Calcutta High Court
Birla Education Trust & Ors vs Birla Corporation Limited & Ors on 16 September, 2013
Author: Jyotirmay Bhattacharya
Bench: Jyotirmay Bhattacharya
IN THE HIGH COURT AT CALCUTTA
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION
ORIGINAL SIDE
Present:
The Hon'ble Justice Jyotirmay Bhattacharya
A.C.O No.136 of 2013
A.P.O No.216 of 2013
C.P No.1 of 2010
Birla Education Trust & Ors.
-Vs-
Birla Corporation Limited & Ors.
Appearance:
Mr. Partha Sarathi Sengupta, Advocate
Mr. Ravi Kapur, Advocate
Mr. Amit Agarwalla Advocate
........For the Appellants
Mr. Anindya Kumar Mitra, Senior Advocate
Mr. Pratap Chatterjee, Senior Advocate
Mr. Debangsu Basak, Advocate
Ms. Manju Bhuteria, Advocate
Mr. Jishnu Chowdhury, Advocate
Mr. Paritosh Sinha, Advocate
........... For the respondent Nos. 1,5 to 10, 37 and 42
Mr. Kalyan Kumar Bandapadhyay, Senior Advocate Mr. Rajesh Upadhyay, Advocate ........ for the Respondent Nos. 38 to 40.
Mr. Abhrajit Mitra, Advocate Mr. Satadip Bhattacharya, Advocate ........... For the Respondent No.29 Mr. Sarvapriya Mukherjee, Advocate .....for the respondent Nos.15, 16, and 19.
Mr. Sakti Nath Mukherjee, Senior Advocate Mr. Soumya Ray Chowdhury, Advocate Mr. Dabanjan Mondal, Advocate Mr. Sanjiv Kumar Trivedi, Advocate Mr. Sandip Dasgupta, Advocate For the Respondent No.2 Heard on: 26.08.2013, 05.09.2013,12.09.2013, 13.09.2013 Judgment On : 16th September, 2013 The propriety of an order passed by the Company Law Board, New Delhi Bench (CLB) on 15th July, 2013 in C.P No. 01 of 2010 is under challenge in this appeal at the instance of the appellants/petitioners. By the said order the appellants/petitioners were directed to argue the main case namely C.P No. 01 of 2010 first and thereafter to argue interlocutory applications being C.A No. 332 of 2011 and C.A No. 338 of 2011. Such direction was given by the Company Law Board (CLB) by taking into consideration the earlier two orders of this Hon'ble court passed in two different appeals. One of such orders was passed by a Learned Single Judge of this Court on 26th September, 2011 in A.P.O No.267 of 2011 (Birla Corporation Ltd. ‐Vs‐ Birla Education Trust and Ors.) which was heard analogously with A.P.O No.268 of 2011 (Madhav Prasad Priyamvada Birla Apex Charitable Trust and Anr. -Vs‐ Birla Education Trust and Ors.). By the said order, an order passed by the Company Law Board (CLB) on 11th July, 2011 in an interlocutory application (C.A No.332 of 2011) filed by the petitioner, seeking interim injunction was set aside and the Company Law Board (CLB) was directed to re‐hear the petitioners' said interlocutory application being C.A No. 332 of 2011, along with the other interlocutory application being C.A No. 338 of 2011 filed by the respondent herein for rejection of the petitioners' said application for interim injunction, afresh for considering the petitioners' prayer for final relief as well as interim relief.
While disposing of another appeal being A.P.O No. 154 of 2011 (Birla Education Trust and Ors. -Vs‐ Birla corporation Ltd. and Ors) the Learned single Judge of this court passed another order on 10th May, 2013 wherein though His Lordship, refused to interfere with the orders of the Company Law Board (CLB) which were impugned in the said appeal but directed the CLB to consider the dispute involved in the main case being C.P No. 01 of 2010 on its own merit. His Lordship observed that His Lordship was not directing the Company Law Board (CLB) to re‐examine the prayer for interim order as the main petition had reached the final stage of hearing before the said forum.
The Company Law Board (CLB) after considering those two orders passed by this court in the aforesaid appeals, ultimately formed an opinion that the effect of earlier order which was passed by this court on 26th September, 2011 in A.P.O No.267 of 2011 and A.P.O No.268 of 2011 directing the CLB to reconsider these two interlocutory applications relating to interim injunction matter lost its force in view of the subsequent order passed by this court on 10th May, 2013 in subsequent appeal being A.P.O No.154 of 2011 whereby the main case was directed to be considered on merit and thus by following the subsequent directions passed by this court in the said appeal, the Company Law Board (CLB) passed an order on 15th July 2013, by directing the petitioner to argue the main case first and thereafter to argue the aforesaid interlocutory applications. The legality of the said order is under challenge in this appeal.
Let me now consider as to how far the Company Law Board (CLB) was justified in passing the aforesaid direction in the facts of the instant case. The appellants/petitioners herein filed a company petition being C.P No.01 of 2010 claiming various reliefs therein by alleging oppression and mismanagement of the company concerned viz., Birla Corporation Ltd. Amongst various allegations on which the said company petition was found, siphoning of the fund of the said company by way of donation through Madhav Prasad Priyamvada Birla Apex Charitable Trust, is the major allegation against the respondents herein. Though initially no relief by way of permanent injunction restraining the respondents herein from siphoning the fund of the said company by way of donation through Madhav Prasad Priyamvada Birla Apex Charitable Trust was prayed for in the main company petition, but subsequently such relief was introduced in the main petition by way of amendment. Identical relief by way of interim injunction during the pendency of the main proceeding being C.P No.01 of 2010 was also prayed for by the petitioner in their interlocutory application which was registered as C.A No. 332 of 2011. The case made out by the appellants/petitioners in their main company petition were mostly reiterated by them in their interlocutory application. The defence which the respondents made out against the petitioners' said interlocutory application is almost identical to the defence which they made out in the objection to the main petition being C.P No. 01 of 2011. Considering the fact that a common issue was involved in both the main case and the interlocutory proceedings, the Company Law Board might have thought that for speedy and expeditious disposal of the main proceeding, both the main case and the interlocutory applications should be heard analogously. In fact, parties also thought that justice would be subserved if the main proceeding being C.P No. 01 of 2010 was heard along with the aforesaid two interlocutory applications. Accordingly, with the consent of the parties, the company petition No. 01 of 2010 was listed along with those two interlocutory applications for hearing on 19th, 20th & 21st March, 2012. In fact, on 2nd May, 2013 the petitioners' interlocutory application being C.A No.332 of 2011 was taken up for hearing and the petitioners' counsel was heard‐in‐part on that date. However, subsequently, the said part‐heard matter was released from the Bench on the personal ground of the Judicial member of the Company Law Board. Thereafter when the petitioners' said interlocutory application was placed for hearing before the other Judicial Member of the Company Law Board on 15.07.2013 the said Bench of the Company Law Board, decided to change the order of hearing of the interlocutory applications and main company petition by taking note of the direction passed by this High Court on 10th May, 2013 in A.P.O No. 154 of 2011 and directed the petitioner to argue the main case first and thereafter the interlocutory applications.
Mr. Mukherjee, Learned Senior Counsel appearing for the Respondent No. 2 supported such decision of Company Law Board in changing the order of hearing of the main company petition and the interlocutory applications by relying upon the following decisions of the Hon'ble Supreme court, wherein it was held by the Apex court that when no specific direction is given in the remand order for hearing the interlocutory applications first before the main matter is taken up for hearing, it is within the wisdom of the Trial Court to decide as to the matter which should be heard first:‐
(i)In the case of Kanchusthabam Satyanarayana -Vs‐ Namudari Atchutaramayya reported in AIR 2005 SC 2010
(ii) In the case of Reserve Bank of India & Anr. -Vs‐ Ramkrishna Govind Morey reported in AIR 1976 SC 830 Let me consider as to how far the Company Law Board was justified in exercising its wisdom in changing the order of hearing the main compnay petition and the interlocutory application, with reference to the above decisions of the Hon'ble Supreme Court.
No doubt, on bare perusal of the pleadings of the parties in connection with the interlocutory application as well as the main company petition at a glance, an impression may be developed that the valuable time of the Company Law Board may be saved, if the main company petition is considered along with the said interlocutory application as identical issue relating to siphoning of the company's fund by way of donation through a particular group of trust managed by the Lodha Family is involved in both the main company petition and the interlocutory application filed by the petitioners, seeking interim injunction but this, apparent view cannot be maintained ultimately as the very object of filing the said interlocutory application will be ultimately frustrated if the said application is taken up for hearing with the main proceeding. The said interlocutory application was filed, seeking interim injunction for restraining the respondents from siphoning the Birla Company's fund by way of gift through a particular trust managed by Lodha group during the pendency of the main proceeding. Thus if this interlocutory application is considered after the disposal of the main matter or along with the main matter, then the interim protection which the petitioners are seeking in aid of their ultimate relief and/or for protecting the status quo of the subject matter of dispute, pending disposal of the main matter cannot be achieved by them even if it is ultimately found that it was a fit case where such protection ought to have been granted at the interim stage for preventing siphoning of the company's fund pending hearing of main matter.
That apart interlocutory application for injunction is considered by applying three well‐established principles of law i.e., (1) Prima facie case, (2) Balance of convenience and inconvenience and (3) Irreparable loss and injury which cannot be compensated in terms of money value. Whereas the relief by way of permanent injunction claimed in the main proceeding is considered on the basis of the pleadings and evidence of the respective parties with reference to their conflicting claims over their full‐proof legal rights relating to the subject matter of dispute in the main proceeding. As such even though a common issue is raised in the parent proceeding as well as in the interlocutory proceeding, the said issue cannot be decided by consolidating the hearing of the parent proceeding with the interlocutory proceeding as the principles on which the said issue is required to be decided at different stages of the parent proceeding is different from each other. In my view the very object of seeking interlocutory relief by way of injunction will be frustrated if such interlocutory application is taken up for hearing after conclusion of the argument of the main proceeding as suggested by the Company Law Board in the impugned order.
Thus I cannot agree with the submission of Mr. Mukherjee that the Company Law Board was justified in exercising its wisdom in changing the order of hearing of the interlocutory applications and the main matter. After hearing the Learned Advocate of the parties and after considering the materials on record this court feels that justice would be subserved if the interlocutory application filed by the petitioner for interim injunction and the application filed by the respondent for dismissal thereof are considered in isolation of the main proceeding and prior to its disposal . However, since the hearing of the main case was consolidated with the hearing of these two interlocutory application, with consent of parties, this court, by giving effect to such agreement arrived at between the parties, disposes of this appeal by directing the Company Law Board to hear out those two interlocutory applications along with the parent proceeding being C.P No.01 of 2011 and dispose of all at a time by passing a common judgment and/or order as early as possible but positively within one month form the date of communication of this order with this rider that in the event the Company Law Board finds that the main proceeding being C.P No.01 of 2010 cannot be disposed of within the time limit as fixed above, the Company Law Board will have to decide and dispose of those two interlocutory applications filed by the respective parties within the time as fixed above and thereafter will proceed to dispose of the main proceeding as expeditiously as possible so that main proceeding can also be disposed of by the end of December, 2013.
This direction is given by this court by keeping in mind the direction passed by this court on 26th September, 2011 in A.P.O No.267 of 2011 and A.P.O No. 268 of 2011, whereby the Company Law Board was directed to re‐hear these interlocutory applications, as in my view the effect of such decision passed in these two appeals was not lost by the subsequent direction passed by this court on 10th May, 2013 in A.P.O No.154 of 2011 as this Hon'ble Court while directing the Company Law Board to decide the main matter on merit, with an observation that His Lordship was not directing the Company Law Board to re‐examine the prayer for interim order, as the main petition had reached the final hearing stage, also granted leave to the appellant to make appropriate application before Company Law Board, seeking restrain order on further release of donation through the said trust with a rider that if such application is made, the Company Law Board would pass appropriate order in that regard, upon considering the competiting claims of the parties on that point. Despite no such separate application was filed by the petitioners in pursuance of the leave granted to them, the Company Law Board, in my view, cannot avoid to consider the pending interlocutory application being C.A No.332 of 2011 wherein identical restraint order was claimed by the petitioners and the said application is yet to be decided on merit by the Company Law Board.
The company appeal is thus, disposed of with the above directions.
The impugned order is thus modified. In case those two interlocutory applications cannot be disposed of within the time limit fixed above for any reason whatsoever, the parties are at liberty to mention this matter for suitable direction.
Urgent xerox certified copy of this order, if applied for, be given to the parties as expeditiously as possible.
(Jyotirmay Bhattacharya, J.)