Full Order Text
Order 1 · 20 Jan 2018 · CNR MHCC010005672018
Order Details: Notice of Motion Pdf Text: Draft NM....2018 : 1 : SU.No.133/2018 IN THE BOMBAY CITY CIVIL COURT AT GREATER BOMBAY DRAFT NOTICE OF MOTION....2018. IN L.C. SUIT NO. 133 OF 2018 ZAHIR ZENUDDIN MERCHANT.. .. Plaintiff. Versus. 1. Designated Officer2 Asst. Engineer (B & F) Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai"G/South Ward Municipal Office, N.M.Joshi Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai400013 & Ors.. .. Defendants. Ld. Advocate Mr. P.D.Gandhy for the Plaintiff. Ld. Advocate Mr. Atif Shaikh for the Defendant/BMC. CORAM : HIS HONOUR JUDGE SHRI. G.B.GURAO DATE : 20thth JANUARY, 2018. (Court Room No.06) O R D E R 1. This notice of motion has taken out by plaintiff for temporary restraining the defendants its servants, agents, representative or any other person on behalf of it from taking any action pursuant to notice bearing No.ACGS/806/SR/BF dated 04/01/2018. 2. According to the plaintiff, plaintiff is in possession of the suit property situated at 11/12 Ground floor, Raghuvanshi Mill Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai i.e. in the premises of Raghuvanshi Mills Ltd. Defendant No.1 is the Designated Officer of defendant No. 2 Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai, defendant Nos. 3 and 4 redeveloped the structures of property. In terms of the order of the AAIFR dated 19th November, 2001 and joint venture agreement dated 24th May, 2001 an agreement arrived between defendant Nos. 3,4 and plaintiff. Thus, plaintiff is in possession of the -- 1 of 7 -- Draft NM....2018 : 2 : SU.No.133/2018 suit property. 3. According to plaintiff incident occurred at Kamala Mills Compound and defendant Nos.1 and 2 have issued random notices to the other premises holders in the vicinity including plaintiff without any documents and accordingly, the notice in question is issued to the plaintiff. Plaintiff contended that notice does not give any particulars or description of alleged irregularities. The notice is not issued under any provisions of MMC Act. Plaintiff had given reply to the defendant No. 1 and 2. However, defendant threatened to remove the irregularities if any within 15 days. Hence, this notice of motion. 4. I have heard Mr. P.D.Gandhy advocate for plaintiff and Mr. Atif Shaikh, advocate for defendant Nos. 1 and 2. Mr. P.D.Gandhy advocate for plaintiff has submitted that the random notices are given to the occupiers in the vicinity. In fact, plaintiff runs Show room. Plaintiff has not committed any illegality. A notice is issued without giving hearing to the plaintiff. He further submitted that defendant No. 1 and 2 violated the principles of natural justice. The notice is not U/sec.351 or 354 of MMC Act. Therefore, the notice is illegal. According to him, defendant suddenly called out plaintiff to remove the irregularities if any. Thus, this is against provisions of law. In support of his contention, he relied on following citations : (1) Uma Nath Pandey and Ors. V/s. State of U.P. and Anr. Cri. Appeal No.471 of 2009 (Arising out of SLP (Cri.) No. 6382 of 2007) decided on 16/03/2009 reported in MANU/SC/0401/2009. -- 2 of 7 -- Draft NM....2018 : 3 : SU.No.133/2018 (2) Sopan Maruti Thopte and another etc. etc. V/s. Pune Municipal Corporation and another and Shaikh Abdul Aziz and others. V/s. Bombay Municipal Corporation and others. Writ Petns. Nos. 4765 to 4767 of 1995 and A.O.No. 477 of 1994 reported in MANU/MH/0053/1996. (3) Muni SuvratSwami Jain S.M.P... V/s. Arun Nathuram Gaikwad & Ors. SLP (civil) 9049 of 2006 Supreme Court of India decided on 11/10/2006. (4) Ramesh Hargovinddas Divecha V/s. The Municipal Corporation of Gr. Bombay & Ors. In the High Court of Judicature at Bombay Ordinary Original Civil Jurisdiction Writ Petition No. 715 of 1999 dated 12th July, 1999. (5) Abdul Razzaq Sunesra V/s. Municipal Corporation of Gr. Mumbai In the High Court of Judicature at Bombay Ordinary Original Civil Jurisdiction Writ Petition (L) No. 1709 of 2013 dated 17th July, 2013. (6) Suresh Estates Pvt. Ltd. and ors. V/s. Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai and Ors. Appeal No. 5948 of 2007 (Arising out of SLP (C) No.14578 of 2007) decided on 14/12/2007 reported in MANU/SC/0232/2008. (7) Salim Babu Khan & Others. V/s. The Bombay Municipal Corporation In the High Court of Judicature at Bombay -- 3 of 7 -- Draft NM....2018 : 4 : SU.No.133/2018 Ordinary Original Civil Jurisdiction Writ Petition (L) No. 1830 of 2008 with Chamber Summons No. 265 of 2008 decided on 30th September, 2008. 5. As against this, Mr. Atif Shaikh advocate for defendant Nos. 1 and 2 has submitted that the incident occurred in Kamala Mills Compound on 29/12/2017 and due to this, 14 people lost their lives. Therefore, due to the public safety, as per the direction of Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, the notices issued to the occupiers in the vicinity. He further submitted that notice only directs to remove the irregularities if any. There is no mention of unauthorised construction in the said notice therefore, according to him, the notice is for issued public safety and hence, he prayed to reject the application. 6. Plaintiff runs Show room in Raghuvanshi Mill Compound at 11/12 Senapati Bapat Marg, Mumbai. It is to be noted that on 29/12/2017 unfortunate massive fire incident occurred in Kamala Mill Compound at Hotel "Mojo Bistro" and "1 Above". Therefore, as per the directions of the Municipal Commissioner Designated officer2 issued notice in question to the plaintiff to remove irregularity if any and restored the structure as per the latest approved plan issued by Competent Authority i.e. Executive Engineer within 15 days. It is further mentioned that failing which (irregularities) will be demolished by the Municipal Corporation. 7. The notice is not issued alone to the plaintiff. The notice is issued to the people in the vicinity to remove irregularities. The notice is not U/sec.351, 354 of the MMC Act. Plaintiff has given reply to the -- 4 of 7 -- Draft NM....2018 : 5 : SU.No.133/2018 defendants and denied the contentions in the notice. In Ramesh Hargovinddas Divecha V/s. The Municipal Corporation of Greater Bombay & ors. Hon'ble Hon'ble High Court held that the plan sanctioned must be available with Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. In Muni Suvrat Swami Jain S.M.P. V/s. Arun Nathuram Gaikwad & Ors. Hon'ble Supreme Court held that issuance of show cause notices U/sec.351 of MMC Act is necessary for demolish of unauthorized structure. In Sopan Maruti Thopte and another etc. etc. V/s. Pune Municipal Corporation Hon'ble High Court ruled that in every case where a notice U/sec.351 of BMC Act/ U/sec.260 of B.P.M.C.Act is issued to a party 15 days' time shall be given for submitting the reply. In Uma Nath Pandey and Ors. V/s. State of U.P. and Anr. Hon'ble Supreme Court held that : (6) Natural justice is another name for commonsense justice. Rules of natural justice are not codified canons. But they are principles ingrained into the conscience of man. Natural justice is the administration of justice in a commonsense liberal way. Justice is based substantially on natural ideals and human values. The administration of justice is to be freed from the narrow and restricted considerations which are usually associated with a formulated law involving linguistic technicalities and grammatical niceties. It is the substance of justice which has to determine its form. (7) The expressions "natural justice" and "legal justice" do not present a watertight classification. It is the substance of justice which is to be secured by both, and whenever legal justice fails to achieve this solemn purpose, natural justice is called in aid of -- 5 of 7 -- Draft NM....2018 : 6 : SU.No.133/2018 legal justice. Natural justice relieves legal justice from unnecessary technicality, grammatical pedantry or logical prevarication. It supplies the omissions of a formulated law. As Lord Buckmaster said, no form or procedure should ever by permitted to exclude the presentation of a litigants' defence. 8. Reverting to the factual score of the present case, it is to be noted that the Corporation has not issued notice either U/sec.351 or 354 of the BMC Act. As discussed in supra the said notices are issued to the people in the vicinity to remove the irregularities if any and to restore a structure as per the latest approved plan issued by Competent Authority. Thus, all the notices are issued for the safety of the people. According to the plaintiff, there is no irregularities. Therefore, I find that if adinterim injunction as refused, no prejudice will be caused to the plaintiff. Hence, such a circumstances, I find that plaintiff is not entitled for interim injunction. Hence, the order : O r d e r 1. Adinteriminjunction is refused. 2. Leave is granted to register the Notice of Motion. (G.B.Gurao) Judge, City Civil Court, Gr. Bombay. Dictated on : 20.01.2018 Typed on : 20.01.2018 Signed by HHJ. : 20.01.2018 -- 6 of 7 -- Draft NM....2018 : 7 : SU.No.133/2018 “ CERTIFIED TO BE TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF THE ORIGINAL SIGNED JUDGMENT/ORDER.” 22.01.2018 /11.30 a.m. Mr. S.D.Nalawade UPLOAD DATE AND TIME NAME OF STENOGRAPHER (H.G.) Name of the Judge (with Court Room No.) Shri. G.B.Gurao (CR.No.06) Date of Pronouncement of JUDGEMENT/ORDER 20.01.2018 JUDGEMENT/ORDER signed by P.O. on 20.01.2018 JUDGEMENT/ORDER uploaded on 22.01.2018 -- 7 of 7 --
