Final Order 1

Order Details: Notice of Motion
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IN THE BOMBAY CITY CIVIL COURT AT MUMBAI
NOTICE OF MOTION NO. 1215 OF 2020
(CNR No. MHCC01-003362-2020)
IN
L. C. SUIT NO. 935 OF 2020
Mehboob Hussain Shaikh …. Plaintiff.
V/s.
1. The Municipal Corporation of
Greater Mumbai and Anr. ....Defendants.
Appearances :
Adv. S.S. Redekar for the plaintiff.
Adv. Amar Patil for defendants/BMC.
CORAM : HIS HONOUR JUDGE
SHRI. V. S. KHOT
(C.R.NO.06)
DATE : 16th January, 2025.
ORAL ORDER
1. The plaintiff has taken this notice of motion for restraining
the defendants, their agents, servants, officers by the order of injunction
from taking any action pursuant to the notice dated 06.04.2018 and
order dated 25.02.2020 passed by the Assistant Engineer of BMC.
2. The facts of the notice of motion can be stated as under:-
The plaintiff has taken this notice of motion for injunction.
The plaintiff submitted that he is in use, occupation and possession of
Shop premises situated in Survey No.GS/33/SBM, B-Patra Chawl,
B.M.Marg, Senapati Bapat Marg, Elphinstone,Mumbai-13. The premises
shall be referred as ‘suit premises’ hereinafter for the sake of brevity and
convenience.
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3. The defendant No.1 is a Corporation and defendant No.2 is
an officer of Corporation. The plaintiff is carrying his business of Two
Wheeler Spare Parts by name M/s. Star Auto Parts from the suit
premises. The defendant issued Shops and Establishment Certificate at
the suit premises address in the year 1991 and same has been renewed
from time to time. The plaintiff has obtained telephone connection and
electricity connection at the address of the suit premises from MTNL
and BEST respectively. The suit premises is in existence prior to
01.01.1995 and as per the Government Policy the structure existing
prior to 01.01.1995 are protected. The suit premises are required for
road widening process. The BMC issued the notice dated 06.04.2018
U/sec. 314 of the MMC Act for removal of structure. The plaintiff
received the said notice and submitted all the relevant documents to the
BMC. As the suit property is in existence prior to 01.01.1995 therefore,
the plaintiff is entitled to the alternate accommodation. The suit
premises is protected under the policy of the Government.
4. The defendants have issued the notice as stated earlier and
directed the removal of the structure. The plaintiff received the said
notice on 28.02.2020. The notice issued by the BMC is invalid and
illegal. They cannot demolish the suit property. The plaintiff is entitled
for the alternate accommodation and without granting the alternate
accommodation the suit property cannot be demolished. Therefore, the
plaintiff has instituted this suit and by the way of this notice of motion
prayed for the interim injunction.
5. Say of the other side came to be invited. The defendants
filed the reply and submitted that the plaintiff has not given the
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statutory notice U/sec. 527 of the MMC Act. Without the notice, suit is
liable to be dismissed with the compensatory costs. The suit is not
maintainable. The suit is not properly valued and on that count, it is
liable to be dismissed. The defendants have properly issued the notice
under section 314 of the MMC Act. The suit of the plaintiff is liable to
be dismissed with heavy compensatory costs. The defendants have
decided to widen the Senapati Marg and the suit property is required
for road widening process. The BMC have issued notices to several
persons for removal of the structure. The Municipal Corporation has
decided the eligibility. The plaintiff is not eligible for the alternate
accommodation. There is no force in the statement of the plaintiff that
the suit premises/property is liable to be protected because the
defendant/BMC has not provided any alternate accommodation to him.
The defendants have properly rejected his claim regarding alternate
accommodation. The notice of motion is not tenable and liable to be
rejected.
6. In view of contentions and counter contentions of the
parties, the following points arise for my determination and the same
are replied subject to the reasons mentioned hereinafter.
Sr. No. POINTS FINDINGS
1. Whether the plaintiff has made out
prima facie case in his favour ?
In the Negative
2. Whether balance of convenience lies in
favour of plaintiff?
In the Negative.
3. Whether irreparable loss will be caused
to the plaintiff, if present Notice of
Motion is not allowed ?
In the Negative.
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4. What order? As per the final order
R E A S O N S
As to point No.1.
7. The plaintiff has instituted this suit for injunction naturally,
the burden of proof under Section 101 of the Indian Evidence Act lies
upon him. The plaintiff came with the case that he is having suit
property in Survey No. GS/33/SBM. B-Patra Chawl, B. M.Marg,
Senapati Bapat Marg, Elphinstone, Mumbai-13. The plaintiff is carrying
his business of Two Wheeler Spare Parts by name M/s. Star Auto Parts
from the suit premises. The defendant issued Shops and Establishment
Certificate at the suit premises address in the year 1991 and same has
been renewed from time to time. The plaintiff has obtained telephone
connection and electricity connection at the address of the suit premises
from MTNL and BEST respectively. The suit property is required in road
widening process. The suit property is in existence prior to 01.01.1995
and year-2000. The BMC has issued the notice U/sec. 314 of the MMC
Act and directed the removal of the structure without deciding the
eligibility in proper manner. The plaintiff is entitled to the protection of
the suit property unless and until alternate accommodation is granted
to him. He prayed for the issuance of injunction. On the contrary, the
defendants vehemently came with the case that the plaintiff is declared
ineligible to get the alternate accommodation. The notice issued is
proper. The plaintiff is not entitled to any injunction. The notice of
motion is liable to be dismissed. The suit is barred by the jurisdiction
and limitation aspects. No notice U/sec. 527 of the MMC Act is issued.
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8. The plaintiff has prayed for the injunction. It is the
contention of the plaintiff that the BMC has issued notice U/sec. 314 of
the MMC Act and directed the removal of the suit structure located on
the suit property. The suit property is required for road widening
process. The BMC has not allotted any alternate accommodation to him.
The suit property existed prior to year-2000 and the plaintiff is entitled
for the alternate accommodation. Without granting alternate
accommodation to the plaintiff, the defendant cannot demolish the suit
property or take any action against the plaintiff. The defendant during
the course of arguments submitted that the plaintiff has been declared
ineligible. The decision taken by the Municipal corporation came to be
communicated to the plaintiff. Therefore, the plaintiff is not entitled for
any protection of the Court.
9. The plaintiff has filed this notice of motion against the
Municipal Corporation and claimed injunction against the action
pursuant to the notice U/sec. 314 of the MMC Act solely on the ground
that the plaintiff has not been granted with the alternate
accommodation. The pursis filed by the defendants side shows that the
plaintiff is declared not eligible for the alternate accommodation and his
claim is turned down. The plaintiff has pointed out the documents i.e.
Shops and Establishment Certificate, Telephone bills, Electricity bills etc.
The above mentioned documents clearly show that the suit property
was in existence prior to year 2000 but the claim of the plaintiff has
been rejected by the defendants. This Court is not the appellate
authority as far as the eligibility claim is concerned. The plaintiff has to
approach to the Appellate Authority for the relief. It is apparent that the
plaintiff has not knocked the doors of the Appellate Authority, which is
fault of the plaintiff.
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10. Learned counsel for the plaintiff during the course of
argument submitted that the plaintiff is entitled to the protection of the
Court until he approached to the Appellate Authority. He is ready to
approach the Appellate Authority till then the protection be granted to
the suit property. He also relied the citation of Manali vs. Assistant
Engineer, Appeal From Order No. 774 of 2024, wherein the Hon’ble
Bombay High Court granted interim protection till preparation of the
supplementary annextures. The ratio of the citation is altogether
different and it is not helpful to the plaintiff because the facts of the
case in hand shows that the eligibility has been decided by the
Municipal Corporation and the plaintiff is declared ineligible. So, the
citation is not helpful to the plaintiff side.
11. In this case, the plaintiff has been issued with the notice
U/sec. 314 of the MMC Act. The plaintiff is claiming the injunction on
the ground that he has not been granted with the alternate
accommodation. It is apparent that his claim regarding the alternate
accommodation has been turned down by the defendant No.1. The
plaintiff cannot claim injunction on the ground that he is declared not
eligible and the BMC has committed error in the proceeding. Even
otherwise, the notice U/sec.314 of the MMC Act cannot be resisted on
the ground that the alternate accommodation is not provided to the
plaintiff. The plaintiff is not entitled for the protection. The plaintiff has
failed to show that he is entitled to get the protection from the Court
because no alternate accommodation is granted to him. The primafacie
case is not in favour of plaintiff. Therefore, my answer to point no.1 is
in negative.
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As to point Nos.2 and 3.
12. As discussed earlier, the plaintiff is having no primafacie
case, the balance of convenience and irreparable loss do not arise in
favour of plaintiff. The BMC has issued the notice U/sec. 314 of the
MMC Act. If the injunction is granted then the road widening process
would be stalled. The several citizens would face hardship if the
injunction is granted. The balance of convenience does not lie in favour
of the plaintiff’s side. As far as the irreparable loss is concerned, the
plaintiff would have no irreparable loss if the injunction is refused
because he would have an alternative remedy to claim the relief before
the Appellate Authority. He can take the proceeding before the
Appellate Authority for alternative accommodation. No irreparable loss
would be the outcome if the injunction is refused. The plaintiff is having
no primafacie case, balance of convenience and irreparable loss in his
favour. Therefore, my answer to point nos. 2 and 3 are in negative.
13. As discussed earlier the plaintiff is having no primafacie
case, balance of convenience and irreparable loss in his favour. He is not
entitled for any injunction. During the course of arguments Adv. Shri.
Redekar submitted that he is ready to file appeal before the Appellate
Authority and till then protection be granted. It is apparent that the
BMC has taken the decision and declared the plaintiff not eligible for
alternate accommodation. Final annexure was prepared on January-
2022 and accordingly the plaintiff was informed. The pursis filed by the
defendant make it clear that the plaintiff has committed three years
delay. Moreover, there is no legal foundation or backing that the
plaintiff is entitled to the interim protection till he filed the appeal for
alternate accommodation. The section 314 of the MMC Act is having no
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relation with the alternate accommodation. Even if, the premises are
demolished then plaintiff can fight for the alternate accommodation by
taking appropriate proceeding. Therefore, the plaintiff is not entitled for
any protection. Hence, I am inclined to pass the following order.
ORDER
1. The Notice of Motion No.1215 of 2020 stands rejected and is
hereby disposed of.
2. No any order as to costs.
(V. S. KHOT)
Judge,
City Civil Court,
Date: 16.01.2025 Gr. Bombay.
Dictated on : 16.01.2025
Transcribed on : 16.01.2025
Signed on :
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CERTIFIED TO BE TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF THE ORIGINAL
SIGNED JUDGMENT/ORDER.”
29/01/2025 11.35 a.m. Mayuresh P. Tathe
UPLOAD DATE AND TIME NAME OF STENOGRAPHER
Name of the Judge (With Court Room
Number)
HHJ SHRI. V. S. KHOT
(C.R.NO.06)
Date of pronouncement of Judgment/
Order
16.01.2025
Judgment/Order signed by P.O. on 28.01.2025
Judgment/Order uploaded on 29.01.2025
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