IN THE HIGH COURT OF ALLAHABAD
Agarwala and P. L. Bhargava, JJ.
L.D.MESTON SCHOOL SOCIETY - Appellant
Versus
KASHI NATH MISRA - Respondents
FAFO 139 Of 1950
Decided On : 09/19/1950
INJUNCTION - SOCIETY - ORDER 39, RULES 1, 2, 3 AND 4, CIVIL P. C. - EX PARTE ORDER OF INJUNCTION - APPEAL - JURISDICTION - STATUS QUO - MANDATORY INJUNCTION - PARTIES TO THE SUIT - PROCEDURE - DISCHARGE, VARIATION OR SETTING ASIDE OF THE ORDER OF INJUNCTION - SUMMARY DISMISSAL OF APPLICATION FOR INJUNCTION - COSTS.
Fact of the Case:
The plaintiff, a member of a society that managed a college, filed a suit for a declaration that a resolution passed by the society terminating the services of the principal was illegal and ineffective. Before the suit was filed, the society had appointed an acting principal who had taken charge of the college. The plaintiff obtained an ex parte order of injunction restraining the society from taking over charge of the office from the principal. The society filed objections to the injunction, but the court confirmed the injunction and made it more explicit.
Finding of the Court:
The court held that the injunction was not justified because the principal had already been dislodged from his position and was no longer in possession of his office. The court also held that the injunction went beyond the prayer made in the original application and that the court had no jurisdiction to issue a mandatory injunction in a suit for declaration where no such relief was prayed for. The court further held that the injunction could not be issued because neither the principal nor the acting principal was a party to the suit.
Issues: 1. Whether the injunction was justified when the principal had already been dislodged from his position and was no longer in possession of his office? 2. Whether the court had jurisdiction to issue a mandatory injunction in a suit for declaration where no such relief was prayed for? 3. Whether the injunction could be issued when neither the principal nor the acting principal was a party to the suit?
Ratio Decidendi: 1. An injunction cannot be issued to preserve the status quo when the status quo has already been changed. 2. A court has no jurisdiction to issue a mandatory injunction in a suit for declaration where no such relief is prayed for. 3. An injunction cannot be issued against a person who is not a party to the suit.
Final Decision: The court set aside the orders of the lower court dated 8-7-1950 and 26-7-1950, and dismissed the applications of the plaintiff filed for the issue of an order of injunction, and complaining that the defendant had not complied with the order of injunction. The defendant was awarded costs from the plaintiff in both the Courts.
( 2 ) THERE is a college known as Satish Chandra College at Ballia. The appellant is a society which manages the college. The society is managed by a managing committee consisting of 21 members, of whom six are life members, the collector and the principal are ex officio members and 13 are elected members. Pt. Sita Ram Chaturvedi was appointed as Principal of the college by the managing committee on probation for one year, and he took over charge on 8-7-1948. By another resolution In 1949, his term was extended for another year. On 21-6-1950 the managing committee purported to pass a resolution terminating the services of Pt. Sita Ram Chaturvedi with effect from that date. The College reopened after the summer vacations on 10-7-1950. Before it re-opened, however, and before the year for which Pt. Sita Ram Chaturvedis term of service which had been extended for one year expired, the managing committee passed another resolution on 28-6-1950 appointing Dr. Kapil Deo Upadhya as the Acting Principal of the college. It is not denied that Dr. Kapil Deo Upadhya commenced to enrol students from 1-7-1950 and otherwise to act as Principal.
( 3 ) THE plaintiff respondent, who is one of the members of the Society and who does not appear to have been present in the meeting of the managing committee on 21-6-1950, filed a suit which has given rise to these appeals on 8-7-1950, for the declaration already mentioned. He alleged that the resolution of the managing committee of 21-6-1950 was not a valid resolution for several reasons. On the same date, he moved an application for a temporary injunction. His prayer in this application was that the defendant be restrained "from taking over the charge of office from Pt. Sita Ram Chaturvedi, Principal, Satish Chandra College, Ballia. " In para. 6 of the plaint, he had stated that Pt. Sita Ram Chaturvedi was, since the time of his appointment, working as Principal of Satish Chandra College, Ballia. The plaintiff, therefore, assumed that Pt. Sita Ram Chaturvedi was still acting as a Principal and that nobody else was acting in his place.
( 4 ) THE lower Court passed an ex parte order of injunction on the same date. The order was in these terms :
"plaintiffs application for issuing interim injunction. The affidavit shows good cause. Issue injunction subject to objections by 2-8-1950".
( 5 ) ON 10-7-1950, two applications were made to the Court. One was by the plaintiff himself complaining that the injunction issued by the Court on 8th of July was not being respected by the defendant because Pt. Sita Ram Chaturvedi was not being allowed to work as Principal. Another application was made by the defendant praying that the ex parte order passed by the Court may be recalled and stating that there was no occasion for passing the order because Dr. Kapil Deo upadhya had already been appointed acting Principal of the College and that he was actually acting as such. The Court ordered the defendant to file a reply to the plaintiffs application. The defendant filed objections to the plaintiffs complaint on 15-7-1950 and stated that the facts mentioned by the plaintiff were not true, and that there had been no disobedience of the order of injunction.
( 6 ) ON 18-7-1950 the plaintiff made another application complaining that the Courts order had not yet been complied with. The Court ordered the defendant to state certain facts to make the position clear. These facts were : (1) What is the name of the official i
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