IN THE HIGH
COURT OF SINDH BENCH AT SUKKUR
Civil Revision Application No.S-27 of 2021.
Date |
Order with signature of Judge |
1.
For hearing of main case.
2.
For hearing of CMA No. 208/2021.
17-01-2022.
Mr.Safdar
Ali Bhatti, advocate for applicant.
Mr.
Abdul Sattar Mahesar, advocate for respondent No. 2.
Mr.
Noor Hassan Malik, Assistant Advocate General, Sindh.
.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
O
R D E R.
Amjad
Ali Sahito, J.- This Civil Revision
Application filed by the applicant impugned the judgment & decree dated
23-12-2020 and 04-01-2021 respectively passed by learned III-Additional
District Judge Khairpur in Civil Appeal No. 38/2020 (Re. Waheed Ali Vs.
District Food Controller/DFC & others) whereby the Civil Appeal No.38 of
2020 filed by the applicant was dismissed and order dated 14-03-2020 amounting
to decree passed by learned IInd Senior Civil Judge Khairpur in F.C Suit No.
Nil of 2020 Re. Waheed Ali Goapng Vs. District Food Controller & others is
upheld, whereby the plaint of the suit was rejected u/o 7 Rule 11 CPC without
its admission and notice to other side, hence this revision.
2.
Precisely the facts are that
appellant namely being plaintiff filed suit for declaration, Mandatory &
Permanent Injunctions against the above named respondents before the learned
trial Court with following prayers.
I.
To declare that five cheques of Bank
Al-Habibi Limited, Branch Khairpur bearing cheque Nos. 10210372 to 1021376 of
account No. 01143098100290901 and six cheques of National Bank of Pakistan
Kotdiji Branch bearing Cheque numbers 1). 89504527, 2). 89504528, 3). 89504529,
4). 89504530, 5). 89504531, 6). 89504532 of Account No. 0135004118935937 of NBP
Kotdiji Branch were missed/stolen from the office of plaintiff.
II.
To declare that as said cheques do no
bears the official stamp, which is required to be affixed on cheques for proper
presentation/encashment from concerned Bank, have no values in the eye of law
being not issued competently to anyone regarding any lawful consideration.
III.
To declare that the plaintiff lawfully
got stopped payment of cheques mentioned in prayer clause (i) and no one claim
the same to be issued the same in their names.
IV.
To declare that there is nothing is
outstanding against the plaintiff after his final payment made on 14-05-2019 to
food department, as plaintiff had not purchased any further wheat from Food
Department.
V.
Through mandatory injunction, this Court
may direct the defendants Nos. 1 & 2 to return the above same cheques to plaintiff.
VI.
T grant permanent injunction in favour
of the plaintiff thereby restraining the defendants, their successors, their
agents or anybody else acting on their behalf or claiming through them from
claiming any amount through above mentioned cheques and may further be direct
the police department to no register any case on the basis of the cheques
mentioned above.
VII.
To grant the costs of the suit any
other relief which this Court may deems fit and proper in the circumstance of
the suit.
3.
On presentation of suit, the learned
trial Court without admitting it or issuing notices to other side, rejected the
plaint by exercising the powers under 7 Rule 11 CPC, hence files the appeal
before the appellate Court, which was admitted and notices were issued o the
respondents and respondent No.2 appeared through his counsel, while learned DDA
filed memo of appearance on behalf of respondents Nos. 1 & 3.
4.
Learned counsel for the applicant
submits that applicant filed suit for Declaration, Mandatory & Permanent
Injunction; that on presentation of the said suit before the learned trial
Court the plaint was rejected with observation that suit is barred by u/s 42 of
Specific Relief Act; impugned judgment,
decree and order passed by learned appellate Court as well as trial Court are
illegal, against the law, facts and have passed without considering the facts
of the case, even it was not knowledge in the applicant/plaintiff about passing
of the same; that suit of the applicant does not hit by any corner of VII Rule
11 CPC and it is settled principal of law that if any single prayer is
maintainable in the suit, the plaint cannot be rejected; that applicant is
owner of M/S Gopang Flour Mill & Ice Factory Kot Baglow, who purchased who
purchased wheat from the District Food Controller for the season 2017-18, who
clear his dues on 14-05-2019 and such statement is available on record; that
applicant was account holder in NBP Kodiji Branch, who was outside of the city,
due to which appellant always used to keep sign some cheques, which could be
cashed after affixing of stamp lying in his office; that some of the cheques
were misplaced, which does not bear stamp of his office; such application was
also moved by the applicant to the concerned Bank authorities as well as SHO
concerned; that controversy between the parties cannot be decided without
framing of issues arising out of the pleadings of the parties and recording
evidence. He lastly prayed for setting aside of impugned judgment and decree
passed by learned appellant Court and the order passed by learned trial Court.
5.
Learned counsel for the respondent
No.2 supports the impugned order passed by learned trial Court as well as
judgment and decree passed by learned appellate Court; that applicant being
owner of M/S Gopang Flour Mill & Ice Factory Kot Banglow had purchased
wheat from the respondents and in lieu of same, issued cheques in question,
such agreement was also reduced in writing between the parties; that applicant
has failed to make payment to the respondents, on the contrary applicant filed
the suit against them; as per list issued by District Food Controller, Khairpur
the M/S Gopang Flour Mill & Ice Factory Kot Banglow under the ownership of
applicant has been shown as non-functional so also mark-up amount Rs. 37,598,738.22/-
is pending against Mill Management before the NAB authorities at Sukkur; that
summary suit regarding disputed amount is pending adjudication between the
parties in which the applicant has been shown as defendant, inspite of that he
is avoiding to pursue that suit and filed the subsequent suit due to malafide
intention and ulterior motives, he therefore prayed for dismissal of instant
Civil Revision Application.
6.
Learned AAG, Sindh adopted the same
arguments advanced by learned counsel for the respondent No.2 and he also seeks
dismissal of instant Civil Revision Application.
7.
I have heard learned counsel for the
parties and have gone through the material available on record.
8. Admittedly
the applicant is owner of M/S Gopang Flour Mill & Ice Factory, Kot Banglo. District
Food Controller Khairpur issued a list of Flour Mills (Functional) in District
Khairpur, which reveals, M/S Gopang Flour Mill & Ice Factory, Kot Banglo is
shown as “non-functional” and further mark-up amount Rs. 37,598,736.22/- is
pending against Mill Management, for which an enquiry is pending before NAB
Authorities at Sukkur. The respondent No.2 has also filed Summary Suit
regarding disputed amount against the applicant, which is also pending
adjudication before the trial Court, but he is avoiding to pursue that suit and
filed the subsequent suit, which was dismissed u/o 7 Rule 11 CPC. The applicant
has preferred an appeal before the appellate Court against the dismissal of his
suit, which has also been dismissed vide judgment and decree dated 23-12-2020
and 04-01-2021 respectively by learned III-Additional District Judge Khairpur. It
has been held in the case of Ghous Bux
Vs. Muhammad Suleman and others (2001
MLD 1159), which reads as under:-
-----O.VII,R.11---Plaint, rejection
of---Relief not possible to be granted—Effect---Where the suit was meritless
and ultimately it was not possible to grant relief sought or no fruitful result
thereof was expected to come out, provision of O.VII, R.11 C.P.C would come into
play.
9.
Moreover, perusal of record further
reflects that the applicant has admitted in Para No.8 of the plaint of the suit
that on coming to know regarding missing/steel of cheques, he initially tried to
trace out the same, but failed, hence he filed an application regarding missing
of the cheques with the concerned Bank on 20-05-2019 and affidavit dated
24-05-2019 as well as application dated 20-05-2019 to SHO PS Kotdiji in writing
and also got published such notice in newspaper, which was published on
23-05-2019. From the above averments, it is crystal clear that neither the date
of missing of the cheques is shown by the applicant nor he has disclosed the
names of witnesses anywhere in the plaint, but he tried to build a scenario
which he may use in his favour at the time of its requirement. Learned counsel
for the respondent No.2 along with objections/counter affidavit files cheque
dated 23-07-2019 along with its memo showing the account closed, but on its
back side in Sindhi language, it is endorsed by one Lal Chand who is shown to
be the Manager of Gopang flour mill being authorised by the applicant, disclosed
that arm of the applicant is injured, hence he/Lal Chand has taken
responsibility on behalf of the applicant that after payment of amount, they
got returned the issued cheques from respondent No.2 Hanifullah Solangi, which
clearly shows that applicant is playing with technicalities and not approach
the Court with clean hands.
10.
In view of above, the instant Civil
Revision Application is dismissed being meritless. These are the reasons of short order dated
17-01-2022.
Judge
Nasim/P.A