PUNJAB AND HARYANA HIGH COURT
V.K. Jhanji, J.
Anil Gupta - Petitioners
Versus
J.K. Gupta - Respondents
Civil Revision No. 5959 of 2001.
Decided On : 29 November, 2001
Companies Act - Jurisdiction of Civil Court - Section 397, 398, 400, 402, 403, 404, 289, 10-E, 10-F, sub-section (24) of Section 2 - The Companies Act provides a complete code for redressal of grievances in matters of oppression and mismanagement. The jurisdiction of the Civil Court is impliedly barred under the Companies Act when a complete code is provided for redressal of grievances.
Fact of the Case:
The civil revision was filed against the dismissal of an application under Order 7 Rules 1 and 11 read with Section 151 of the Code of Civil Procedure for rejection of plaint. The case involved a dispute between shareholders of a company regarding alleged acts of oppression and mismanagement.
Finding of the Court:
The court found that the Companies Act provides a complete code for redressal of grievances in matters of oppression and mismanagement. The jurisdiction of the Civil Court is impliedly barred under the Companies Act when a complete code is provided for redressal of grievances.
Issues: The main issue was whether the Civil Court has jurisdiction to entertain suits when redressal of grievances is provided under the Companies Act, which is a complete code for redressal of grievances in matters of oppression and mismanagement.
Ratio Decidendi: The Companies Act provides a complete code for redressal of grievances in matters of oppression and mismanagement, and the jurisdiction of the Civil Court is impliedly barred under the Companies Act when a complete code is provided for redressal of grievances.
Final Decision: The civil revision was allowed, and the trial Court was directed to return the plaint to the plaintiffs for being presented before the Company Law Board having jurisdiction in the matter.
V.K. Jhanji, J. - This Civil Revision has been filed against order dated 3.11.2001 passed by Civil Judge (Senior Division), Jalandhar whereby application of the petitioners under Order 7 Rules 1 and 11 read with Section 151 of the Code of Civil Procedure for rejection of plaint was dismissed.
2. Succinctly stating, facts of the case are that M/s. Standard Electricals Limited was originally incorporated on 10.1.1958 as Indo Asian Traders Private Limited under the Indian Companies Act, 1956. Firstly, its name was changed to M/s. A.I. Switchagears Ltd. and again to the present name, M/s. Standard Electricals Limited. The Company is presently engaged in business of manufacture and marketing of electrical switchgears. The authorised share capital of the Company is stated to be Rs. 6 crores and its one share is worth Rs. 10/-. It was being run by Mr. J.K. Gupta and Mr. J.K. Goyal till 1994 when the Company transferred its share to the extent of 60 per cent to M/s. Havell India Limited (for short H.I.L.) and 40 per cent of shares remained with it. Memorandum of Association and Articles of Association according to the aforesaid shares were prepared and got registered with the Registrar of Companies, Punjab, H.P. and Chandigarh on 26.9.1994. Article No. 91 of Memorandum of Association provides that the Board of Directors M/s. Standard Electrical Limited shall consist of 5 Directors, out of which the H.I.L. and its nominees shall be entitled to three nominee Directors and the remaining two Directors shall be the nominees of Mr. J.K. Gupta and his nominees. It further provides that both H.I.L. and Mr. J.K. Gupta, nominees would be engaged in the management of the Company. The quorum of the meeting of the Board of Directors was provided under article 5 and according to it, quorum in any meeting of the Board of Directors shall be minimum 1 nominee Director of H.I.L. and its nominees and one nominee of Mr. J.K. Gupta and his nominees and it was also agreed that all matters shall be decided by majority vote. Mr. Anil Gupta became the Managing Director of the Company and Mr. J.K. Gupta, its Chairman and others Directors were Mr. J.K. Goyal, Mr. Rajesh Gupta and Mr. Ameet Gupta. The Company was run smoothly till 2000 but in 2001, it appears from the record that some differences arose between the share-holders of the Company.
3. A Company Petition No. 62 of 2001 came to be filed by H.I.L. against the present respondents under Section 397 and 398 of the Companies Act before the Company Law Board, Principal Bench, New Delhi wherein petitioners herein alleged that respondents who are in minority have deliberately and wilfully committed acts of oppression against the petitioners who are in majority and thus prayed for redressal of acts of oppression and mismanagement. Mr. J.K. Gupta and Mr. J.K. Goyal also filed a civil suit against Mr. Rajesh Gupta and others in the Court of Civil Judge (Senior Division), Jalandhar wherein they sought declaration to the effect that the alleged resolutions said to have been passed by circulation dated 4.10.2001 are illegal, void ab initio being opposed to the articles of association of defendant No. 5 and the provisions of Indian Companies Act and as such the same are not binding upon them as well as defendant No. 6 with consequential relief of permanent injunction staying operation of the alleged resolutions and for restraining defendants No. 1 to 3 from passing such resolutions even in future. It was alleged in the plaint that the defendants while sitting at Delhi started entertaining mala fide intentions to grab the Company and to oust the plaintiffs from its management and with the idea of mind and resolutions dated 3.10.2001 came to be passed wherein one of the decisions taken was that the bank account shall be jointly operated by any one person from category A consisting of Mr. J.K. Gupta, Chairman and Mr. J.K. Goyal, Director along with the persons mentioned in category B consisting of Mr. Anil Gupa,
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