Full Order Text
Final Order 1 · 29 Jan 2020 · CNR MHCC010080042019
Order Details: Ex-parte Judgement Pdf Text: Commercial Suit No.129/19 ..1.. Judgment Lodged on : 31.07.2019 Decided on : 29.01.2020 Duration : 0 Y, 6 M, 0 D CNR No.MHCC010080042019 Exh.10 IN THE BOMBAY CITY CIVIL COURT FOR GREATER BOMBAY COMMERCIAL SUIT NO.129 OF 2019 Shantilal Morarji Vira Aged : 66 years, Carrying on proprietary business of food products n the name and style of M/s. Rupande Food Products, having address at 52, Shivaji Nagar, N.M.Joshi Marg, Lower Parel (East), Mumbai – 400 013 .. Plaintiff Versus Vinod Motiram Dewani An adult, carrying on proprietary business in the name and style of M/s. Vinod Agency at office No.123, Gujarat Ginning Mill Compound, Near Jaipur Golden Transport, O/s. Prem Darwaja, Ahmedabad 380001 (Gujarat) And at 313/A, Sindhi Colony, Behind Water Tank, Sardar Nagar, Pin 382475 (Gujarat) .. Defendant Mr. Yashpal Jain, advocate for plaintiff None for defendant CORAM : M. T. ASIM, J COURT ROOM NO.02 DATED : 29th January, 2020 JUDGMENT Present suit is filed for recovery of sum of Rs.3,85,000/ and further, interest @ 18 % per annum on Rs.2,69,000/ from the date of filing of the suit till realisation of said amount. -- 1 of 8 -- Commercial Suit No.129/19 ..2.. Judgment In brief case of the plaintiff is as under: 2. Plaintiff carries on business of manufacturing of various food products and pizzas at Shivaji Nagar, N.M. Joshi Marg, Lower Parel (East), Mumbai. He is sole proprietor of firm M/s. Rupande Food Products. Defendant is sole proprietor of his firm M/s. Vinod Agency and carried on business in food products at Ahmedabad. In the year 2017, defendant approached plaintiff and represented that he is dealing in business of food products at Ahmedabad City. He induced plaintiff to have business dealing with his firm. Plaintiff thereupon agreed to supply food products/item to the defendant as per his orders and requirement. Pursuance to orders received from the defendant, he has sold, delivered and supplied food products, items to the defendant and simultaneously raised invoices against the said orders. Details of which are as under: 1. Invoice No.33592 dated 28.01.2017 of Rs.1,00,980/ 2. Invoice No.33682 dated 20.02.2017 Rs.1,68,300/ 3. Total amount of Rs.2,69,280/ is payable by defendant under above referred invoices. As per instructions of the defendant, aforesaid food products/items were delivered through Patel Good Freight Carriers (Bombay) for due delivery of the products to the defendant at Ahmedabad. The defendant duly acknowledged the receipt of aforesaid invoices and goods and at no point of time has raised any issues or disputes towards aforesaid goods so delivered to him. Defendant had agreed to pay price of the said good within 15 days from the receipt of goods failing which he shall be liable to pay interest @ 18 % per annum. Defendant despite several reminders and request made by the plaintiff, failed and neglected to make the payment of outstanding principal amount and interest. Plaintiff through his advocate’s demand notice dated 02.05.2018 called upon defendant to pay Rs.1,68,300/ only in relation to invoice No.33682 with accrued interest @ 18% per -- 2 of 8 -- Commercial Suit No.129/19 ..3.. Judgment annum. But said notice was returned undelivered with remark left. Plaintiff by his advocate’s reminder notice dated 09.07.2018 once again called upon defendant to comply with demand made in first notice dated 02.05.2018. Due to inadvertence no demand was raised in aforesaid notices for Invoice No.333592 dated 28.01.2017 amounting to Rs.1,00,980/. Defendant has received said notice but he neither made payment nor replied to the said notices. Therefore, plaintiff constrained to file present suit claiming Rs.2,69,280/ being principal outstanding amount and Rs.1,15,965/ being interest on unpaid sum @ 18 % per annum till the date of filing of the suit and also claimed future interest on the principal outstanding @ 18% perannum from date of filing suit till realization of said amount. Hence, this suit. 4. Suit proceeded ex.parte against the defendant vide order dated 18.01.2020. 5. In view of above facts following points arise for my determination and I have recorded my findings to the same with reasons to follow as under. POINTS FINDINGS 1. Whether plaintiff is entitled to suit claim? Entitled for claim of Rs.3,48,381/. 2. What order and decree? As per final order REASONS As to Point Nos.1 and 2 6. In order to prove his claim plaintiff has filed his affidavit of evidence at Exh.3 and placed reliance upon office copy of invoice No.33592 along with its consignment note No.385 (Exh.5 colly), office copy of invoice No.33682 along with its consignment note No.436 -- 3 of 8 -- Commercial Suit No.129/19 ..4.. Judgment (Exh.6 colly), office copy of demand notice dated 02.05.2018 along with postal money receipts and acknowledgment and returned envelope (Exh.7 colly) and office copy of demand notice dated 09.07.2018 along with postal acknowledgment (Exh.8 colly). Plaintiff has closed his side by filing pursis at Exh.9. His evidence remained unchallenged for want of cross examination as suit proceeded exparte against defendant. Heard learned advocate for plaintiff. 7. PW1 Shantilal Vira, plaintiff has reiterated the facts mentioned in the plaint in his affidavit of evidence. He deposed that he carries on business of manufacturing of various food products and pizzas at Shivaji Nagar, N.M. Joshi Marg, Lower Parel (East), Mumbai. He is sole proprietor of Firm M/s. Rupande Food Products. Defendant is sole proprietor of his Firm M/s. Vinod Agency and carried on business in food products at Hindamata. In the year 2017, defendant approached him and represented that he is dealing in business of food products at Ahmedabad City. He induced him to have business dealing with his firm. He thereupon agreed to supply food products/item to the defendant as per his orders and requirement. Pursuance to orders received from the defendant, he has sold, delivered and supplied food products, items to the defendant and simultaneously raised invoices against the said orders. Details of which are as under: 1. Invoice No.33592 dated 28.01.2017 of Rs.1,00,980/ 2. Invoice No.33682 dated 20.02.2017 Rs.1,68,300/ 8. Total amount of Rs.2,69,280/ is payable by defendant under above referred invoices. As per instructions of the defendant, aforesaid food products/items were delivered through Patel Good Freight Carriers (Bombay) for due delivery of the products to the defendant at Ahmedabad. The defendant duly acknowledged the receipt of aforesaid -- 4 of 8 -- Commercial Suit No.129/19 ..5.. Judgment invoices and goods and at no point of time has raised any issues or disputes towards aforesaid goods so delivered to him. Defendant had agreed to pay price of the said good within 15 days from the receipt of goods failing which he shall be liable to pay interest @ 18 % per annum. Defendant despite several reminders and request made by him, failed and neglected to make the payment of outstanding principal amount and interest. He through his advocate’s demand notice dated 02.05.2018 called upon defendant to pay Rs.1,68,300/ only in relation to invoice No.33682 with accrued interest @ 18% per annum. But said notice was returned undelivered with remark left. He by his advocate’s reminder notice dated 09.07.2018 once again called upon defendant to comply with demand made in first notice dated 02.05.2018. Due to inadvertence no demand was raised in aforesaid notices for Invoice No.333592 dated 28.01.2017 amounting to Rs.1,00,980/. Defendant has received said notice but he neither made payment nor replied to the said notices. Therefore, he is constrained to file present suit claiming Rs.2,69,280/ being principal outstanding amount and Rs.1,15,965/ being interest on unpaid sum @ 18 % per annum till the date of filing of the suit and also claimed future interest on the principal outstanding @ 18% perannum from date of filing suit till realization of said amount. 9. His evidence is well supported by documents filed on record. Invoice No.33592 dated 28.1.2017 (Exh.5 colly) shows that Vinod Agency had purchased food items valued at Rs.1,00,980/ inclusive of CST from the firm of plaintiff and said item was delivered with Patel Good Freight Carriers for carrying the same in order to deliver it to Vinod Agency on 30.01.2017 vide consignment note Exh.5 colly. 10. Invoice No.33682 dated 20.2.2017 (Exh.6 colly) shows that Vinod Agency had purchased food items valued at Rs.1,68,300/ -- 5 of 8 -- Commercial Suit No.129/19 ..6.. Judgment inclusive of CST from the firm of plaintiff and said item was delivered with Patel Good Freight Carriers for carrying the same in order to deliver it to Vinod Agency on 22.02.2017 vide consignment note Exh.6 colly. As per section 39 of the Sale of Goods Act, where in pursuance of a contract of Sale, the seller is authorised or required to send the goods to the buyer, delivery of goods to a carrier, whether named by the buyer or not, for the purpose of transmission to the buyer, or delivery of goods to a wharfinger for safe custody, is prima facie deemed to be a delivery of the goods to the buyer. In light above provision I have considered evidence produced on record. As already pointed out purchase of goods by defendant’s agency is evidenced by invoices at Exhs. 5 & 6. Consignment notes dated 30.01.2017 and 22.02.2017 marked Exhs. 5 & 6 respectively with invoices dated 28.01.2017 & 20.02.2017 are evidence of delivery of goods to defendant in view of section 39 of the Sales of Good Act. There is no reason to discard unchallenged version of plaintiff about purchase of goods totaling Rs.2,69,280/ by defendant in the name of his firm Vijay Agency. Plaintiff has placed on record office copy of demand notice dated 02.05.2018 along with postal money receipts and acknowledgment at Exh.7 colly. and office copy of demand notice dated 09.07.2018 along with postal acknowledgment Exh.8 colly. The defendant did not give reply to demand notices of plaintiff sent through his advocate despite receipt of the same. This fact also gives credence to the testimony of plaintiff. In light of above discussion I hold that plaintiff has established that defendant has purchased goods worth Rs.2,69,280/ from him. 11. So far as interest claimed by plaintiff @ 18% perannum is concerned, I do not find any such stipulation in invoices at Exhs.5 & 6. It cannot be termed as contractual rate of interest. However, considering that it is commercial transaction, I am inclined to grant interest as per banking lending rate in view of section 34 of the Code of -- 6 of 8 -- Commercial Suit No.129/19 ..7.. Judgment Civil Procedure. It is common knowledge that nowadays lending rate ranges between 9% to 16 %. I take into consideration mean of the same and calculate interest on principal amount @ 12 % perannum. It comes to Rs.79,101/ till the date of filing of suit. Thus, plaintiff is entitled to total claim of Rs.3,48,381/. He is also entitled to future interest @ 12% perannum on principal amount of Rs.2,69,280/ from the date of filing of suit till realization of said amount. Hence, I answer point Nos.1 and 2 accordingly and pass following order: ORDER 1. Commercial Suit is partly decreed with proportionate costs. 2. Defendant shall pay an amount of Rs.3,48,381/ (Rupees Three Lakhs Forty Eight Thousand Three Hundred and Eighty One only) and so also future interest @ 12% perannum on principal amount of Rs.2,69,280/ (Rupees Two Lakhs Sixty Nine Thousand Two Hundred and Eighty only) from the date of filing of suit till realization of said amount to the plaintiff. 3. Defendant shall pay proportionate costs of the suit to plaintiff as per section 35 of the Code of Civil Procedure. 4. Decree be drawn up accordingly. (M. T. Asim) Judge Date : 29.01.2020 Gr. Bombay Typed on : 29.01.2020 HHJ signed on : -- 7 of 8 -- Commercial Suit No.129/19 ..8.. Judgment “CERTIFIED TO BE TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF THE ORIGINAL SIGNED JUDGMENT/ORDER.” 31.01.2020 UPLOAD DATE AND TIME Mrs. S. P. Pawar NAME OF STENOGRAPHER Name of the Judge (With Court Room No.) H.H.J. Shri. M. T. Asim C.R.No.02 Date of Pronouncement of JUDGMENT/ORDER 29.01.2020 JUDGMENT/ORDER signed by P.O. on 30.01.2020 JUDGMENT/ORDER uploaded on 31.01.2020 -- 8 of 8 --
