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Orissa High Court · body

2010 DIGILAW 286 (ORI)

Anirudha Sahoo v. Commissioner, State Transport Authority, Orissa

2010-04-16

B.K.PATEL, V.GOPALA GOWDA

body2010
JUDGMENT B.K. PATEL, J. : In this writ petition, the petitioner has made prayers to quash the letter dated 3.5.2009 under Annex¬ure-4 issued by opposite party no.3, Branch Manager, Magma Shrachi Finance Limited to repossess the truck bearing No.OR-21A-1315 and to direct opposite party no.3 to hand over the said trick in the same condition in which it was seized or, in the alternative, to extend the benefit by way of compensation and damage urging several facts and raising certain legal conten¬tions. 2. Petitioner availed finance from opposite party no.3, the financer, to purchase a truck. Registration Certificate under Annexure-1 in respect of the truck in favour of petitioner subject to higher purchase agreement with opposite party no.3 was issued by opposite party no. 2, the Regional Transport Officer, Jagatsinghpur. It is averred that the petitioner, as per the details provided in Paragraph-6 of the writ application, repaid the dues amounting to a sum of Rs.11,06,096/- in 36 installments by the end of 31.3.2009. However, opposite party no.3 made fur¬ther demand and issued demand notice dated 5.3.2009 under Annex¬ure threatening to institute civil and criminal actions against the petitioner.Ultimately, opposite party no.3 with the help of ‘Gundas’ forcibly repossessed the truck loaded with iron and issued repossession letter under Annexure-4. When the petitioner applied for statement of accounts, opposite party no.3 issued the same under Annexure-5 which reveals that the petitioner has already paid Rs.11,06,096/- out of the total demand of Rs.12,51,096/-. According to opposite party no.3, balance outstand¬ing dues amounted to Rs.1,45,000/-. It is contended that balance default does against the petitioner was only Rs.83,000/- by the date of repossession. However,opposite party no.3 claimed higher demand and threatened to put the seized truck to sale. Such action of opposite party no.3 is arbitrary and illegal as the petitioner was required to repay the dues in Equal Monthly In¬stallments (EMI) by 1.12.2009. Petitioner came to know from reliable source that opposite party no.3 has already sold the vehicle and obtained permission for fresh registration of the vehicle from opposite party no.2. It was contended by the learned counsel for the petitioner that opposite party no.3 is liable to pay compensation for having repossessed the truck forcibly and illegally by engaging ‘Gundas’. 3. Opposite party no.3 filed counter traversing the petitioner’s averments. It was contended by the learned counsel for the petitioner that opposite party no.3 is liable to pay compensation for having repossessed the truck forcibly and illegally by engaging ‘Gundas’. 3. Opposite party no.3 filed counter traversing the petitioner’s averments. It was averred that the petitioner pur¬chased the truck by availing finance to the tune of Rs.10,25,000/- by entering into bilateral agreement dated 31.3.2006. As per the agreement, opposite party no.3 was to receive Rs.13,46,105/- from petitioner in 45 EMI. However, as on 3.5.2009 there was outstanding dues to the tune of Rs.1,14,000/-excluding default payment charges against the petitioner. Peti¬tioner having failed to comply with the demand notice under Annexure-3, opposite party no.3 repossessed the truck. Intimation was given to the local police station before and after reposses¬sion. After repossession, opposite party no.3 issued presale and post sale notices dated 11.5.2009 under Annexure-B/3 nd C/3 to the petitioner and his guarantor to get the truck released on payment of outstanding dues. The petitioner having not responded to presale notice, opposite party no.3 sold the truck to one Shyamlal Pal of Hoogly district in West Bengal on 25.6.2009 in order to realise dues payable by the petitioner.It has been averred that apart from EMI payable by the petitioner, he was liable to pay delay payment charges also. As per the agreement, even if the petitioner failed to deposit a single EMI, opposite party no.3 had right to repossess the vehicle and recall the entire outstanding dues. Had the petitioner made payment of outstanding dues in response to demand notice, the vehicle would not have been sold by the opposite party no.3. It has been cate¬gorically averred that opposite party no.3 being not a function¬ary of State within the meaning of Article 12 of the Constitu¬tion, the writ application is not maintainable under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution. In course of hearing also, it was vehemently contended by the learned counsel for the opposite party no.3 that entire grievance of the petitioner in the writ application is directed against opposite party no.3, which is a private company, and therefore, the writ application is not maintainable. 4. Admittedly, opposite party no.3 represents a private company incorporated under the Companies Act engaged in the business of providing finance. Consequent upon a bilateral agree¬ment entered into between the petitioner and opposite party no.3, petitioner availed loan for purchasing the truck. 4. Admittedly, opposite party no.3 represents a private company incorporated under the Companies Act engaged in the business of providing finance. Consequent upon a bilateral agree¬ment entered into between the petitioner and opposite party no.3, petitioner availed loan for purchasing the truck. Dispute between the petitioner and opposite party no.3 relates to default in re-payment of loan by way of E.M.Is. None of the prayers made in the writ petition is directed against any statutory authority. The rival contentions made by the parties relate to civil dispute concerning breach of commercial contract. Learned counsel for the petitioner sought to rely upon the decision in Manager, ICICI Bank Ltd. -vrs- Prakash Kaur & Ors, AIR 2007 (SC) 1349 to urge that writ application is maintainable in cases of present nature. However, decision cited by learned counsel for the petitioner was rendered by Hon’ble Supreme Court in Criminal Appeal No.267 of 2007 arising out of order passed by Allahabad High Court in a Criminal Miscellaneous Petition directing SSP, Allahabad to ensure registration of F.I.R. and investigation on the basis of application submitted by the writ petitioner. Therefore, the decision is of no help to the petitioner. 5. As has been laid down by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in Federal Bank Ltd. -vrs.-Sagar Thomas and others, AIR 2003 SC 4325 : a writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India may be maintainable against (i) the State (Govt.); (ii) Authority; (iii) a statutory body; (iv) an instrumentality or agency of the State; (v) a company which is financed and owned by the State; (vi) a private body run substantially on State funding; (vii) a private body discharging public duty or positive obliga¬tion of public nature; (viii) a person or a body under liability to discharge any function under any Statute, to compel it to perform such a statutory function. A private company carrying on banking business cannot be termed as an institution or company carrying on any statutory or public duty. A private body or a person may be amenable to writ jurisdiction only where it may become necessary to compel such body or Association to enforce any statutory obligations or such obligations of Public nature casting positive obligation upon it. Such conditions are not fulfilled in respect of a private company carrying on a commer¬cial activity of banking. A private body or a person may be amenable to writ jurisdiction only where it may become necessary to compel such body or Association to enforce any statutory obligations or such obligations of Public nature casting positive obligation upon it. Such conditions are not fulfilled in respect of a private company carrying on a commer¬cial activity of banking. Merely regulatory provisions to ensure such activity carried on by private bodies work within a disci¬plinary also do not confer any such status upon the company nor puts any such obligation upon it which may be enforced through issue of a writ under Article 226 of the Constitution. In Pradeep Kumar Biswas -vrs.- Indian Institute of Chemical Biology and others; (2002) 5 SCC 111 , it has been pointed out that the ques¬tion in each case would be whether in the light of the cumulative facts and established, the body is financially, functionally and administratively dominated by or under the control of the Govern¬ment. Such control must be particular to the body in question and must be pervasive. If this is found then the body is a State within the meaning of Article 12. On the other hand, when the control is merely regulatory whether under statute or otherwise, it would not serve to make the body a State. 6. The subject matter of the present writ petition relates to loan taken by the petitioner from a private company. The remedy for the petitioner for breach, if any, of agreement by opposite party no.3 has to be availed by resorting to appropriate proceeding for resolution of civil dispute. The petitioner having not made any grievance against any of the authorities under the State or claimed relief from the State, the writ application is not maintainable. Hence, the writ petition is dismissed. V. GOPALAGOWDA, C.J. I agree. Petition dismissed.