IN THE HIGH COURT AT CALCUTTA CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION APPELLATE SIDE Before:

The Hon’ble Justice Soumen Sen And The Hon’ble Justice Apurba Sinha Ray FA 23 of 2018 Great Eastern Energy Corporation Limited Vs.

M/s. D.S. Steel & Anr.

For the Appellant: Mr. Aniruddha Chatterjee, Sr. Adv.

Mr. Piyush Agarwal, Adv.

Mr. Debojyoti Das, Adv.

For the Respondents: Mr. Ajoy Krishna Chatterjee, Sr. Adv.

Mr. Anant Kr. Shaw, Adv.

Mr. Shreeman Mukherjee, Adv. Ms. Shohini Chakrabarty, Adv.

Ms. Prajaaini Das, Adv.

Hearing concluded on: 3^rd September, 2025.

Judgment on: 15th September, 2025.

Soumen Sen, J:

1. The instant appeal arises out of the impugned judgment and decree dated December 22, 2015, passed by the learned Civil Judge (Senior Division), Asansol, in Money Suit No. 33 of 2008 for a sum of Rs.80,13,865/- in favour of the plaintiff-respondent.

2. The defendant-appellant is a Public Limited Company having its registered office in Kolkata, engaged in the business of exploration and production of coal-bed methane gas. The plaintiff-respondent is a sole proprietorship firm having its office in Durgapur with the credentials of doing all sorts of Civil, Mechanical jobs, including road construction.

3. Acco