Custodian Of Textile ... vs Hall & Anderson Ltd & Ors

3. Facts and circumstances giving rise to this case are that Hall & Anderson Ltd. (hereinafter called `Hall'), incorporated under the Indian Companies Act, 1913, came into existence on 8.11.1946 and started primarily a departmental store business on the premises at No.31, Chowringhee Road (hereinafter called the premises styled as Hall & Anderson). Hall purchased the textile mill situated at Globe Mills Passage (Lower Parel) from M/s. Madhusudan Mills Ltd. on 12.6.1950 and commenced business of manufacturing and selling of cotton. The name of the company M/s. Hall & Anderson Ltd. was changed to M/s Shree Madhusudan Mills Ltd., having its registered office at the premises on 21.7.1959. Amalgamation of Profit & Loss Account was prepared henceforth for M/s Shree Madhusudan Mills Ltd. from 1970.

4. In 1976, the business of departmental store was stopped due to economic loss and after winding up of the said business, the premises was let out on rent. In 1989, because of strike by workers of textiles mills, several mills suffered losses and it became difficult to run the 2 business and therefore, the Government after having due deliberations with Reserve Bank of India and other authorities first came with the Ordinance and later on it was replaced by Act 1983.

10. The pleadings in the writ petition before the High Court revealed the factual matrix of the case and it is evident from the same that the respondent initially started the business of selling various goods and articles from the departmental store operating from the premises under the name and style of M/s Hall & Anderson. The Company purchased the textile mill in Bombay on 12.6.1950 and commenced the additional business of manufacturing and selling cotton textile. The departmental store continued its business upto 1976. Subsequent thereto, the building was developed as an income yielding asset and as such started the business of letting out various portions of the said building to different business organizations. The total area of the premises is about 4 acres and on an area of 345 sq. ft. 6 the registered office of the company is situated. The business of textile mill remained completely separate from the premises business of letting out. They had not been interconnected and the premises business has no connection with running the textile undertakings. The accounts of the property business were separately and independently maintained. Staff engaged in the property business were also not connected. They had no concern with the working of the textile mill, except the Secretary of the Company, as he had to be the same person in view of the requirement of the provisions of Companies Act, 1961. No amount for the textile mill business had ever been borrowed from any financial institution or utilized for its running. Profit and Loss accounts of both the business have been prepared separately in spite of amalgamation since 1970. The books of account had been maintained for both the business separately. The premises had been mortgaged with the Central Bank of India, Bombay by deposit of title deeds with a view to secure advance granted by the Central Bank of India to the Company for the purpose of running the textile mill, but it stood only as a security. It has not become an integral part of the textile industries or had any nexus or relation with the working of textile mill. In the counter affidavit, reference has been made to the 7 report of the Committee that disposal of immovable property of the Company, i.e., premises would provide substantial amount for making the undertaking viable within a few years provided, the said premises was sold. Further reference had been made to the observations made by the task force under the terms of reference that Company would be viable with the sale of land.

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17. In view of the above, we do not see any cogent reason not to concur with the view expressed by the High Court. The appeal lacks merit and is, accordingly, dismissed. In the facts and circumstances of the case, there will be no order as to costs.