Ranjit Kumar Bose vs Anannya Chowdhury on 7 March, 2014
In Branch Manager, Magma Leasing & Finance Limited & Anr. v. Potluri
Madhavilata & Anr. (supra), Magma Leasing Limited Public United
Company (for short ’Magma’) and Smt. Potluri Madhavilata (for short
’hirer’) entered into an agreement of hire-purchase for the purchase
of a motor vehicle whereunder the hirer was required to pay hire-
purchase price in 46 instalments. When the instalments were not
paid, Magma seized the vehicle and sent a notice to the hirer saying
that the hire-purchase agreement has been terminated. The hirer then
filed a suit against Magma in the Court of the Senior Civil Judge for
recovery of possession of the vehicle and for restraining Magma from
transferring the vehicle. Magma filed a petition before the Civil
Judge under Section 8 of the 1996 Act praying that the dispute raised
in the suit be referred to an arbitrator in terms of Clause 22 of the
Hire-Purchase Agreement, which contained the arbitration agreement.
This Court reiterated that Section 8 is in the form of legislative
command to the court and once the prerequisite conditions are
satisfied, the Court must refer the parties to arbitration. In this
case again, there was no statutory bar to arbitration like Section 6
of the Tenancy Act providing that the dispute can only be decided by a
Civil Judge.