Tuesday, March 4, 2025

Written Objection on an application under Order VII Rule 11 CPC for rejection of the Plaint, by the Plaintiff

 

In the Court of the Learned District Judge,

Alipore,

South 24 Parganas

 

                     Title Suit No. 09   Of 2024

                  

                                                          In the matter of ;

Sri Subhro Ghosal,

__________Plaintiff

 

-          Versus –

 

Subhadeep Mazumder,

          _______Defendant

 

Written Objection on an application under Order VII Rule 11 CPC for rejection of the Plaint, by the Plaintiff;

 

The humble petition of the above named Plaintiff, most respectfully;

Sheweth as under;

 

1.   That the Plaintiff instituted the above referred Suit for Permanent Injunction restraining Infringement of Copyrights, Damages, Rendition of Accounts of Profits, Delivery Up, etc. under Section 55 of the Copyright Act 1957, against the Defendant, before the Learned Court. The Suit is valued at Rs. 1,00,600/- (Rupees One Lakh and Six Hundred) only.

 

2.   That the defendant was appearing in the above referred suit on 20/01/2025, by placing an application under Order VII Rule 11 of the Code of Civil Procedure’ 1908, for rejection of Plaint on service copy to the Plaintiff. The plaintiff on bare perusal of the contents and purports of the said application found that the said application is not maintainable and sustainable in the Law. The plaintiff would states necessary facts in the followings;

 

(a)  The Suit is valued at Rs. 1,00,600/- (Rupees One Lakh and Six Hundred) only;

 

(b) Even, if a cease and desist notice demanded 50,00,000, the fact that the suit is valued at 1,00,000 cannot be a ground for rejecting the plaint under Order VII Rule 11 of the CPC;

 

(c)  Under Order VII Rule 11, a plaint can be rejected only if (1) It does not disclose a cause of action, (2) The relief claimed is undervalued, and the plaintiff fails to correct it, (3) The suit is barred by law, & (4) It is not properly stamped, and the deficiency is not corrected;

 

(d) Since valuation of the suit is the plaintiff's prerogative, merely having a higher amount in the cease and desist notice does not automatically mean the suit should be rejected;

 

(e)  The valuation of a suit at 1,00,000, despite a prior cease and desist notice demanding 50,00,000, is not, by itself, a ground for rejection of the plaint under Order VII Rule 11 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908;

 

(f)   The Supreme Court clarified that a plaint cannot be rejected merely on the ground that the plaintiff is not entitled to any relief in the suit. The determination under Order VII Rule 11 should focus on whether the plaint discloses a cause of action or is barred by law, not on the potential success of the plaintiff's claims, decided in Petition for Special Leave to Appeal (C) No. 19018/2022 (Arising out of impugned final judgment and order dated 10-10-2022 in CRN No. 3324/2022 passed by the High Court Of Punjab & Haryana at Chandigarh) Gurdev Singh v. Harvinder Singh on 09-11-2022;

 

Server Copy of the Order dated 09-11-2022, passed in Gurdev Singh v. Harvinder Singh Petition for Special Leave to Appeal (C) No. 19018/2022 (Arising out of impugned final judgment and order dated 10-10-2022 in CRN No. 3324/2022 passed by the High Court Of Punjab & Haryana at Chandigarh), by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, is annexed herewith and marked as Annexure – “A”.

 

3.   Without waiving any of the aforesaid Objections and Facts and fully relying thereupon and without prejudice to the same. Now, the Plaintiff deals with the specific paragraphs of the said application under Order VII Rule 11 of CPC, in seriatim as hereunder.

 

4.   The application under Order VII Rule 11 of CPC is not maintainable either in facts or in its present form and the said application under Order VII Rule 11 of CPC is speculative, harassing, motivated, concocted and baseless as is barred by the Principles of Law and hence same is liable to be rejected at once, with cost.

 

5.    Save and except the statements made in the said application under Order VII Rule 11 of CPC, which are matter of record, the Plaintiff denies each and every allegations contained in the said application under Order VII Rule 11 of CPC and calls upon the defendant to strict proof of the said allegations, in terms of the facts as well as in terms of the Law.

 

6.   That with references to the statements made in paragraph nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, of the application under Order VII Rule 11 of CPC, this Plaintiff specifically and categorically denies and disputes the contents and purport of those paragraphs, and put to the defendant to the strict proof thereof. The Plaintiff repeat and reiterate the statements made in paragraph no.2, herein above. The Plaintiff says that since valuation of the suit is the plaintiff's prerogative, merely having a higher amount in the cease and desist notice does not automatically mean the suit should be rejected. The valuation of a suit at 1,00,000, despite a prior cease and desist notice demanding 50,00,000, is not, by itself, a ground for rejection of the plaint under Order VII Rule 11 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908.

 

7.   That with references to the statements made in paragraph nos. 6, 7, 8, and 9, of the application under Order VII Rule 11 of CPC, this Plaintiff specifically and categorically denies and disputes the contents and purport of those paragraphs, and put to the defendant to the strict proof thereof. The Plaintiff repeat and reiterate the statements made in paragraph no.2, herein above. The Plaintiff says that the present Suit is not barred by any Law under Order VII Rule 11(d) of the Civil Procedure Code’ 1908. The Commercial Courts Act 2015, is not applicable in the given facts and circumstances of the Plaint. Even the defendant removed the infringed video from the Youtube Channel, but at the same time after few days later it has been observed that the defendant through some other person trying to play the said purported infringed video through the different means of Social media i.e. Facebook, etc.

 

8.   That the cause of action in the present suit first arose on 14th day of November’ 2024, while the Plaintiff came across a Short Film on a Youtube Channel www.youtube.com/@thebreathingcelluloid9070 Short Film : THE VOICE ARTIST, by Subhadeep Mazumder, Published on 9th November’ 2024, vide URL of alleged infringing video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SC9KlgrwyAw which contained the contents and purports truly consisted in the plaintiff’s literature/ drama work which has been cited as “TELEPHONE” having Registration No. L-136483/2023, dated 21st day of November’ 2023. The Cause of action arose again while the Plaintiff informed such facts of infringing the copyright to Youtube authority concern and thereby the Youtube withheld the said Short film for the time being. The cause of action further arose while the Plaintiff arranged to sent Cease and Desist Notice dated 25th November’ 2024 to the defendant and the defendant replied on the said notice by Letter dated 28th day of November’ 2024. The Cause of action is a continuing one and shall continue until the defendant is restrained by an order of injunction of this Learned Court.

 

9.   That this Learned Court has jurisdiction by virtue of Section 62(2) of the Copyright Act, 1957, since the cause of action has arisen within the jurisdiction of this Learned Court, and also confers the jurisdiction on this Learned Court as the Plaintiff is residing and carrying his business within the territorial jurisdiction of this Learned Court. Further the Learned Court has jurisdiction by virtue of Section 20 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, since the defendant is carrying on his business within the territorial jurisdiction of this Learned Court by way of URL of alleged infringing video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SC9KlgrwyAw which contained the contents and purports truly consisted in the plaintiff’s literature/ drama work which has been cited as “TELEPHONE” having Registration No. L-136483/2023, dated 21st day of November’ 2023.

 

10.               That the relief sought for in the said application under Order VII Rule 11 of CPC, are wholly without jurisdiction and the same should be negated by this Learned Court.

 

11.               That there is no merit in the said application under Order VII Rule 11 of CPC.

 

12.               That this Written Objection is made bonafide and in the interest of administration of Justice.

 

 

It is therefore prayed that your Honour would graciously be pleased to accept the written objection of the plaintiff and to reject or dismissed the application under Order VII Rule 11 of the Code of Civil Procedure’ 1908, 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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VERIFICATION

 

I, Subhro Ghosal, being the Plaintiff herein, made this written objection on an application under Order VII Rule 11 of the Civil Procedure Code’ 1908, filed by the defendant. I am acquainted and conversant with the Material facts as stated in the foregoing paragraphs of the Written Objection. I verify and sign this Written Objection on 5th day of March’ 2025, at Alipore Judges’ Court premises.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Affidavit

 

I, Subhro Ghosal, Son of Uday Sankar Ghosal, aged about 41 years, residing at Premises being No. 331, Jyotish Roy Road, Kolkata - 700053, Police Station – Jadavpur, District – South 24 Parganas, and also at “Appayan Apartment” Ground Floor, Flat-GC, Premises no. 108/11/(50), Purbachal Road (North), Haltu, Police Station – Kasba, Kolkata - 700078, do hereby solemnly affirm and says as follows;

 

1.   I am the Plaintiff in the present suit instituted by me against the defendant. I am acquainted and conversant with the material facts. I am competent to swear this affidavit.

This is true to the best of my knowledge & belief.

 

2.   The statements made in the paragraph nos. 1, 2, & 8, 9, are true to the best of my knowledge and belief, and the rests are my humble submissions before the Learned Court.

This is true to the best of my knowledge & belief.

 

3.   The statements are true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

 

 

 

 

 

DEPONENT

Identified by me,

 

Advocate

 

Prepared in my chamber,

 

 

Advocate

Date : 5th day of March’ 2025;

Place : Alipore Judges’ Court

 

NOTARY

 

 

In the Court of the Learned District Judge, Alipore, South 24 Parganas

 

                                         Title Suit No. 09 Of 2024

                  

                                                          In the matter of ;

Sri Subhro Ghosal,

__________Plaintiff

 

-          Versus –

 

Subhadeep Mazumder,

                             _______Defendant

 

 

 

 

Written Objection on an application under Order VII Rule 11 CPC for rejection of the Plaint, by the Plaintiff;

 

 

                                          

 

Advocate – on – Record for the Plaintiff;

 

Sanjib Saha, Advocate

High Court Calcutta

Chamber : P-16, Purbasha Pally, Dr. A.K. Paul Road, Kolkata – 700034, Mobile No. 9051570268, 7003781930, Email : sanjibsaha.smc@gmail.com

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