Full Order Text
Order 1 · 20 Jun 2018 · CNR MHCC010064602018
Order Details: Chamber summons Pdf Text: Draft CS in L.C. SU 135718 : 1 : Dt. 20.06.2018 IN THE BOMBAY CITY CIVIL COURT AT BOMBAY DRAFT CHAMBER SUMMONS IN LONG CAUSE SUIT NO. 1357 OF 2018 (CNR NO. MHCC010064602018) Mr. Jalaluddin Hukumullah Shaikh ...Plaintiff Vs. Municipal Corporation Of Greater Mumbai ...Defendant And Nirmal Lifestyle Ltd. ...Applicant / Proposed Defendant No.2 CORAM : HER HONOUR JUDGE SMT. SANJASHREE J. GHARAT (C.R. NO.08) DATE : 20.06.2018. Adv. Ms. Vaibhavi Pawar a/w. Adv. Mr. Tiwari h/f. Adv. Mr. Kudalkar for Plaintiff. Adv. Ms. Kamble for BMC / Defendant. Adv. Mr. Kadam for Applicant /Proposed Defendant no. 2. ORAL ORDER The present Chamber Summons is moved by the Applicant for impleading him as a party to the present proceeding under the provisions of Order I, Rule 10 of the Code of Civil Procedure. The Applicant claims that he is the owner of suit property. He further claims that, he purchased the suit property by Registered Conveyance from the erstwhile owner and his name is available on 7/12 extract. Therefore, he is necessary party to the present proceeding. 2. The plaintiff raised strong objection for allowing the -- 1 of 8 -- Draft CS in L.C. SU 135718 : 2 : Dt. 20.06.2018 Chamber Summons filed by the applicant. It is submitted on behalf of the plaintiff that suit is filed challenging the Order/Notices issued by defendant No. 1 i.e. M.C.G.M. Therefore, applicant is not having any role to play in the present matter. The plaintiff claims that Applicant is neither necessary nor proper party to the present proceeding. In support of the said contention the learned counsel appearing on behalf of plaintiff placed reliance on observations made by Hon'ble Apex Court in case of Mohamed Hussain Gulam Ali Shariffi Vs. Municipal Corporation of Greater Bombay & Ors. reported in 2017(6) ALL MR 420 (S.C.). The Hon'ble Apex Court in an identical issue in para Nos. 13 to 18 observed that, for deciding the legality of the demolition notice, presence of owner is not required. The Ld. Counsel for the plaintiff further placed reliance on observations made by the Hon'ble Bombay High Court in case of Luis Roberto Vaz v. Roque Silvestre Vaz and another reported in AIR 1988 BOMBAY 300 (PANJI BENCH (GOA)). 3. Per contra it is the contention of the applicant that he being owner of the suit property he is necessary party to the present suit. In support of his claim of ownership he filed the copy of Deed of Conveyance executed on 12.12.2005. The Applicant claims that said Deed of Conveyance is not challenged by the plaintiff. However it appears that the mutation entry caused on basis of Conveyance Deed dated 18.09.1995 regarding the names of purported owners is under challenge. The applicant preferred Revision Application before SDO. The said Appeal came to be allowed. Thereafter the said order passed by the SDO is challenged before the Deputy Collector (Appeals M.S.D.) and the same appeal came to be dismissed. Thereafter plaintiff and others again challenged the said order before the Additional Commissioner Konkan Division. The said appeal also came to be -- 2 of 8 -- Draft CS in L.C. SU 135718 : 3 : Dt. 20.06.2018 dismissed. 4. Thereafter the purported owners and plaintiff challenged the said order before Revenue Minister. Even the Revenue Minister rejected the Appeal. Thereafter the plaintiff and purported owner challenged the order of Revenue Minister by filing Writ Petition bearing No. 13876 of 2016 which is still pending. 5. It is pertinent to note that the said proceeding is in respect of challenging the mutation entry caused showing the purported owners as 'Kabjedar'. The Deed of Conveyance executed in favour of the Applicant is not under challenge. The 7/12 extract stands in the name of Applicant. Therefore the applicant filed documentary evidence and made out primafacie case to show that he is the owner of the suit property. He further claims that being owner he is having rights in the suit property. Therefore in the event any order is passed as regards to the suit property then his rights would be materially affected. Therefore he prayed to add him as a defendant no. 2. In support of his contention he placed reliance on observations made by Hon'ble Apex Court in case of M/s. Aliji Monoji & Co. vs. Lalji Mavji and others reported in AIR 1997 Supreme Court 64 6. The Hon'ble Apex Court in para 5 of the judgment observed that : "The controversy is no longer res integra. It is settled law by catena of decisions of this Court that where the presence of the respondent is necessary for complete and effectual adjudication of the dispute, though no relief is sought, he is a proper party. Necessary party is one without whose presence no -- 3 of 8 -- Draft CS in L.C. SU 135718 : 4 : Dt. 20.06.2018 effective and complete adjudication of the dispute could be made and no relief granted. The question is : whether the landlord is a necessary or proper party to the suit for perpetual injunction against the Municipal Corporation for demolition of demised building ? The landlord has a direct and substantial interest in the demised building before the demolition of which notice under Section 351 was issued. In the event of its demolition, his rights would materially be affected. His right, title and interest in the property demised to the tenant or licencee would be in jeopardy. It may be that the construction which is sought to be demolished by the Municipal Corporation was made with or without the consent of the landlord or the lessor. But the demolition would undoubtedly materially affect the right, title and interest in the property of the landlord. Under those circumstances, the landlord necessarily is a proper party, though the relief is sought for against the Municipal Corporation for perpetual injunction restraining the Municipal Corporation from demolition of the building. Under those circumstances, the question of the commercial interest would not arise. In Ramesh Hirachand Kundanmal's case (1992 AIR SCW 946) [supra], this Court had pointed out in para 18 of the judgment that the notice did not relate to the structure but to two chattels. Original lessee from the landlord had no direct interest in that property. Under these circumstances, it was held that the second respondent has no direct interest in the subject matter of the litigation and the addition thereof would result in causing serious prejudice to the appellant and the substitution or the addition of a new cause of action would only widen the issue which was required to be adjudicated and settled, It is true, as pointed out by Shri Nariman that in para 14, this Court in that case had pointed out that what makes a person a necessary party is not merely that he has relevant evidence to give on some of the questions involved; that would only make him a necessary witness. It is not merely that he has an interest in the correct solution of some question involved and has thought of relevant arguments to advance. The only reason which makes it necessary to make a person a party to an -- 4 of 8 -- Draft CS in L.C. SU 135718 : 5 : Dt. 20.06.2018 action is that he should be bound by the result of the action and the question to be settled, therefore, must be question in the action which cannot be effectually and completely settled unless he is a party. The line has been drawn on a wider construction of the rule between the direct interest or the legal interest and commercial interest. It is not necessary for the purpose of this case to go into the wider question whether witness can be a proper and necessary party when the witness has a commercial interest. This Court in New Redbank Tea Co. Pvt. Ltd. vs. Kumkum Mittal [(1994) 1 SCC 402] has pointed out that respondent 11 who filed a suit for specific performance in the High Court was sought to come on record in the suit in which he had no direct interest in the pending matter. Under those circumstances, this Court had held that respondent 11 was neither necessary nor proper party in the leasehold interest involved in the suit. In Union of India & Anr. vs. District Judge, Udhampur [(1994) 4 SCC 737] the Union of India who ultimately had to bear the burden of payment of the compensation was held to be a necessary party under Order 1, Rule 10, CPC for determination of the compensation in respect of the acquired land. In Bihar State Electricity Board vs. State of Bihar, [(1994) Supp. (3) SCC 743], the same question was also reiterated and it was held that the Electricity Board was a person interested and also a necessary party. In Anil Kr. Singh vs. Shivnath Mishra [(1995) 3 SCC 147] : (1995 AIR SCW 1782), similar question was answered holding that the respondent was a necessary party. In view of the observations made by Hon'ble Apex Court landlord / owner is the necessary party. 7. The applicant further placed reliance on observations made by Hon'ble Bombay High Court in case of Madanlal Uttamchand Desarda vs. Jugalkishor Shankarlal Bharuka reported in 1997(2) ALL MR 575 the Hon'ble Bombay High Court in Para No. 10 of the -- 5 of 8 -- Draft CS in L.C. SU 135718 : 6 : Dt. 20.06.2018 judgment observed that : Para 10 : "In support of this contention, the learned Counsel for the petitioner has relied upon the decision of the Supreme Court in the case of M/s. Aliji Momonji & Company Vs. Lalji Mavji & Others (JT 1996 (7) S.C. 53). The facts appearing in the matter before the Supreme Court and the facts in the present case are similar. There also, the Bombay Municipal Corporation had issued a notice on the tenant regarding the unauthroised construction carried out by the tenant and had proposed for the pulling down the portion of the building where unauthorized construction was carried out and the tenant filed suit for injunction against the Bombay Municipal Corporation. The Apex Court has held that as the landlord has a direct and substantial interest in the demised building before the demolition of which notice under Section 351 of the Municipal Corporation Act was issued, in the event of its demolition, his rights would be materially affected and, in such circumstances, he is the proper party to the suit. It is also observed, that even though no relief is sought against the landlord, he would be proper party to the suit." 8. The facts and circumstances in the cited case and present case in hand are identical. In reply to the citation relied by the plaintiff it is submitted by the applicant that the observations made by Hon'ble Apex Court in case of Aliji Monoji (cited Supra) earlier in time. However the said judgment is not considered in the judgment relied by the plaintiff which is passed by a coordinate bench. Therefore applicant claims that the judgment relied by the plaintiff are per incurium. 9. It is settled law that plaintiff being a dominus litus can not be forced to add any person as party to his suit. In the judgment relied -- 6 of 8 -- Draft CS in L.C. SU 135718 : 7 : Dt. 20.06.2018 by the plaintiff in case of Mohd. Hussain cited (Supra) there was intersay dispute between tenant and owner. Therefore it is observed that the said controversy can not be decided in the suit filed by the tenant challenging validity of notice issued under 351 of MMC Act. As stated earlier the Conveyance Deed of the applicant is not under challenge. Therefore, if any order is passed without impleadings him as a party to the proceedings, then his rights will be materially affected. The citation relied by the Applicant are more applicable to present case in hand. Moreover his presence is required for just adjudication of dispute. Therefore in my view he is proper party to the proceedings. Hence, I proceed to pass following order : ORDER 1. Draft Ch/Sum allowed and made absolute in terms of prayer clause (a). 2. Plaintiff is directed to add Applicant as defendant no. 2. 3. Ch/sum be registered for statistical purpose. (Sanjashree J. Gharat ) Additional Sessions Judge, City Civil & Sessions Court, Gr. Mumbai. Date : 20.06.2018. Dictated on : 20.06.2018. Transcribed on : 20.06.2018. Signed on : 26.06.2018. -- 7 of 8 -- Draft CS in L.C. SU 135718 : 8 : Dt. 20.06.2018 “CERTIFIED TO BE TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF THE ORIGINAL SIGNED JUDGMENT/ORDER.” 27.06.2018 at 3.15 p.m. (Y.M. SAKHARKAR) UPLOAD DATE AND TIME NAME OF STENOGRAPHER Name of the Judge (With Court room no.) DR(SMT) SRISHTY NEELKANTH (C.R. No.02) Date of Pronouncement of JUDGMENT/ ORDER 20.06.2018 JUDGMENT/ORDER signed by P.O. on 26.06.2018 JUDGMENT/ORDER uploaded on 27.06.2018 -- 8 of 8 --
