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Final Order 1 · 16 Feb 2023 · CNR MHCC010108572019
Order Details: Ex-parte Judgement Pdf Text: 1 Comm. Suit No.8352021 MHCC010108572019 Presented on : 19/10/2019 Registered on : 04/11/2019 Decided on : 16/02/2023 Duration : 3Y/3M/12D Exh.33 IN THE CITY CIVIL COURT AT MUMBAI. (Court Room No.32) COMMERCIAL SUIT No.835 OF 2021 Ulyssys Promotions Private Limited, a Private Limited Company [CIN U74900MH2008PTC181235] incorporated under the Companies Act, 1956 and having its Registered Office at 10, Mistry Chambers, Near Strand Cinema, Colaba, Mumbai 400005 ...PLAINTIFF VERSUS 1) Baun Foundation Trust, a Public Charitable Trust registered under the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act, 1950 bearing Public Trust Registration No. E2773 (Bom) having its Registered Office at 9395, August Kranti Marg, Mumbai 400036 2) Vijay Raghuram Shetty 3) Sarita Raghuram Shetty 4) Rajan Patel 5) Babukumar Shetty All adults, Indian habitants and Trustees of the Baun Foundation Trust having their address at 95, August Kranti Marg, Mumbai 400036 6) Cumballa Hill Hospital & Heart Institute, a multispecialty Hospital having its address at 9395, August Kranti Marg, Mumbai 400036 ...DEFENDANTS Shri. Ranjeet Vaghani, learned Advocate for plaintiff. Defendant Nos. 1 to 5 : exparte. -- 1 of 8 -- 2 Comm. Suit No.8352021 Defendant No.6 : Suit dismissed in default CORAM : JUDGE SHRI. N.P. TRIBHUWAN (C.R.NO.32) E XP A R T E J U D G M E N T (Delivered on 16/02/2023) This is a suit for recovery of sum of Rs.17,54,528/ and interest @ 12% p.a. on principal sum of Rs.12,04,459/ from the date of suit till realization of amount. 2. It is case of plaintiff that it is a private limited company. It is a public relations agency having more than 40 years association with media houses, be it mainline dailies, regional dailies or magazines. Plaintiff is also a corporate image branding agency with a proven track record of building categories and brands. Its provides strategic crisis management solutions and has Pan India network covering more than 150 cities. 3. Defendant no.1 is public charitable trust registered under the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act, 1950. Defendant no.2 to 5 are trustees of defendant no.1. Defendant no.6 is a hospital which is owned by and was run and managed by defendant no.1 Trust. It is currently managed by Asian Cancer Institute, Mumbai. 4. Plaintiff was appointed by defendant no.1 as its corporate public relations agency for providing public relations services to the defendant no.6 Hospital. The said appointment was as per terms and conditions set out in letter dt.15/7/2016 alongwith annexure “A”. As per aforesaid contract, the plaintiff was required to render services to defendant no.6 for a period of 12 months from 15/7/2016 to 14/7/2017. Plaintiff through its division one, Paradigm Shift rendered services to defendant no.6 every month from 15/7/2016 to 14/7/2017 -- 2 of 8 -- 3 Comm. Suit No.8352021 as per aforesaid contract. 5. In consideration of rendering aforesaid services the plaintiff time to time raised invoices on defendant no.1 as under : Date Invoice Fees for work Amount 18/7/2016 083/CHH/0120162017 15.7.16 31.8.16 1,72,000/ 1/10/2016 149/CHH/0220162017 September 2016 1,15,000/ 1/11/2016 183/CHH/0320162017 October 2016 1,15,000/ 2/11/2016 194/CHH/20162017 Out of pocket 2,518/ 1/12/1016 210/CHH/0420162017 November 2016 1,15,000/ 4/1/2017 240/CHH/0520162017 December 2016 1,15,000/ 7/1/2017 264/CHH/20162017 Out of pocket 1,942/ 1/2/2017 273/CHH/0620162017 January 2017 1,15,000/ 2/3/2017 302/CHH/0720162017 February 2017 1,15,000/ 2/4/2017 326/CHH/0820162017 March 2017 1,15,000/ 2/5/2017 11/CHH/0120172018 April 2017 1,15,000/ 3/6/2017 35/CHH/0220172018 May 2017 1,15,000/ 30/6/2017 65/CHH/0320172018 June 2017 1,15,000/ 6. As per the aforesaid contract, the defendant no.1 and/or defendant no.6 was obliged to make payment of aforesaid invoices within a period of 7 days from the date thereof. Defendant no.1 has made payment of only first invoice above. Defendant no.1 & 6 failed and neglected to make payment of remaining invoices. Therefore, in June 2017 plaintiff through its CEO approached the defendant no.2 representing the defendant no.1 & 6 and requested to pay outstanding dues. Defendant no.1 its letter dt.19/6/2017 signed by defendant no.2 acknowledged and admitted its liability towards the plaintiff and undertook to clear all dues by 30/6/2017. 7. In view of undertaking given by defendant No.1, the plaintiff agreed to reappoint as Corporate Public Relation Agency for defendant No.1 for providing public relation services to defendant No.6. -- 3 of 8 -- 4 Comm. Suit No.8352021 The said reappointment was as per the terms and conditions set out in the letter dtd.31/07/2017 signed by plaintiff and defendant No.1 through defendant No.2. By the said letter defendant No.1 unconditionally acknowledged and admitted its liability towards plaintiff. 8. As per above subsequent contract, the defendant was required to render services to defendant No.6 for a period of 12 months from 15/07/2017 to 14/07/2018. Plaintiff has rendered services to defendant No.6 in terms of the contract and accordingly raised two invoices No.78/CHH/0420172018 dtd.21/07/2017 towards work done in July 2017 for Rs.1,18,000/, No.107/CHH/0520172018 dtd.4/09/2017 towards work done in August 2017 for Rs.1,18,000/. Defendant No.1 and/or, defendant No.6 was obliged to make payment of above invoices within seven days. However they failed to make payment. Therefore, plaintiff discontinued rendering its services to defendant No.6 after 31/08/2017. 9. An aggregate amount of Rs.13,90,459/ is due and payable by defendant No.1 and/or defendant No.6 towards aforesaid unpaid invoices. Plaintiff has repeatedly requested the defendant No.2 representing the defendant No.2 and/or defendant No.6 to make payment of above unpaid invoices. But defendant No.1 and or 6 failed and neglected to pay the said amount. Therefore, plaintiff through its advocate sent letter dtd.5/9/2019 to defendants and called upon them to make the payment of aforesaid invoices. However, they did not respond to the said letter. 10. Defendant Nos.1 to 6 are jointly and severally liable to pay sum of R.13,90,459/ towards the invoices and Rs.3,64,069/ towards -- 4 of 8 -- 5 Comm. Suit No.8352021 interest calculated @ 12% p.a. (Total Rs.17,54,528/). Hence, this suit. 11. Defendant Nos.1 to 5 served with suit summons but they did not appear. Hence, suit proceeded exparte against them. Plaintiff has not taken steps against defendant No.6 to serve suit summons. Plaintiff has filed pursis at Exh.32 for deleting name of defendant No.6. In view of above facts suit dismissed in default to the extent of defenant No.6 as per order dtd.3/2/2016. 12. On above facts following points arise for determination and this court and recorded findings thereon for the reasons stated as under. POINTS FINDINGS 1. Does the plaintiff prove that it has provided “Public Relation Services to the defendants ? … Yes. 2. Does the plaintiff prove that defendant Nos.1 to 5 are in outstanding principal sum of Rs.17,54,528/ together with interest ? …Yes. Rs.15,68,528/ 3. Whether plaintiff is entitled for the relief claimed ? ...Yes. 4. What order and decree? ...As per final order. REASONS AS TO POINT Nos.1 to 3 : 13. Heard learned counsel of Plaintiff. Plaintiff has examined its Promoter and Chief Executor Officer (PW1 Mohan Sunder Rajan) to prove its case. He reproduced all content of plaint in his chief examination. His evidence is supported by documentary evidence : invoices dtd.18/07/2016, 1/10/2016, 1/11/2016, 2/11/2016, 1/12/2016, 4/1/2017, 7/1/2017, 01/02/2017, 02/03/2017, -- 5 of 8 -- 6 Comm. Suit No.8352021 02/04/2017, 02/05/2017, 03/06/2017, 30/06/2017, 31/07/2017, 04/09/2017, email correspondence, letter dtd.31/7/2017, 5/09/2019, 15/07/2016, postal receipts and RPAD cards and web page of postal authority (total Exh.12 to 30). 14. Evidence of PW1 and above documents shows that plaintiff was appointed by defendant No.1 – Trust as its corporate public relations agency for providing public relations services to defendant No.6 Hospital. Plaintiff has provided services from time to time and raised aforesaid invoices. As the defendants failed to make the payment, plaintiff has demanded the said outstanding dues by email and demand letters. 15. Evidence of PW1 remained unchallenged. His evidence is supported by documentary evidence mentioned in para supra. There is no reason to disbelieve his testimony. As per contents of plaint defendants are in outstanding principal sum of Rs.12,04,459/ but plaintiff has mentioned in particulars of claim that the outstanding principal sum is Rs.13,90,459/ + interest of Rs.3,64,069/. Thus, the contents of plaint has to be taken into consideration for calculating the outstanding dues. Hence, defendant Nos.1 to 5 are in outstanding principal sum of Rs.12,04,459/ + interest of Rs.3,64,069/ Total : Rs.15,68,528/. Plaintiff claimed interest @ 12% p.a. Defendant Nos.1 to 5 have deprived the plaintiff from using the said amount. Therefore, plaintiff is entitled for the interest @ 12% p.a. Hence, plaintiff is entitled for relief claimed. Hence, I answered point Nos.1 to 3 as above. Hence, I pass the following order. ORDER 1. Suit is partly decreed with costs as under. -- 6 of 8 -- 7 Comm. Suit No.8352021 2. The defendant Nos.1 to 5 are jointly and severally directed to pay to plaintiff the amount of Rs.15,68,528/ and interest @ 12% p.a. on principal sum of Rs.12,04,459/ from the date of suit till realization of the said amount 3. Decree be drawn up accordingly. Date : 16/02/2023. (N.P. Tribhuwan) Judge, City Civil Court, Mumbai. C.R.No.32 -- 7 of 8 -- 8 Comm. Suit No.8352021 Dictated on :16/02/2023. Checked on :16/02/2023. Signed on :16/02/2023. CERTIFIED TO BE TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF THE ORIGINAL SIGNED JUDGMENT/ORDER” 16/02/2023. Mrs.Rupali S. Bhor UPLOAD DATE AND TIME NAME OF STENOGRAPHER Name of the Judge(with CR No.) HHJ SHRI. N. P. TRIBHUVAN (C.R.No.32) Date of pronouncement of Order 16/02/2023. Order signed by P.O. on 16/02/2023. Order uploaded on 16/02/2023. -- 8 of 8 --
