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Smt. Indu Tewari v. Ram Bahadur Chaudhari And Others
Structured Summary of the Legal Opinion
Factual and Procedural Background
The petitioner, Smt. Indu Tewari, purchased motor vehicle No. U.P.Z 9529 in the name of her nephew Saroj Kumar and intended to ply it as a public carrier on the Etawah-Bhind route. Because the opposite party, Ram Bahadur Chaudhary, had a driving licence, the petitioner applied for a permit in his name and had him entered as the registered owner in relevant papers. Differences arose between the parties and, in 1979, the petitioner filed a civil suit in the Court of the Civil Judge, Etawah, seeking an injunction to restrain the opposite party from interfering with her ownership and possession of the vehicle. That suit was decreed ex parte on 17 July 1979. The opposite party appealed the ex parte decree to the High Court and sought injunctive relief, but did not obtain a stay; his first appeal remained pending.
Despite the civil decree in the petitioner's favour, the opposite party allegedly continued to ply the bus on permit No. 1028. The petitioner therefore filed an application under Section 12 of the Contempt of Courts Act, alleging contempt. The opposite party appeared and opposed the petition.
Legal Issues Presented
- Whether the High Court should exercise its jurisdiction under Section 12 of the Contempt of Courts Act to punish alleged contempt (disobedience of a decree for injunction) where the petitioner has an effective alternative remedy of enforcing the decree by execution under Order XXI, Rule 32 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
- Whether the petitioner’s allegations that the opposite party continued plying the bus despite the decree constitute a contempt matter appropriately entertained by the High Court in view of the availability of execution proceedings and other civil remedies.
Arguments of the Parties
Petitioner's Arguments
- The petitioner asserted that, despite the decree in her favour in the civil suit, the opposite party continued to ply the bus on permit No. 1028 and was therefore guilty of contempt for disobeying the injunction/decree.
- The petitioner invoked Section 12 of the Contempt of Courts Act seeking the High Court's intervention and punishment of the alleged contemner.
- Learned counsel for the petitioner relied on decisions such as B.K. Hari v. S.B. Mehrotra (Civil Contempt No. 38 of 1973) and other cases cited to support the contention that the existence of an alternative civil remedy under Order XXI, Rule 32, should not preclude taking proceedings under the Contempt of Courts Act.
Opposite Party
The opinion does not contain a detailed account of the parties' legal arguments.
Table of Precedents Cited
| Precedent | Rule or Principle Cited For | Application by the Court |
|---|---|---|
| Ram Rup Pandey v. R.K. Bhargava (AIR 1971 All 231) | Supports the proposition that when an alternative mode of redress for disobedience of an injunction order is available, the High Court will not exercise its discretionary contempt jurisdiction. | The court relied on observations in this case to support its view that the existence of an effective alternative remedy militates against invoking contempt jurisdiction in the High Court. |
| Calcutta Medical Stores v. Stadmed Private Ltd. ((1977) 81 Car WN 209) | Used to support the principle that effective alternative civil remedies (execution proceedings etc.) should ordinarily be pursued instead of contempt proceedings. | The court cited this decision (together with Ram Rup Pandey) as fortifying its conclusion that the petitioner should use the civil execution remedy rather than seek contempt proceedings. |
| Abdul Sattar v. Hira Lal (Civil Misc. Contempt Case No. 96 of 1979; decided 20-2-1981) | Illustrates the court's own prior application of the principle that alternative remedies preclude contempt jurisdiction in appropriate cases. | The court noted it had recently taken the same view in this decision and cited it as supporting authority. |
| B.K. Hari v. S.B. Mehrotra (Civil Contempt No. 38 of 1973; decided 8-11-1974) | Relied upon by petitioner’s counsel to argue that the availability of an alternative remedy should not prevent contempt proceedings. | The court examined the decision and concluded it did not support the petitioner; the quoted observations in that decision in fact align with the proposition that contempt should not be used as a substitute for execution where adequate civil remedies exist. |
| Ramalingam v. Mahalinga Nadar (AIR 1966 Mad 21) | Held that it is not expedient to invoke contempt jurisdiction as a mode of executing a decree or decretal order embodying rights between parties; Order 39, Rule 2 provides an adequate remedy in many cases. | Referenced (via B.K. Hari) as authority for the principle that contumacious conduct respecting a decree should ordinarily be dealt with by execution or the remedies provided under the Code of Civil Procedure rather than by contempt proceedings. |
| Thummu Koti Nagaiah v. D. Sambaiah (AIR 1963 Andh Pra 136) | Rule articulated: Order XXI, Rule 32 cannot be used to punish a person for breach of a temporary injunction. | The court observed the rule but found this case not helpful to the petitioner’s attempt to justify contempt proceedings in the present circumstances. |
| Sita Ram Sahu v. Lachmi Narain (AIR 1946 Pat 47) | Held that the words "in case of disobedience" in Rule 2(3) of Order XXXIX are wide enough to cover breach of injunctions and that injunctions must be complied with whether right or wrong. | The court reviewed this authority and concluded it did not support the petitioner's position that contempt proceedings should supplant the execution remedy. |
| Hiralal Hargovindas v. Popatlal Sankalchand Patel (AIR 1969 Guj 28) | Held that breach of an injunction under Order XXXIX, Rule 1 can be punished under Order XXXIX, Rule 2(3); Order XXI, Rule 32 is not meant for punishing breach of temporary injunction. | Considered by the court in assessing the petitioner's authorities but not treated as supporting the petitioner’s request to bypass execution proceedings. |
| M. Amritlal v. P. Srinivas Rao (AIR 1967 Andh Pra 48) | Considered questions about the validity and punishment for breach of temporary injunctions given during pendency of the case and made absolute the same day as final decision. | The court noted this decision but found it irrelevant to the petitioner's circumstances. |
| Aligarh Municipal Board v. Ekka Tonga Mazdoor Union ((1970) 3 SCC 98 : AIR 1970 SC 1767) | Illustrates a situation in which contempt proceedings were taken by the High Court because the stay order had been passed by that Court itself. | The court noted that in that case contempt was entertained because the High Court itself had passed the order; the present case did not present the same factual posture, so the decision did not assist the petitioner. |
Court's Reasoning and Analysis
The court's analysis proceeded in a stepwise manner and remained closely tethered to established procedural distinctions between civil execution remedies and contempt proceedings:
- Nature of contempt jurisdiction: The court emphasised that contempt is essentially an issue between the court and the alleged contemner. A private party does not obtain a right to have another person punished for contempt; such a party may only inform the Court of alleged contempt and assist the Court in determining whether contempt has occurred.
- Availability of civil remedies: When a party obtains an interim injunction or a final decree for injunction, that party has a right to enforce the injunction or decree. Enforcement provision for interim injunctions is Order XXXIX, Rule 2-A, Civil P.C., and for decrees of injunction is Order XXI, Rule 32, Civil P.C.
- Comparative features of remedies: The court contrasted execution and Rule 2-A proceedings with contempt proceedings. Execution and Rule 2-A proceedings are elaborate: they permit parties to adduce evidence, examine and cross-examine witnesses, and they produce appealable orders. Remedies under Order XXI, Rule 32 include imprisonment, attachment of property (which can continue up to one year and even permit sale of property if non-compliance persists). By contrast, contempt proceedings under the Contempt of Courts Act are summary in nature.
- Discretion to refuse contempt jurisdiction where alternative remedy exists: Given the availability of an effective and adequate alternative remedy (Order XXXIX Rule 2-A or Order XXI Rule 32), the court held that a person should not be permitted to bypass those remedies and initiate summary contempt proceedings. It would be an improper exercise of the High Court's discretion to entertain contempt proceedings in such circumstances.
- Consideration of precedents and petitioner’s authorities: The court considered the authorities relied upon by the petitioner (including B.K. Hari and other cases). After reviewing B.K. Hari and related decisions (such as Ramalingam), the court found that those authorities did not support the petitioner's contention that an alternative remedy should not bar contempt jurisdiction in the present facts. Where cited cases did not match the factual or procedural posture (for example, where the injunction had been passed by the High Court itself or the suit had been disposed of so that Rule 2-A was inapplicable), the court distinguished them and explained their limited relevance.
- Factual application: Applying the foregoing principles to the facts of the petition, the court found that the petitioner had an effective alternative remedy of enforcing the decree by execution under Order XXI, Rule 32, Civil P.C. Consequently, the case was not one in which the High Court should exercise its contempt jurisdiction under Section 12 of the Contempt of Courts Act.
Holding and Implications
Holding: The petition under Section 12 of the Contempt of Courts Act is dismissed.
Direct consequences and orders made by the Court:
- The notice issued to the opposite party is discharged.
- The stay order dated 10-9-1980 is vacated.
- The petition is dismissed.
Broader implications: The court reaffirmed the established discretion that the High Court will ordinarily not exercise contempt jurisdiction to punish alleged disobedience of an injunction or decree where an effective alternative civil remedy (such as execution under Order XXI, Rule 32 or enforcement under Order XXXIX, Rule 2-A) is available to the aggrieved party. The opinion does not announce any new legal principle beyond applying that existing approach to the facts; its immediate effect is the dismissal of the petition and the vacation of the interim stay.
1. This is an application under Section 12 of the Contempt of Courts Act filed by smt. Indu Tewari, hereinafter called the petitioner. The facts giving rise to the petition can briefly be stated as under:
2. The petitioner purchased a motor vehicle No. U.P.Z 9529 in the name of her nephew Saroj Kumar. The petitioner wanted to ply the motor vehicle as a public carrier and applied for a permit for the same in respect of Etawah-Bhind route in the name of Ram Bahadur Chaudhary, opposite party as he already possessed a driving licence in his name. With that end in view she also got the name of the opposite party entered in the relevant papers as registered owner. Thereafter some differences cropped up between the parties. It is not necessary to mention in detail the facts relating to those differences. It should suffice to state that in the year 1979 the petitioner filed a suit in the court of the Civil Judge Etawah for injunction to restrain the opposite party from interfering in the petitioner's ownership and possession of the disputed vehicle. This suit was decreed ex parte on 17th July, 1979. The opposite party filed an appeal against the ex parte decree in this Court and also moved an application for injunction. The opposite party, however, failed to get any stay and the first appeal filed by him is still pending. The petitioner's grievance is that in spite of the decree passed in the civil suit, the opposite party has been plying the bus on permit No. 1028 and he is, therefore, guilty of contempt. The opposite party has entered appearance and opposed the petition. The first question that fells for consideration in the instant case is whether, in view of the fact that the petitioner had an effective alternative remedy of enforcing the decree passed in the civil suit by putting it in execution under Order XXI, Rule 32 of the Code of Civil Procedure, it would be a fit case in which this court should exercise its jurisdiction under Sec. 12 of the Contempt of Courts Act.
3. It is well settled that the matter of contempt is always an issue between the court and the contemner. No right vests in a private party to get any person punished for contempt. He can only inform the Court of the contempt committed by any person and thereafter it is for the Court to deal with the contemner. The party which informs the Court about the alleged contempt can only assist the Court in coming to the conclusion whether any contempt has been committed or not. As opposed to this, if a person obtains an interim injunction or a final decree for injunction, he gets a right to enforce it. The provision for enforcement of an interim injunction is contained in Order XXXIX Rule 2-A, Civil P.C and the provision for enforcement of a decree for injunction is contained in Order XXI, Rule 32, Civil P.C According to the said provision, a person who disobeys an injunction order can be put into prison and his property can also be attached. The attachment can continue for one year and if the party against whom the order or decree is passed refused to comply, the property can even be sold. The orders passed in proceedings under Order XXXIX. Rule 2-A as well as the orders passed in execution proceedings under Order XXI, Rule 32 of the Code of Civil Procedure are appealable orders. Further the proceedings under Order XXXIX, Rule 2-A as well as execution proceedings under Order XXI, Rule 32 are elaborate proceedings in which the parties can adduce their evidence and they can examine and cross-examine the witnesses. As opposed to this, the proceedings under the Contempt of Courts Act are of summary nature. In my opinion, a person who has got an effective alternative remedy of the nature specified under Order XXXIX, Rule 2-A or under Order XXI, Rule 32, Civil P.C should not be permitted to skip over that remedy and take resort to initiate proceedings under the Contempt of Courts Act. The least that can be said is that it would not be a proper exercise of discretion on the part of this Court to exercise its jurisdiction under the Contempt of Courts Act when such an effective and alternative remedy is available to any person. I am fortified in taking this view by the observations made in Ram Rup Pandey v. R.K Bhargava, (AIR 1971 All 231) and Calcutta Medical Stores v. Stadmed Private Ltd., ((1977) 81 Car WN 209). Relying on these two decisions I myself took the same view recently in Abdul Sattar v. Hira Lal (Civil Misc. Contempt Case No. 96 of 1979 decided on 20-2-1981).
4. Learned counsel for the petitioner referred me to a decision of this Court in B.K Hari v. S.B Mehrotra (Civil Contempt No. 38 of 1973 decided on 8-11-1974), by Justice G.C Mathur in support of his contention that the fact that the petitioner had an effective alternative remedy under Order XXI, Rule 32. Civil P.C should not stand in the way of this Court to exercise its jurisdiction under the Contempt of Courts Act. I have carefully gone through that decision and I find that it does not support the learned counsel for the petitioner. It would be pertinent to quote the following observation from the aforesaid decision.
“Sri Rajesh Tandon, learned counsel for Mehrotra, contended that the proceedings for “contempt of court were not competent in view of the fact that action could have been taken in the court of Ist Additional Civil Judge Dehradun, under Order 39, Rule 2-A, Civil P.C He has placed reliance on the decision of a Division Bench of the Madras High Court in Ramalingam v. Mahalinga Nadar (AIR 1966 Mad 21). In this case it was observed that when the matter relates to infringement of a decree or decretal order embodying rights, as between parties, it is clearly not expedient to invoke and exercise contempt jurisdiction, in essence, as a mode of executing that decree, or merely because other remedies may take time, or are more circumlocutory in character. It was further observed that in the case of disobedience of a temporary prohibitory injunction the provisions of Order 39, Rule 2(3) of the Code of Civil Procedure provide a much more adequate and satisfactory remedy than a proceeding for contempt of court. The Court was of the view that in such cases the court should not exercise its discretion to take proceedings for contempt. In similar circumstances, a learned single Judge of this Court in Ram Rup Pandey v. R.K Bhargava (AIR 1971 All 231) held that when an alternative mode of redress in respect of disobedience of an injunction order is available, the High Court will not exercise its discretionary power in the contempt jurisdiction. There can be no quarrel with the proposition that if the disobedience of the order can be adequately dealt with by the court which passed the order, then the High Court will not exercise its discretion to proceed for contempt of court, for the disobedience of the order of the subordinate Court”. (Underlining by me). The above observations clearly support what I have said above. It is true that in the aforesaid case the learned single Judge exercised his jurisdiction under the Contempt of Courts Act despite the aforesaid observation, but it was for two reasons viz., (i) that the suit in which the injunction order was passed had already been disposed of and hence no application under Order XXXIX, Rule 2-A could lie and (ii) that the injunction order in that case was issued under Section 151, Civil P.C and not under Order XXXIV, Rule 1 or Rule 2 and hence Order XXXIX, Rule 2-A did not apply.”
5. Learned counsel for the petitioner referred me to the cases Thummu Koti Nagaiah v. D. Sambaiah (AIR 1963 Andh Pra 136), Sita Ram Sahu v. Lachmi Narain (AIR 1946 Pat 47), Hiralal Hargovindas v. Popatlal Sankalchand Patel (AIR 1969 Guj 28), M. Amritlal v. P. Srinivas Rao (AIR 1967 Andh Pra 48) and Aligarh Municipal Board v. Ekka Tonga Mazdoor Union ((1970) 3 SCC 98 : AIR 1970 SC 1767) in a bid to support his contention that the petitioner can take resort to proceedings under the Contempt of Courts Act for punishing disobedience of the decree for injunction by the opposite party. I have carefully looked into all these cases. In my opinion, none of them can have any relevance. In the case of Thummu Koti Nagaiah v. D. Samoaiah (supra) the only rule laid down was that Order XXI, Rule 32 cannot be made use of punishing a person for breach of temporary injunction. In the case of Sita Ram Sahu v. Lachmi Narain Sahu (supra) it was held that the words ‘in case of disobedience’ occurring in Rule 2(3) of Order XXXIX are wide enough to cover breach of injunctions issued under Order XXXIX, Rule 1 and that once an injunction order is issued, it must be complied with whether it is right or wrong. In the case of Hiralal Hargovindas v. Popatlal Sankal Chand Patel (supra) all that was held that a person committing breach of an injunction order passed under Order XXXIX, Rule 1 can be punished under Order XXXIX, Rule 2(3) and that Order XXI, Rule 32 is not meant for empowering the Court to punish a party for disobedience of a temporary injunction. In the case of M. Amritlal v. P. Srinivas Rao (supra) the question for consideration was whether a temporary injunction issued during the pendency of the case and made absolute on the same date on which the suit was decided was valid and whether its disobedience can be punished under Order XXXIX, Rule 2(3) of the Code.
6. As for the Supreme Court decision in the case of Aligarh Municipal Board v. Ekka Tonga Mazdoor Union (supra) the stay order had been passed by this Court and therefore the proceedings under the Contempt of Courts Act had been taken by this Court for disobedience of that Order.
7. In my opinion, thus none of the aforesaid cases can be of any help to the petitioner.
8. As already stated, in the instant petition, the petitioner had an effective alternative remedy of enforcing the decree passed in hear favour by putting the same in execution under Order XXI, Rule 32, Civil P.C It is, therefore, not a fit case in which this Court should exercise its jurisdiction under the Contempt of Courts Act.
9. The petition is, accordingly, dismissed and the notice issued to the opposite party is discharged. The stay order dated 10-9-1980 is vacated.
10. Petition dismissed.
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