner is that the second respondent / second defendant is his brother, third respondent is his wife and fourth and fifth respondents are the sons of the second respondent and sixth respondent is the daughter-in-law of the second respondent. First respondent is the trust established by late Pachiappa Gounder, the father of the petitioner. Pachiappa Gounder, due to his hard work, amassed wealth and the petitioner and second respondent have assisted Pachiappa Gounder, in his businesses and accumulation of properties. Pachiappa Gounder founded Pachamuthu educational trust. The first respondent was its Chairman and the petitioner was Secretary. It is registered as public trust. The object of the trust is to establish and promote educational institutions for advancement of education in arts, science, literature, humanity and all other useful subjects; to establish worship centres, community halls, hospitals, charitable dispensaries and child welfare centres, community halls, etc.; to provide medical relief and aid to the humanity and for promotion of research for medical science and other laudable objects. The trust was going well with establishment of several educational institutions. Subsequently, the second respondent inducted his wife and sons as trustees in the trust. The second respondent has better educational qualification and wide contacts. Taking advantage of his position and induction of his wife, children, daughterin- law as trustees, they started to create forged documents against the petitioner and tried to expel the petitioner from the trust. They were colluding together to grab the trust properties as their family properties, thus defeating the object of the trust founded by Pachiappa Gounder. As a Secretary, the petitioner is entitled to ask for accounts and participate in the day to day affairs of the trust. However, the respondents 2 to 6 have created documents behind the back of the petitioner, created a false resignation letter as if it was submitted by the petitioner and passed resolution on the basis of forged resignation letter dated 15.04.2018, preventing the petitioner from functioning as Secretary / Trustee, and trying to encumber and alienate the trust properties. This necessitated the filling of the suit in O.S. No.129 of 2020. The petitioner has also filed I.A. No.1 of 2020 under Section 92 and 151 CPC, seeking permission to file a suit. Then realising that at least two persons should joint together to file a suit in respect of a public trust, the petitioner filed I
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