2023 Supreme(Online)(Del) 21699
DELHI HIGH COURT
SHIJU JACOB VARGHESE & ANR. – Appellant
Versus
TOWER VISION LIMITED & ORS. – Respondent
RFA(OS)-136_2012
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*
IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI
+
RFA(OS) 136/2012 & C.M.Nos.12305/2014, 39987/2017
SHIJU JACOB VARGHESE & ANR.
..... Appellants
Through:
Mr.Anil Airi, Sr.Advocate with Mr.Navin
Kumar,
Ms.Rashmeet
Kaur,
Ms.Aarti
Mahto, Mr.Mudit Ruhella, Ms.Sadhana and
Ms.Bhagya Ajith, Advocates.
versus
TOWER VISION LIMITED & ORS.
..... Respondents
Through:
Mr.Dayan Krishan and Mr.Rajshekhar Rao,
Sr.Advocates
with
Mr.Susmit
Pushkar,
Mr.Anchit
Oswal,
Mr.Sanjeev
Seshadri,
Mr.Shreedhar
Kale,
Mr.Sudi
Mullick,
Mr.Yigal
Gabriel,
Mr.Meherasp
Mistry,
Ms.Meherunissa Anand, Mr.Dushyant Kale
and Ms.Roshni Srivastava, Advocates.
Reserved on
: 25thSeptember, 2023
%
Date of Decision: 17thOctober, 2023
CORAM:
HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE MANMOHAN
HON'BLE MS. JUSTICE MINI PUSHKARNA
Digitally Signed By:JASWANT
SINGH RAWAT
Signing Date:17.10.2023
18:30:18
Signature Not Verified
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Para Nos.
APPLICATION……………………………………..………………………………………………..…1
APPLICANTS-RESPONDENTS……………..………………….…………………………..…2-5
ARGUMENTS ON BEHALF OF THE APPELLANTS………………………………..6-22
Court’s Reasoning……………...…..………………………………………………..……..23-51
the court can dispose it of ………………………………………………..………..….....…...…23
cause of action no longer survives……….………………….…..…………………….....24-27
in prosecuting the appeal…………………………………………………........................28-31
the principle of comity of courts…………………………………………..……...................32
no assistance to the appellants…………..…………………………………………..…..…....33
Share entitlement does not bind respondents no.3, 4 & 5………………….…....34-37
Question of enforcement of consent order does not arise…………………….......…38
canvassed before courts in Israel…………………………………………………..........…39
Israel is misconceived……………………………………………..………………..................40
relitigation which is an abuse of process………………………………….…….....…41-49
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………...50-51
Digitally Signed By:JASWANT
SINGH RAWAT
Signing Date:17.10.2023
18:30:18
Signature Not Verified
J U D G M E N T
MANMOHAN, J:
CM APPL.39987/2017
1.
Present application has been filed on behalf of the Respondents under
Section 151 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (‘CPC’) for dismissal of the
appeal on the ground that it has become infructous.
2.
Mr. Dayan Krishan and Mr. Rajshekhar Rao, learned senior counsel for the
Applicants-Respondents contended that the present appeal was infructuous in view
of the settlement of disputes between the parties as recorded in the consent order
dated 11thMay, 2017 passed by the Tel Aviv District Court. In support of their
contention, they relied on the following facts and submissions:
2.1
A document entitled ‘Share Entitlement’ was executed in favour of
Appellant No.1 by Respondent No.2 i.e. Tower Vision Limited Partnership
through Respondent
No.1 i.e. Tower Vision Limited in its capacity as the
general partner of Respondent No.2 on 17thOctober, 2006.
The Share
Entitlement dated 17thOctober, 2006 is reproduced hereinbelow:-
Digitally Signed By:JASWANT
SINGH RAWAT
Signing Date:17.10.2023
18:30:18
Signature Not Verified
2.2
Though Respondent No.3, Tower Vision India Private Limited (an
Indian Company), had been incorporated prior to the date of Share Entitlement
i.e. on 27thJanuary, 2006, yet there was no reference to the said company in this
document. As on the date of execution of Share Entitlement i.e. 17thOctober,
2006, 99.99% shares of Respondent No.3 were held by Respondent No.4 and
0.01% (1 share) was held by Elgadcom Group Company.
2.3
On 13thNovember, 2008, a suit being ‘Civil File No. 2192 of 2008’
was filed by the Appellants (‘Tel Aviv suit’) before the Tel Aviv District
Court against Respondents No.1 and 2, who are Israeli companies as well as
Respondent No.6 (Trustee) and Rani Benyamini (not a party in the present
proceedings), relying solely on the Share Entitlement dated 17thOctober, 2006.
The amended reliefs claimed in the said suit are reproduced hereinbelow:-
Digitally Signed By:JASWANT
SINGH RAWAT
Signing Date:17.10.2023
18:30:18
Signature Not Verified