Are you looking for a legal research tool ?
Get Started
Do check other products like LIBIL, a legal due diligence tool to get a litigation check report and Case Management tool to monitor and collaborate on cases.

Umang Gyanchandani v. Debts Recovery Tribunal Lucknow & Others

Umang Gyanchandani v. Debts Recovery Tribunal Lucknow & Others

(High Court Of Judicature At Allahabad, Lucknow Bench)

Misc. Single No. 3652 of 2015 | 02-07-2015

Dr. Devendra Kumar Arora, J.Heard Shri N.K. Seth, Senior Advocate assisted by Shri Sachin Garg, learned counsel for the petitioner and Shri Prashant K. Srivastava, learned counsel appearing on behalf of opposite parties no. 2 and 3.

2. By means of present writ petition, the petitioner has inter alia challenged the order dated 26.06.2015 passed by the Debts Recovery Tribunal, Lucknow in SA No. 448 of 2014 (Umang Gyanchandani v. Authorised Officer, Bank of Baroda and others) under Section 17 of the Securitization and Reconstruction of financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002 (hereinafter referred to as "2002 Act"). Petitioner has further sought quashing of the auction sale notice dated 26.06.2015 issued under Section 13(4) of the 2002 Act.

3. Shri Prashant K. Srivastava, learned Counsel for opposite parties no. 2 and 3 raised a preliminary objection with respect to maintainability of present writ petition on the ground that as per provisions of Section 18 of 2002 Act there is a provision for filing appeal by any person aggrieved by any order made by the Debts Recovery Tribunal under Section 17 of 2002 Act. Therefore, the present writ petition is not maintainable.

4. Shri N.K. Seth, learned counsel for the petitioner submits that since the Central Registry of Securitization Asset Reconstruction and Security Interest of India (CERSAI) on 01.07.2015 provided information to the petitioner to the effect that as per available record, the date of creation of security under CERSAI by the Bank of Baroda is 24.06.2015 and as such all the proceedings initiated against the petitioner by the Authorised Officer of the Bank stood vitiates. Moreover, fraud has also been played before the Debts Recovery Tribunal while opposing application bearing SA No. 448 of 2014 of the petitioner as the Authorised Officer of the bank placed before the Tribunal a document, showing date of creation of security as 26.04.2012 (page 253 of the writ petition). It is also submitted that the borrower has also diverted funds to M/s Maruti Corporation and even funds were diverted by the opposite party No. 5 while he was detained in Jail.

5. Admittedly, there is a provision of filing appeal before the Appellate Tribunal by any person aggrieved by any order made by the Debts Recovery Tribunal under Section 17 of 2002 Act. It is always open for the petitioner to make application for recall/review of order dated 26.06.2015 if he finds that any fraud has been played by the Authorised Officer of the bank.

6. In the case of L. Chandra Kumar v. Union of India and others, reported in AIR 1997 SC 1125 [LQ/SC/1997/514] , a seven Judges Constitution Bench of Honble Supreme Court held as under:-

"Though judicial review in the basic feature of the Constitution, the vesting of power of judicial review in an alternative institutional mechanism, after taking it away from the High Courts, would not do violence to the basic structure so long as it was ensured that the alternative mechanism was an effective and real substitute for the High Court."

7. In the case of Central Coalfields Ltd. v. State of Jharkhand and others (2005) 7 SCC, 492 [LQ/SC/1997/211] , it has been held that :

"If there is statutory alternative remedy available to a person under an statute itself, in that case the writ petition should not be entertained under Article 226 of the Constitution of India and the petitioner is directed to avail the alternative statutory remedy."

8. In the case of Kanhaiyalal Lalchand Sachdev and others v. State of Maharashtra and others, (2011) 2 SCC 782 [LQ/SC/2011/209] the Honble Supreme Court on the question of alternative remedy/exhaustion of remedies held that Articles 226/227 not available if an efficacious alternative remedy is available to aggrieved person

Thus, by a series of decisions it has been settled that the remedy of writ is an absolutely discretionary remedy and the High Court has always the discretion to refuse to grant any writ, if it is satisfied that the aggrieved party can have an adequate or suitable relief elsewhere. The Court, in extraordinary circumstances, may exercise the power, if it comes to the conclusion that there has been a breach of principles of natural justice or procedure required for decision has not been adopted.

9. It may be noted that when an alternative and equally efficacious remedy is open to a litigant, he should be required to pursue that remedy and not to invoke the extra ordinary jurisdiction of the High Court to issue a prerogative writ as the writ jurisdiction is meant for doing justice between the parties where it cannot be done in any other forum.

10. In the instant case, the petitioner has rushed directly to this Court and has by-passed the statutory alternative remedy, which is not permissible in view of the aforesaid settled position.

11. In view of the above, the writ petition is dismissed on the ground of availability of alternative statutory remedy. It is open to the petitioner to raise the pleas before the appellate court, which have been raised before this Court. It is also open to the petitioner to move appropriate application for recall/review of the order, if he so advised.

Advocate List
  • For Petitioner : Sachin Garg, Advocate, for the Appellant; Prashant K. Srivastava, Advocate, for the Respondent
Bench
  • HON'BLE JUSTICE DR. DEVENDRA KUMAR ARORA, J.
Eq Citations
  • (2015) 33 LCD 1986
  • LQ/AllHC/2015/1499
Head Note

Specified Reliefs — Alternative remedy — Exhaustion of — A writ petition challenging order passed by Debts Recovery Tribunal (DRT) under S. 17 of Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002 — Held, there is a provision of filing appeal before Appellate Tribunal by any person aggrieved by any order made by DRT under S. 18 of 2002 Act — It is always open for petitioner to make application for recall/review of order dt. 26-6-2015 if he finds that any fraud has been played by Authorised Officer of Bank — In view of settled position, writ petition dismissed on ground of availability of alternative statutory remedy — Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Security Interest Act, 2002, Ss. 17 and 18