Document Fragment View
Fragment Information
Showing contexts for: Two trustee in Unknown vs Zoroastrian Co-Operative Credit Bank ...Matching Fragments
"11. After hearing both the learned Counsels I am not inclined to accept the submission of Shri Abhyankar whereas I am inclined to accept the contentions of Shri Apte as I find that the Full Bench Decision of Gujrat reported in MANU/GJ/0112/1973: AIR 1973 Guj 113 Atmaram Ranchhodbhai v. Gulam Moyeddin (supra) is directly on the point and arises under the Rent Act. It has been held by the Full Bench of Gujrat that unless instrument of trust otherwise provides all co-trustees must join for filing a suit to recover the possession of the property from the tenant. It is nobody's case in this matter that the instrument of the Trust provides otherwise. IN fact, instrument of the Trust is not even produced on the record, and on the proper construction of section 47 and 48 of the Indian Trust Act, which are reproduced above, the contention raised by Shri Apte is correct. Section 47 clearly deprives the trustee from delegating his office in any of his duties to co-trustee or to a stranger unless conditions mentioned in the said section are complied with. It is not in dispute in this matter that the conditions referred to in section 47 are not complied with by the plaintiffs. When one reads both section 47 and section 48, it would not be difficult to record a finding that the present suit filed by the two trustees is not maintainable. The second submission with reference to section 6 of the Societies Registration Act, 1860 cannot be accepted in view of the definition of Public Trust given in section 2(13) of the Bombay Public Trust Act. Section 2(13) of Public Trust Act reads as follows:-
"Public Trust means an express or constructive trust for either public religious or charitable purpose or both and includes a temple, a Math, Wakf, Church, Synagogue, aviary or other place of public religious worship a dharmada or any other religious or charitable endorsement and the Society either for religious or charitable purpose or for both and registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860."
Considering the said definition of the Public Trust, it is very clear that the society registered under the provisions of Societies Registration Act, 1860 is also included in the definition of the said Public Trust and hence suit filed only by two trustees will not be maintainable. Granting of a lease is a matter which cannot be delegated by a trustee and, therefore, it must follow as a necessary corollary that determination of a lease also cannot be regarded as a matter which can be delegated by a co-trustee to another co-trustee or any one else. The power and function to determine the lease is of the same nature and as the power and function to grant a lease cannot be delegated, equally other cannot be. Both the functions are effected with beneficiary's judgment. All the co-trustees are bound to exercise their judgment and no one co-trustee can delegate these functions to his co-trustee or to any other person. These observations made by the Full Bench apply to the facts of the present case and for the same reasoning I refuse to accept the contention raised by Shri Abhyankar."