Case ID: 2004

Judgment:
Appeal Nos. 310/ of 1963 and 121 of 1964. Appeals from the judgments and decrees	 dated November 22	 1960 and November 16	 1961 of the Orissa High Court in First Appeals Nos. 53 of 1956 and 78 of 1958 respectively. B. P. Maheshwari	 for the appellant (in C. A. No. 310 of 1963). P. K. Chatterjee	 for the appellants (in C. A. No. 121 of 1964). 792 section V. Gupte	 Solicitor General	 and R. N. Sachthey	 for respondent No. 1. (in both the appeals). Ramaswami	 J. This appeal is brought by a certificate on behalf of the plaintiff against the judgment and decree of the Orissa High Court	 dated November 22	 1961. In the suit which is the subject matter of this appeal the plaintiff alleged that his ancestor Dayanidhi Mahapatra con structed a temple out of his own funds and established a family deity and made endowments for the maintenance of Seba Puja of the deity. After the death of Dayanidhi the plaintiff became the Manager and Shebait of the family deity. The case of the plaintiff was that the temple and the endowments were never dedicated to the public nor had the public any kind of right in the temple or the endowed properties	 but that respondent No. 1	 acting under the provisions of section 49 of the Orissa Hindu Religious Endowment Act (hereinafter referred to as the 'Act ') realised a sum of Rs. 386 as the annual contribution from the plaintiff. Consequently Sri Baman Mahapatra filed an application under section 64(1) of the Act for a declaration that the temple in question was a private one and did not fall within the purview of the Act. On November 1	 1953 respondent No. 1 rejected the contention of the plaintiff and declared the temple as a " 'public excepted temple" within the meaning of section 6(5) of the Act and appointed members of the plaintiff 's family as the hereditary trustees. Thereafter Sri Baman Mahapatra filed a suit in the Court of Subordinate Judge	 Puri under section 64(2) of the Act for a declaration that the order passed by respondent No. 1 was illegal and should be set aside. Respondent No. 1 filed a Written Statement in that suit and after hearing the evidence on behalf of both the parties the Subordinate Judge held that the temple was a private temple belonging to the family of the plaintiff and defendants 2 and 3 and not a public excepted temple as erroneously held by respondent No. 1 in his order	 dated November 1	 1953. Aggrieved by this judgment	 respondent No. 1 filed an appeal before the Orissa High Court which allowed the appeal on the preliminary ground that the suit was not maintainable as the plaintiff had not impleaded the public in accordance with the requirements of 0.1 r. 8 of the Civil Procedure Code. The High Court took the view that the omission to implied the public in a suit under section 64(2) of the Act was fatal and the suit as framed was	 793 therefore	 not maintainable and should be dismissed. In taking this view the High Court followed its previous decision in Padma Charan vs Commissioner	 Hindu Religious Endowments	 Orissa.(1) The question of law involved in this appeal is whether the High Court is right in its view that in a suit brought under section 64 (2) of the Act the public should be impleaded as necessary parties under 0. 1 r. 8 of the Civil Procedure Code. Section 6(13) of the Act defines a "temple" as "a place	 by whatever designation known	 used as a place of public religious worship and dedicated to	 or for the benefit of	 or used as of right by	 the Hindu community	 or any section thereof	 as a place of religious worship". Section 6(5) defines an "excepted temple" to mean and include "a temple the right of succession to the office of trustee or the offices of all the trustees (where there are more trustees than one) whereof has been hereditary	 or the succession to the trusteeship whereof has been specially provided for by the founder". Section 64 of the Act states "64. (1) If any dispute arises as to whether an institution is a math or temple as defined in this Act or whether a temple is an excepted temple	 such dispute shall be decided by the Commissioner. (2) Any person affected by a decision under subsection (1) may	 within one year	 institute a suit in the Court to modify or set aside such decision; but subject to the result of such suit	 the order of the Commissioner shall be final. " The right of instituting a suit conferred by section 64(2) on any person affected by the decision of the Commissioner is a statutory right and there is nothing in that section which makes it incumbent upon the plaintiff to make the public as party defendants to the suit or to take recourse to the procedure prescribed under 0.1 r. 8	 Civil Procedure Code. It was conceded by the Solicitor General on behalf of respondent No. 1 that there is also nothing in the rules framed under section 52 of the Act requiring the Commissioner to give public notice and invite objections from the members of the public interested in the temple in a proceeding under section 64(1) of the Act. If the Commissioner is not required to give public notice or to grant a hearing to members of the public before making an order under section 64(1) of the Act	 there (1) I.L.R. 1961 Calcutta 183. 794 is no reason why the person affected by the decision of the Commissioner should be compelled to implead members of the public as party defendants in a suit brought under section 64(2) of the Act In our opinion	 the suit brought under section 64 (2) is not a suit of the nature contemplated by 0. I r. 8 of the Civil Procedure Code. Having regard to the scheme and object of the Act it is manifest that the Commissioner represents the interest of the public and he is the only person who is entitled to take proceedings on behalf of the religious and charitable trust and individual members of the public have no locus standi in the matter. Reference may be made in this connection to section 54 of the Act which states : "54. (1) The Commissioner or any person having interest and having obtained the consent of the Commissioner may institute a suit in the Court to obtain a decree (a) to recover possession of property comprised in a religious endowment; (b) appointing or removing the trustee of a math or excepted temple or of a specific endowment attached to a math or excepted temple; (c) vesting any property in a trustee; (d) declaring what proportion of the endowed property or of the interest therein shall be allocated to any particular object of the endowment; (e) directing account and enquiries; or (f) granting such further or other relief as the nature of the case may require. (2) Sections 92 and 93 and rule 8 of Order 1 of the First Schedule of the Code of Civil Procedure	 1908	 shall have no application to any suit claiming any relief in respect of the administration or management of a religious endowment and no suit in respect of such administration or management shall be instituted	 except as provided by this Act. (3) All suits or other legal proceedings by or against the Commissioner under this Act shall be instituted by or against him in his name. " The principle underlying the section is based	 to some extent	 upon the principle of English law for enforcement of charitable trusts in the interest of general public. In English law the Crown 795 as parens patriae is the constitutional protector of all property	 subject to charitable trusts	 such trusts being essentially matters of public concern A. G. vs Brown(1); and the Attorney General	 who represents the Crown for all legal purposes	 is accordingly the proper person to take proceedings on this behalf and to protect charities Eyre vs Countess of Shaftsbury (2). Whenever an action is necessary to enforce the execution of a charitable purpose	 to remedy any abuse or misapplication of charitable funds	 or to administer a charity	 the Attorney General is the proper plaintiff	 whether he is acting alone ex officio as the officer of the Crown and as such the protector of charities	 or ex relation that is to say at the request of a private individual who thinks that the charity is being or has been abused. The same principle is	 to some extent	 the basis of different legislative enactments in our country with regard to enforcement of public religious and charitable trusts. We are	 therefore	 of opinion that the High Court was in error in holding that in the suit brought by the plaintiff under section 64(2) of the Act the members of the public were necessary parties and it was incumbent on the plaintiff to follow the provisions of 0.1 r. 8	 Civil Procedure Code and the view of the High Court on this point should be overruled. For the reasons expressed we hold that this appeal should be allowed and the judgment and decree of the High Court of Orissa in First Appeal No. 53 of 1956	 dated November 22	 1961 should be set aside and the appeal should be remanded to the High Court for being dealt with and decided in accordance with law. Both the parties will bear their own costs up to this stage Civil Appeal No. 121 of 1964. This appeal is brought by a certificate against the judgment and decree of the High Court of Orissa	 dated November 16	 1961 and the question of law involved in this appeal is identical with the one involved in Civil Appeal No. 310 of 1963. For the reasons given in that case we allow this appeal set aside the judgment and decree of the Orissa High Court in First Appeal No. 78 of 1958	 dated November 16	 1961 and order that the appeal should go back in remand to the High Court for being dealt with and determined in accordance with law. Both the parties will bear their own costs up to this stage. Appeals allowed. (1) (1818) 1 Swan 265. (2) (1724) 2 P.W. M 103.

Summary:
The Commissioner of Hindu Religious Endowments	 the respondent herein	 acting under section 49 of the Orissa Hindu Religious Endowments Act	 realised a sum as annual contribution in respect of a temple of which the appellant 's father was the manager and shebait. The appellant 's father claimed that his ancestor had constructed the temple out of his own funds and established a family deity and made endowments for its maintenance. The appellant 's father filed an application under section 64(1) of the Act for a declaration that the temple in question was a private one and did not fall within the purview of the Act	 which was rejected by the respondent the Act and appointed members of the appellant 's family as heredity who declared the temple as a "public excepted temple" under section 6(5) of trustees. Thereafter the appellant 's father filed a suit under section 64(2) of the Act for a declaration that the order passed by the respondent was illegal and should be set aside. The Trial Court decreed the suit. The appeal of the respondent was allowed by the High Court by accepting his preliminary ground that the suit was not maintainable as in the suit	 the public were not impleaded in accordance with the requirements of 0. I r. 8 of the Code of Civil Procedure. In appeal by certificate to this Court; HELD : A suit brought under section 64(2) of the Act is not a suit of the nature contemplated by 0.1 r. 8 of the Civil Procedure Code. Having regard to the scheme and object of the Orissa Hindu Religious Endowment Act it is manifest that the Commissioner represents the interest of the public and he is the only person who is entitled to take proceedings on behalf of the religious and charitable trust	 and individual members of the public have no locus standi in the matter. [794 B] Case law referred to.