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State Bank Of India, Bhubneswar v. Ganjam District Tractor's Owners Association

State Bank Of India, Bhubneswar
v.
Ganjam District Tractor's Owners Association

(Supreme Court Of India)

Special Leave Petition No. 16444 Of 1992 | 20-06-1994


A.M. Ahmadi, J.

1.The grievance of the respondent-association in the High Court related to charging of compound interest on loans given to its members for the purchase of tractors.

2. The Division Bench of the High Court of Orissa presided over by the then learned Chief Justice held that the agreement entered into by Bank with the borrower did not stipulated the payment of compound interest and hence it was unnecessary to examine if there existed such a situation, the same would have been enforceable by the Bank. See paragraph 13 of the judgment. It is true that in the body of the judgment reference has been made to the case of Bank of India v. Karnam Ranga Rao, AIR 1986 Karnataka 242 and it is observed that since farmers do not have regular source of income other than sale proceeds of their crops, and received the sale proceeds annually, they cannot be expected to have agreed to pay interest with periodical rests. In paragraph 8 of the judgment the High Court has observed :


"The present, therefore, is a case which would make the finding of the Karnataka High Court relevant insofar as the policy circulars of the Reserve Bank of India are concerned."


3. But the High Court ultimately decided in favour of the borrower because in its view the agreement is not provided for periodical rests nor did it stipulate for payment of compound interest. Making the aboveboard observations obiter dicta. In that view of the matter we see no reason to interfere as the decision does not ultimately rest on the aforequoted view based on the Karnataka High Court decision. We may incidentally say that we have today by a separate judgment dismissed the Banks appeal against the said decision. We dismiss this petition on the short ground that the agreement on which the Banks claim is founded does not provide for payment of compound interest or interest with periodical rests.

4. Appeal dismissed.

Advocates List

FOR

For Petitioner
  • Shekhar Naphade
  • Mahesh Agrawal
  • Tarun Dua
For Respondent
  • S. Vani
  • B. Sunita Rao
  • Sushil Kumar Pathak

Bench List

HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE A.M. AHMADI

HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE S.C. AGRAWAL

Eq Citation

(1994) 5 SCC 238

[1994] 81 COMPCAS 564 (SC)

1 (1995) BC 619

1995 1 RRR 114

(1994) 3 PLR 435

1994 (3) SCALE 65

JT 1994 (7) SC 108

LQ/SC/1994/574

HeadNote

Debt, Financial and Monetary Laws — Interest — Compound interest — Charging of — Held, agreement between Bank and borrower did not stipulate payment of compound interest — Hence, it was unnecessary to examine if there existed a situation where the same would have been enforceable by Bank — Hence, High Court's decision in favour of borrower, was correct