Friday, February 2, 2024

Bail Petition in Consumer Case

 

Before the Hon’ble District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, at Baruipur, South 24 Parganas.

 

                                                          EA/88/2015

{ arising out of Complaint Case no. CC/598/2014 }

In the matter of :

Shri Nirmal Chandra Banerjee,

                   ________Decree Holder.

-      Versus –

Shri Ram Chandra Shaw,

          _______Judgment Debtor

Bail Petition

The humble petition on behalf of the above named Judgment Debtor Shri Ram Chandra Shaw, most respectfully;

Sheweth as under :

 

1.   That on 04-05-2018, the Judgment Debtor voluntarily surrendered before the Hon’ble Forum, and placed his prayer for release on bail bond at any terms and conditions, as may be determine by the Hon’ble Forum, However, the Hon’ble Forum, was pleased to refused and reject the bail prayer of the Judgment Debtor and taken into jail custody till 14-05-2018, and directed the Jail authority for the production of the Judgment Debtor in person as on 14-05-2018, and consequently on several occasion including today i.e. 20-08-2018, before the Hon’ble Forum.

 

2.   That the Judgment Debtor challenging the Order dated 20-08-2018, passed by the Hon’ble Forum, preferred one appeal under Section 27A of the Consumer Protection Act’ 1986, before the Hon’ble State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, West Bengal, viz. A/774/2018, wherein the appeal was heard on 12-10-2018, the Hon’ble State Commission, West Bengal, passed necessary order, in the said appeal, which furnished as follows :

Challenge in this appeal under Section 27A of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986 (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Act’) is to the Order No. 34 dated 20.08.2018 passed by the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, South 24 Parganas at Baruipur (in short, ‘Ld. District Forum’) in Execution Application No. 88/2015 stems from Consumer Complaint No. 598/2014.

          We have scrutinised the materials on record and considered the submission advanced by the Ld. Advocate appearing for the appellant and Appellant and Respondent, who appeared in person.

          Having heard both sides appearing for the parties and on going through the materials on record, it would reveal that the Respondent herein being complainant lodged a consumer complaint under Section 12 of the Act being CC/598/2014 before the Ld. District Forum against the Appellant, i.e. Proprietor of Sarada Construction on the allegation of deficiency in services on the part of him for non-delivery of possession, non-execution of Sale Deed in respect of two flats on the ground floor and 2nd floor respectively at Kamrabad, P.S.- Sonarpur, Dist- South 24 Parganas, Kolkata – 700150 within the local limits of Rajpur-Sonarpur Municipality on 11.12.2014. The said complaint was allowed ex-parte on 31.03.2015 against the appellant with certain directions which are mentioned hereinbelow:

          “That the application under Section 12 of the C.P. Act is allowed ex-parte.

The OP is directed to execute and register the Deed of Conveyance of the said two flats after accepting of Rs.2,40,000/- from the complainant within 45 days from the date of this order and also deliver possession of the two flats ......”.

Challenging the said order, the OP/appellant preferred an appeal under Section 15 of the Act before this Commission being FA/1347/2015 and the said appeal was summarily dismissed as the application for condonation of delay was rejected.  To assail the said order, a Revision Petition was moved before Hon’ble National Commission being RP/3236/2016 and the said revision petition was dismissed for non-prosecution by an order dated 21.04.2017.  Therefore, the order passed by the Ld. District Forum has attained finality. 

          Since the said basic order has not been complied with by the Judgement Debtor/Appellant, the complainant being Decree Holder put the order in execution being EA/88/2015.  

          By the impugned order, the Ld. District Forum has passed an order and extract of the order is recorded below:

          “34.

23.05.2018 

          The J.Dr. Ram Chandra Shaw is produced from the Judicial custody.

          Ld. Lawyers of both the parties are present.

          One petition is filed on behalf of the J.Dr., praying for release on bail.  There is no merit in the bail petition, as the decree passed by this Forum has still remained unsatisfied.  The appeal preferred by the J.Dr. being FA No.A/471/2018 under Section 27A of the C.P. Act, 1986 against the Order No.26 dated 04.05.2018 passed by this Forum has also been dismissed and the order of this Forum is affirmed.  Therefore, the bail prayer is rejected .......”.

          Mr. Ashok Kumar Singh, Ld. Advocate for the Appellant drawing my attention to the basic order has submitted that in compliance with the final order, the respondent has not yet deposited Rs.2,40,000/- which is a pre-requisite condition for getting the Deed executed in his favour.  He has submitted that till the said amount is paid or deposited, the respondent/D.Hr. cannot enforce the order.

          The Respondent, who appeared in person has contended that the Appellant has sold out the flats to third party and as such he did not deposit the said amount.  However, if any direction is given, he is ready and willing to deposit the amount of Rs.2,40,000/- as per basic order.

          We have given due consideration to the submission made on behalf of the parties and scrutinised the materials on record.

          The fact remains that as per the final order/judgement, the payment of Rs.2,40,000/- by the D.Hr. was a pre-requisite condition.  Therefore, unless the said amount is paid or deposited, the judgement debtor/appellant has no liability to execute the Sale Deed or to deliver possession in favour of the decree holder/respondent.  It is well settled that an executing Court cannot go beyond its order.  Admittedly, when the respondent/decree holder has not yet deposited Rs.2,40,000/- as per basic order, the Ld. District Forum should have asked the decree holder to deposit the said amount as a condition precedent for execution of Deed of Conveyance  or for delivery of possession.

          Previously, the Judgement Debtor preferred an appeal being A/471/2018 on 14.05.2018 and the said appeal was dismissed on 16.08.2018 on a technical ground keeping in view the decision of Hon’ble National Commission reported in 2018 (2) CPR 558 [Ravikant G. Salaskar – Vs. – Kirit Shah & Ors.].  By a subsequent order, in a review application being No.128/2018 the Hon’ble National Commission has held that an appeal lies under Section 27A of the Act, whether it is interim or final.  Therefore, the maintainability of the instant appeal could not be challenged.

          Considering the above, when the impugned order suffers from the basic tenet of the order for non-payment/deposit of Rs.2,40,000/- by the decree holder, it is liable to be set aside.

          In view of the above, the appeal is allowed on contest.  There will be no order as to costs.

          The impugned order is hereby set aside.  The J.Dr. may be released forthwith.

          The parties are directed to appear before the Ld. District Forum on 27.11.2018 and on that date the respondent/decree holder must deposit the balance amount of Rs.2,40,000/- in the Ld. District Forum which shall be kept in a fixed deposit account for one year for the time being and thereafter the Ld. District Forum will proceed to execute its solemn order in accordance with law.

          The Registrar of the Commission is directed to send a copy of this order to the Ld. District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, South 24 Parganas at Baruipur for information.”

 

 

 

The print out copy of the order dated 12-10-2018, is enclosing herewith this petition.

 

3.   That in view of the facts that the Judgment Debtor is in jail custody, since the date as on 04-05-2018, to till date, the Judgment Debtor Seeks to get release on bail at any terms and or conditions, as may be imposed by the Hon’ble Forum, in the interest of administration of justice.

 

4.   That it is pertinent to states that one Appeal under Section 15 of the Consumer Protection Act’ 1986, has been placed by the appellant herein vide memo of appeal being no. A/1347/2015, arising out of the proceeding being no. CC/598/2014, decided by the Learned District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, at Baruipur, South 24 Parganas. The said appeal has been decided by the Hon’ble Commission, West Bengal, on 22-08-2016, as “ instant appeal is dismissed being time barred”.

 

5.   That it is also pertinent to states that one Revision Petition has been placed by the appellant herein before the Hon’ble NCDRC, New Delhi, viz. RP / 3236 / 2016, challenging the Order dated 22-08-2016, passed by the Hon’ble State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, West Bengal, in A / 1347 / 2015, and whereas the said Revision Petition has been dismissed as on 21-04-2017, due to non compliance of introlucatory order of payment upon the appellant herein.

 

6.   That thus in view of the facts that while the said appeal under Section 15 of the Consumer Protection Act’ 1986, and the Revisional application before the Hon’ble NCDRC, New Delhi, while dismissed, the final order & Judgment dated 31-03-2015, passed by the Learned District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, at Alipore, now at present at Baruipur, South 24 Parganas, in CC/ 598 /2014, has been affirmed, in terms of the prescribed provisions of the Law.

 

7.   That the operative portion of the final order & Judgment dated 31-03-2015, passed by the Learned District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, at Alipore, now at present at Baruipur, South 24 Parganas, in CC/ 598 /2014, is reproduced herein as follows :

 

“That the application under section 12 of the C.P Act is allowed exparte.

The O.P is directed to execute and register the deed of conveyance of the said two flats after accepting Rs.2,40,000/- from the complainant within 45 days from the date of this order and also deliver possession of the two flats , failing which complainant is at liberty to execute the same through the machinery of this Forum after depositing the remaining consideration money to this Forum.

O.P is hereby instated not to deliver possession of the said two flats save and except the complainant. If the O.P failed to put in possession of the flats after receiving Rs.2,40,000/- ,then the complainant is at liberty to approach before the local P.S i.e. Sonarpur P.S. and in that event Officer-In-Charge of Sonarpur P.S will render necessary assistance so that the complainant may get possession of the two flats .

O.P is directed to pay litigation cost of Rs.5000/- to the complainant within that stipulated period.”

 

8.   That it is to states that the Execution proceeding being EA/88/2015, has been placed by the Decree Holder herein before the Hon’ble District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, at Baruipur, South 24 Parganas, arising out of the proceeding being no. CC/598/2014, and the same has been continuing before the Hon’ble Forum.

 

9.   That it is to states that the Executing Forum cannot go beyond the Decree being the final order & Judgment dated 31-03-2015, passed by the Hon’ble District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, at Alipore, now at present at Baruipur, South 24 Parganas, in CC/ 598 /2014, and whereas the direction upon the Complainant being the Decree Holder in this Execution application being EA/88/2015, is a pre requisition requirement, which has not ever been complied with by the Decree Holder, and whereas as per direction of the said final order & Judgment dated 31-03-2015, passed by the Hon’ble District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, at Alipore, now at present at Baruipur, South 24 Parganas, in CC/ 598 /2014, in absence of compliance of the Decree Holder, the Judgment Debtor cannot perform, thereof and therefore the first performance has been commenced on the decree holder which has not ever been performed and thus in absence of any performance by the decree holder, no performance can call for by the Judgment Debtor, in terms of the directions of the Hon’ble Forum below, as enumerated in the final order & Judgment dated 31-03-2015, passed by the Hon’ble District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, at Alipore, now at present at Baruipur, South 24 Parganas, in CC/ 598 /2014.

 

10.                That in view of the facts that the performance of the Decree Holder is a prerequisite, in terms of the final order, the Judgment Debtor Seeks to get release on bail at any terms and or conditions, as may be imposed by the Hon’ble Forum, in the interest of administration of justice.

 

11.                That unless the bail, grant by the Hon’ble Forum, the Judgment Debtor will highly prejudice and suffer with irreparable loss and injury, thereof.

 

12.                That the balance of convenience and inconveniences are in favour of the Judgment Debtor, and the Decree Holder will not prejudice.

 

13.                That this application is made bonafide in the interest of administration of justice.

 

It is therefore prayed that your Honour would graciously be pleased to allow this application and to grant release on Bail at any terms and condition, to the Judgment Debtor, in the interest of administration of justice, and or to pass such other necessary order or orders as your Honour may deem, fit, and proper for the end of justice.

And for this act of kindness, the Petitioner, as in duty bound shall ever pray.

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