MANU/SC/7058/2008

True Court CopyTM English

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

Civil Appeal No. 338/2008 (Arising out of SLP (C) No. 21147 of 2006)

Decided On: 11.01.2008

Appellants: Kulwinder Kaur Vs. Respondent: Kandi Friends Education Trust and Ors.

Hon'ble Judges/Coram:
C.K. Thakker and Markandey Katju

JUDGMENT

C.K. Thakker, J.

1. Leave granted.

2. This appeal is directed against the judgment and order dated November 17, 2006 in Civil Miscellaneous No. 22108 CII of 2006. By the said order, the High Court of Punjab & Haryana transferred Civil Suit No. 506 of 2003 from the Court of Smt. Asha Kondal, Civil Judge (Sr. Dvn.), Ropar to the Court of Sh. Y.S. Rathore, Additional Civil Judge (Sr. Dvn.), Chandigarh.

3. Short facts giving rise to present appeal are that Kandi Friends Educational Trust ("Trust" for short) was set up for establishing professional educational institutions with prominent educationists and industrialists of the State of Punjab on September 24, 1997. It is the case of the appellant that Gurcharan Singh, her husband was the Founder Chairman of the Trust whereas the appellant was a Trustee along with the Founder Chairman. In 1998, certain new trustees were inducted including one B.S. Randhawa. In September, 2002, elections were held and Gurcharan Singh was again elected as the Chairman of the Trust. B.S. Randhawa and his wife Hardev Kaur raised protest against the said election. In December, 2002, Gurcharan Singh, Chairman of the Trust sought certain amendments in the Constitution of the Trust which were approved by majority though B.S. Randhawa and Hardev Kaur opposed to such amendments. On June 21, 2003, Gureharan Singh, Chairman of the Trust was murdered while he was taking stroll in a park along with the appellant. B.S. Randhawa, who was one of the Trustees, was arrested as the main accused and was charged for committing murder of Gurcharan Singh. F.I.R. No. 271 of 2003 was registered on the same day at Mohali Police Station. In view of death of Gurcharan Singh, election of the Chairman was again held on July 23, 2003 and the appellant was unanimously elected as the Chairperson. Ms. Japneet Kaur was nominated as trustee being daughter of late Gurcharan Singh and she also started attending meetings of the Trust. B.S. Randhawa and Hardev Kaur were obviously unhappy with the development. Hardev Kaur, hence, filed a suit on July 25, 2003 for a declaration that all proceedings conducted by the defendants in the Meeting dated July 23, 2003 in which the appellant, was elected as the Chairperson were illegal, null and void and liable to be set aside. Certain other reliefs were also claimed. In the suit, the appellant herein was impleaded as defendant No. 4. Along with the plaint, the plaintiffs filed an application under Order XXXIX, Rules 1 and 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (hereinafter referred to as "the Code") for interim relief, but only limited interim relief was granted and the plaintiff Smt. Hardev Kaur was allowed to attend meetings of the Trust. Other interim reliefs were expressly refused. Having failed to get relief sought in interim application, Hardev Kaur and B.S. Randhawa filed another suit, i.e. the present suit in October, 2003 in the name of Kandi Friends Education Trust through its so-called General Secretary Jaspal Singh. Though the appellant was duly elected as Chairperson of the Trust, she was wrongly described as Trustee and it was stated by the plaintiff that they were in-charge and in management of the Trust. A declaration was so........