Case: S.D.S. Shipping Pvt. Ltd Vs. Jay Container Services Co.Pvt.Ltd.

81,77,632.50 (rounded of to Rs. 82,00,000/-) within 12 weeks period. It was further directed that the amount was to be deposited in a nationalised bank for a period of 37 months and the deposit was to be renewed at a time by 13 months until the suit was decided. This order is under challenge. 7. Mr. R.F. Nariman, learned senior counsel for the appellants submitted that the Division Bench manifestly erred in directing deposit by overlooking the factual and legal background involved. In a commercial suit where there was dispute regarding the liability such directions could not have been given. Even in respect of a summary suit under Order 37 there was no scope for giving the type of direction as done. The Division Bench while implicitly upholding the view of learned Single Judge that Order 12 Rule 6 was not applicable could not have applied the logic of Order 39 Rule 10 of the Code which operates in an entirely different background. It was pointed out that the Division Bench committed factual error in observing that there was no clear denial to the claim of the plaintiff and/ or that its stand was an evasive one and at times in the nature of an afterthought. Having ruled out application of Order 12 Rule 6, it was not open to the Division Bench to bring in operation of Rule 39 Rule 10, of the Code with the help of Section 151. It was also submitted that the claim as made clearly exaggerated, without any foundation or basis and neither in law nor equity plaintiff was entitled to any relief. 8. It was, however, accepted that at the most the plaintiff may be entitled to the arrears of rentals and nothing beyond that. The question of making any payment for the rentals after expiry of the agreement period is also not contemplated in law. There was no termination of the agreement and on the contrary it lost it currency after the extended period of one month beyond the initially stipulated last date. 9. Responding to the above submissions, Mr. K.K. Venugopal, learned senior counsel for the plaintiff (respondent no.1) submitted that here is a case where the party has taken advantage of its own wrong doings. Undisputedly it had taken the containers on lease. Clause 6 of the agreement clearly stipulates that rental charges were to be paid till the containers are returned. This has admittedly not been done. There are several letters where there was express acceptance of the liability. Finally it was submitted that this is not a case where this Court should exercise powers under Article 136 of the Constitution of India, 1950 (in short the Constitution). 10. By way of reply to the submissions made by Mr. Venugopal, Mr. Nariman submitted that the scope and ambit of Article 136 is too well known and, therefore, where substantial question of law relating to jurisdiction of a commercial court is raised, the Court has to see whether the impugned judgment meets the requirement of law. According to him, it is too futile to contend that Article 136 will not be exercised in a case of this nature where the Division Bench of the High Court clearly acted contrary to well-settled principle of law. 11. Few facts of relevance need to be noted in view of the rival stands. Undisputedly, the order impugned is an interim order. The direction is for deposit and no liberty has been granted to the plaintiff for withdrawal after the deposit. As noted supra, there was no serious dispute relating to the claim for arrears of rentals. Admittedly, 92 containers were leased out by the plaintiff to the defendant no.1 according to whom some of the containers were not traceable and were lost. We may add here that subsequent to the filing of the suit, it was contended that all the 92 vessels were lost. 12. In view of the factual scenario unfolded above, it does not appears to be a case where interference under Article 136 of the Constitution is called for. That power is exercised only on showing substantial injustice, and not for merely technical flaws in a proceeding. (See Shahoodul Haque vs. The Registrar, Co- operative Societies, Bihar and Anr. (1975 (3) SCC 108) . The position was illuminatingly stated in Rashpal Malhotra vs. Mrs. Satya Rajput and Anr. (1987 (4) SCC 391) . This Court in Heavy Engineering Corporation Ltd., Ranchi vs. K. Singh and Co., Ranchi (AIR 1977 SC 2031 ) expressed the opinion that although the powers of this Court were wide under Article 136, it could not be urged that because leave had been granted the court must always in every case deal with the merits, even though it was satisfied that the ends of justice did not justify its interference in a given case. It is not as if, in an appeal with leave under Article 136, this Court was bound to decide the question if on facts at the later hearing the court felt that the ends of justice did not make it necessary to decide the point. Similarly in Baigana vs. Deputy Collector of Consolidation (1978 (3) SCR 509 ) it was held that this Court was more than a court of appeal. It exercises power only when there is supreme need. It is not the fifth court of appeal, but the final court of the nation. Therefore, even if legal flaws might be electronically detected, it may not interfere save manifest injustice or substantial question of public importance. 13. In Taherakhatoon (D) by Lrs. vs. Salambin Mohammad (1999 (2) SCC 635) , it was noted that even in cases where leave has been granted, the Court might after declaring the correct legal position decline to interfere saying that it would not exercise discretion to decide the case on merits and that it would decide on the basis of the equitable considerations in the facts and circumstances of the case and mould the final order.

Decision (1 = appeal accepted, 0 = rejected): 1

Explanation:
1[ds]11. Few facts of relevance need to be noted in view of the rival stands. Undisputedly, the order impugned is an interim order. The direction is for deposit and no liberty has been granted to the plaintiff for withdrawal after the deposit. As noted supra, there was no serious dispute relating to the claim for arrears of rentals. Admittedly, 92 containers were leased out by the plaintiff to the defendant no.1 according to whom some of the containers were not traceable and were lost. We may add here that subsequent to the filing of the suit, it was contended that all the 92 vessels were lost12. In view of the factual scenario unfolded above, it does not appears to be a case where interference under Article 136 of the Constitution is called for. That power is exercised only on showing substantial injustice, and not for merely technical flaws in a proceeding. (See Shahoodul Haque vs. The Registrar, Co- operative Societies, Bihar and Anr. (1975 (3) SCC 108) . The position was illuminatingly stated in Rashpal Malhotra vs. Mrs. Satya Rajput and Anr. (1987 (4) SCC 391) . This Court in Heavy Engineering Corporation Ltd., Ranchi vs. K. Singh and Co., Ranchi (AIR 1977 SC 2031 ) expressed the opinion that although the powers of this Court were wide under Article 136, it could not be urged that because leave had been granted the court must always in every case deal with the merits, even though it was satisfied that the ends of justice did not justify its interference in a given case. It is not as if, in an appeal with leave under Article 136, this Court was bound to decide the question if on facts at the later hearing the court felt that the ends of justice did not make it necessary to decide the point. Similarly in Baigana vs. Deputy Collector of Consolidation (1978 (3) SCR 509 ) it was held that this Court was more than a court of appeal. It exercises power only when there is supreme need. It is not the fifth court of appeal, but the final court of the nation. Therefore, even if legal flaws might be electronically detected, it may not interfere save manifest injustice or substantial question of public importance13. In Taherakhatoon (D) by Lrs. vs. Salambin Mohammad (1999 (2) SCC 635) , it was noted that even in cases where leave has been granted, the Court might after declaring the correct legal position decline to interfere saying that it would not exercise discretion to decide the case on merits and that it would decide on the basis of the equitable considerations in the facts and circumstances of the case and mould the final order.