# 6SO K.T.CHANDY v. MANSA RAM ZADE Dect!mber 11. 1973

- **Citation:** [1974] 2 S.C.R. 650
- **Court:** Supreme Court of India
- **Decided:** 1974
- **Case number:** Criminal Appeal No. 129 B c D .E F_ G R. of 1970
- **Bench:** S. N. Dwivedi, Y. V. Chandrachud
- **Source:** https://unisonlegal.in/judgment/supreme-court-of-india/6so-k-t-chandy-v-mansa-ram-zade-dect-mber-11-1973-6156
- **Pages:** 5

## Headnote

Contempt of C~!lrt-S!lit by employee arainst emp!oyer-Dismissa/ of employee
;n exercise of rirht to termin~te as per contract of serv1ce-When does not amount
to contempt.
B
· Th~ re1p~nden~ 'II' as ernploy~d in~ company, · Tbe contract of service Provided
f3 t th~ t:r.niution of s:rvic~ by giving three rnJnths notice or three months pay
'.
i:lli:a th.:r:~r witlnut\uig1ing any cause. The comp1ny gave him a notice that
it w11 ro:~nd that his p:rfornnnce and conduct have not been good and that he had
nlt P~""d useful to the c:>m;nny. lie was therefore advised to trY for alternative
C
e'll;>l:>y.n:nL H• wu inf:mn:d tlu.t he would be released from the company at
his r:p:n on p1ym:nt by bim of the am'>unt under a bond executed by him with
S()'!B -:n=~"ion. Tile respl'11 :nt tll,reupon filed a suit claiming various reliefs,.
H: di:l not ,,k: for an interim injunction restraining the appellant and the company
fr.,m t:rmilating hil service during the p:ndencY of the suit, nor did the appellant
ao:i thl e> unny give :u~y such ulldortalcing. The company gave the respondent
DJtio• tor ui Hting nis servic• with elfect from the date or the service of the notice
and graDted him three months' pay.
D
Tin High Court h:ld that the act of giving the second notice amounted to eootem" of c:>urt b!Cause, as a result of lhe termination some of the relie~ prayed for
wlald 'l=m: jnfructuous and that would amount to obstruction or Interference
with due course ofjustice . .
Allowilla lhe appeal to this Court,
H!!LO : Wh:re a plrty to a suit terminates the service of the adversary party
in lh~ h71<Jt uuciu of 11/J rl~hu u~:fer the eo!flract of urv/ce and In tile ahunce
of ~1' I"''''"' ''/111ct1on or u~1<r14kln~. tho act would not corutitute contempt of
CoUrL (6S3 B-C)
E
(a I A c>-n')inod roldin! of the tw;, notices ~hows that the appellant had term!·
~
nl:d t'l~ "r•ic' ill th~ h >1!'1 ,c,.~ise or the right ve<~ed jn tho company by the
01~,,,~ -.r HNic~. T.,, )•1!< did not threaten the reJp<lDdent to withdraw the
F
wbole or P!llt of the suit. {653 Cj
{b) T :t~ ~i•c!-nltt!lo; t~nt o1: or mJre of the reliefs cl3im:d tn the plaint had
b;:>:n) lnfructuous o!\ ac~unt of the termiMtjon would not e-;tnbli.•h contum•cY,
b::u;,. ·~• 'llP>~:i>!ll Wll fr¢: 10 am:od hiJ pl>int and ask: for an appropriate
relict (6S3 D)
. (c) Th: fac·t that tb~ ap;.,lllnt h•d tender~<! an unconditional apology in the
f{. ~'t C lUrt il DOl & &r;>u-1d r·1r thil Court refU•inll tO jnterferc, becau•e, (iJ the
lf.J l Cu·t hvl ill f•ot h:li 1~11 ~P!l:ll1nt hat com'!liu~d contempt thougl! II dtd
n 11 , .,. 1 ·1 ')'J11Sil 'tl:'lt br.\u" ·,r th: lD li'>IY. and (iil the H111h Courl bad d1rcctcd
th: ap,,:ll<>OI to par colts to the re1pondent. !6S4 Dj
G
T~h QJ>fl G>l~' Y. R. N. '>~ •,k/a ( !96~1 ) S C R. 422 !ani{ Dalwduf Singh
v. DJI} "'"~ fe•Mr/, [1?6')] I S.C.R. d4 and Mal;jir'ao Shliole v. C.(}, ltf•llkar,
Jl
A.I.R. I 'Hl M • .ll, 24S, rcfcrcd to.
.#;
-· _;_...--~~----
IC. T. CHANDY V."M. R. ZADE (Dwivedi, /.)
651
A

## Text

.... :.--
6SO
K.T.CHANDY
v.
MANSA RAM ZADE
Dect!mber 11. 1973
[S. N. DWIVEDI AND Y. V. CHANDRACHUD. JJ.)
Contempt of C~!lrt-S!lit by employee arainst emp!oyer-Dismissa/ of employee
;n exercise of rirht to termin~te as per contract of serv1ce-When does not amount
to contempt.
B
· Th~ re1p~nden~ 'II' as ernploy~d in~ company, · Tbe contract of service Provided
f3 t th~ t:r.niution of s:rvic~ by giving three rnJnths notice or three months pay
'.
i:lli:a th.:r:~r witlnut\uig1ing any cause. The comp1ny gave him a notice that
it w11 ro:~nd that his p:rfornnnce and conduct have not been good and that he had
nlt P~""d useful to the c:>m;nny. lie was therefore advised to trY for alternative
C
e'll;>l:>y.n:nL H• wu inf:mn:d tlu.t he would be released from the company at
his r:p:n on p1ym:nt by bim of the am'>unt under a bond executed by him with
S()'!B -:n=~"ion. Tile respl'11 :nt tll,reupon filed a suit claiming various reliefs,.
H: di:l not ,,k: for an interim injunction restraining the appellant and the company
fr.,m t:rmilating hil service during the p:ndencY of the suit, nor did the appellant
ao:i thl e> unny give :u~y such ulldortalcing. The company gave the respondent
DJtio• tor ui Hting nis servic• with elfect from the date or the service of the notice
and graDted him three months' pay.
D
Tin High Court h:ld that the act of giving the second notice amounted to eootem" of c:>urt b!Cause, as a result of lhe termination some of the relie~ prayed for
wlald 'l=m: jnfructuous and that would amount to obstruction or Interference
with due course ofjustice . .
Allowilla lhe appeal to this Court,
H!!LO : Wh:re a plrty to a suit terminates the service of the adversary party
in lh~ h71<Jt uuciu of 11/J rl~hu u~:fer the eo!flract of urv/ce and In tile ahunce
of ~1' I"''''"' ''/111ct1on or u~1<r14kln~. tho act would not corutitute contempt of
CoUrL (6S3 B-C)
E
(a I A c>-n')inod roldin! of the tw;, notices ~hows that the appellant had term!·
~
nl:d t'l~ "r•ic' ill th~ h >1!'1 ,c,.~ise or the right ve<~ed jn tho company by the
01~,,,~ -.r HNic~. T.,, )•1!< did not threaten the reJp<lDdent to withdraw the
F
wbole or P!llt of the suit. {653 Cj
{b) T :t~ ~i•c!-nltt!lo; t~nt o1: or mJre of the reliefs cl3im:d tn the plaint had
b;:>:n) lnfructuous o!\ ac~unt of the termiMtjon would not e-;tnbli.•h contum•cY,
b::u;,. ·~• 'llP>~:i>!ll Wll fr¢: 10 am:od hiJ pl>int and ask: for an appropriate
relict (6S3 D)
. (c) Th: fac·t that tb~ ap;.,lllnt h•d tender~<! an unconditional apology in the
f{. ~'t C lUrt il DOl & &r;>u-1d r·1r thil Court refU•inll tO jnterferc, becau•e, (iJ the
lf.J l Cu·t hvl ill f•ot h:li 1~11 ~P!l:ll1nt hat com'!liu~d contempt thougl! II dtd
n 11 , .,. 1 ·1 ')'J11Sil 'tl:'lt br.\u" ·,r th: lD li'>IY. and (iil the H111h Courl bad d1rcctcd
th: ap,,:ll<>OI to par colts to the re1pondent. !6S4 Dj
G
T~h QJ>fl G>l~' Y. R. N. '>~ •,k/a ( !96~1 ) S C R. 422 !ani{ Dalwduf Singh
v. DJI} "'"~ fe•Mr/, [1?6')] I S.C.R. d4 and Mal;jir'ao Shliole v. C.(}, ltf•llkar,
Jl
A.I.R. I 'Hl M • .ll, 24S, rcfcrcd to.
.#;
-· _;_...--~~----
IC. T. CHANDY V."M. R. ZADE (Dwivedi, /.)
651
A
CRIMiNAL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Criminal Appeal No. 129
B
c
D
.E
F_
G
R.
of 1970.
Appeal by Special leave from t~e Judgment and order dated the
24th July, 1969 of the Calcutta High Court in Criminal Misc. Case
No. 179 of 1969.
D. Mukherjee, and D.N. Mukherjee,for the appellant. S.B. Wad,
for the respondent.
The Judgment of the Court was delivered by
DWIVBDI, J.
Seemingly it is a small case. It has not hit the
headlines in the news-media. Nor it has gripped the public_ mind.
The pecuniary stake is trivial. A tiny sum of Rs. 200/- is payable as
costs by the appellant. However, this case brings in to the flash-point
an issue of great consequence to liberty of contract: Where to draw
the divid,ing line between the area of contempt of court and the area
of operation of contract~! rights •
. 'The appellant is the Chairman of the Hindustan Steel · Limited
(hereinafter referred to as the Company). The respondent was employed
in the Company on a contract of service. The contract provided for
termination of his service by giving three months' riotice or three months'
pay in lieu thereof and without assigning any cause. On February 21,
1968, the' Company gave him this notice :
"It is fo11nd that your
performance and conduct in this plant have not been good and that
you have not proved useful for the Co~pany. You are hereby advised
to note this poSition and also to try for alternative emploYifient else- -
where. You may be released from this company at your request
on payment of the amount required under the bond executed by you
on pro·rata basis as a very special case taking into account the period
of service that may be rendered by you at the time of release. 'In
oth~r words, if you ~boose to l~ve the se~vice of the company before
expn'y of bond pertod, you WI1l be requtred to pay the company
a sum not exceeding Rs. 20,fXXJ/- reduced by the amount calculated
on pro-rota basis in respect of the servi~ you may tender after com~
pletion of your training.''
·
·
Soon thereafter he rushed to the Court. On May 27, 1968 he
instituted a suit in the Court of the Second Munsif, Asansol. The
material reliefs claimed in the plaint are :
(1) a declaration that the notice dated February 21, 1968 is illegal;
bad, mala fide, without jurisdiction, void and inoperative
and is not binding on the plaintiff;
(2) a declaration that the charge sheet dated_ July I, 1966, conb~
·
dential character report, dated April27, 1967, are ultra vires,
. unenfor~able, illegal, unsustainablet mala fide and opposed
to rules ·and natural justice and are not binding on the plain-
, tiff;
{3) ·a· declaration that the plaintiff is entitled to promotion to the
next higher arade, namely, foreman, from ~ober 10, 1966;
652
SUPREME COURT ,REPORTS
[1974] 2 s.c.R.
(4) a mandatory injunction directing the defendant to promote
the plaintifLto the grade of foreman; and
(5) a permanent injunction restraining the defendant from giving
effect to the notice ~ated February 21, 1968.
He did not ask the Munsif to grant an interim injunction restraining
the appellant and the Company from terminating his service during
pendency of his suit. So no such interim injunction was operating at
the relevant time. Nor did the appellant and the Company give an
undertaking to refrain from terminating his service during pendency
of the suit. · Forgetting the suit for a moment, there was no impediment
in their way of terminating his service according to the contract.
And
on February 26, 1968, the Company gave him this notice; "(T)he
services of the (respondent) are hereby terminated with effect from the
date of service of this order on him and payment of three months' pay
in lieu of notice in terms of clause (vi) of his appointment letter ..... .
dated January 29, 1962."
The Calcutta High Court (R.N. Dutt and B. Banerji JJ). has held
that the act of giving this notice amounts to contempt of court. The
learned Judges said: "It seems that he (plaintiff) was more or less
non-suited ... There is no doubt that since his services have been terminated, some of the reliefs which were prayed for in the suit could
become infructuous. On these considerations, we think that the action
of the Chairman in terminating the services of the (plaintiff) .... does
amount to obstruction or interference with due course of justice· in
the petitioner's suit
b~fore the Munsif. ... and so it amounts to
contempt of the said court."
When asked, counsel for the respondent could not cite any decision
holding a Muslim husband's act of divorcing his wife during pendency
of her suit for future maintinence as contempt of court. The
divorce completely aborts her suit. It is true that the law of contempt
of court i~ essential for keeping the administration of justice pure
and undefiied. It is also well to remell).ber that our society is
also
interested in the fulfilment of a man's expectations under a contract.
To that end we have <1; law of contract in our country. Assigning an
unlimited and undefined area to either of them would unduly curtail
the area of the other. Each should have a viable area so that justice
may hold high her head and contract is not cribbed and cramped.
But what is the yardstick to measure their area of operation.
It has been held that 'initiation in good faith' of a departmental
enquiry under the Customs Act by the Custom authorities on the
basis of facts which are the subject of a criminal prosecution under
that Act against the appellant would not amount to contempt as the
authorities' are acting bona fide and discharging their statut~ry duties.'
(Ruka Ram G. Geokar v.
R. N. Shukla.l see also Jang Bahadur Singh
v. BaiJ
Nath
Tewari).2 In another case it was
.held that the issue of a notification under the Abolition of Jagirs Act
for resumption of Jagirs during pendency of a jagirdar's writ petition
for restraining such resumption is not contempt, because the Government was acting bona fide in the exercise of its statutory rights. (See
(I) [1968] 3 S.C.R. 422.
(2) [1969] 1 S.C.R. 134.
A
c
E
F
G·
R
A
B
c
D
E
F
G
H
K, T, CHANDV v. M. R. ZADE (Dwivedi, J.)
653
Malojirao
Shitole
v.
C.
G.
Matkar)(!)
These
cases
establish that bona fide exercise of a statutory right by a party to a
proceeding is not cQntempt in the absence of an interim injunction
against or undertaking by thr.t party. There appears to be so sound
reason why this principle should not extend to the exercise of rights
under a contract. The rights of a party under a contract are his legal
rights. In our view bonafide or honest exercise of a right under a contract should be the yardstick for allocating their respective area to
contempt and
it gives to each its proper sphere. So where
a party to a suit, as here, terminates the service of the adversary
party in the honest exercise of his rights under the contract of service
and in the absence of any interim injunction or tlndertaking, his act
would not constitute contempt of court. We are satisfied from a
combined reading of the two notices relating to termination of service
that the appellant had terminated the service of the respondent in
the honest exercise of the right vested in the Company by the contract
of service. So he has not committed contempt of the Munsif's Court.
The order terminating his service does not threaten the respondent
to withdraw the whole or part of his suit. The mere circumstance
that one or more of the reliefs claimed in the plaint have become infructuous on account of the termination order would not establish
contumacy, The respondent is free to amend his pl:dnt und ask for
a relief against the termination order.
Counsel for the respondent has relied
on
Pratap Singh
v.
Gurbakah
Singh(4)
and Gobind
Sahai v. State
of U.P.(')
These cases are clearly distinguishable on facts.
rn the first case a
Government employee had instituted a suit as well as a writ petition
against the Government in respect of his service conditions.
There~
upon the appropriate authority started a departmental proceeding against the employee. The charge sheet stated that he had gone to a court
of law before exhausting all his departmental remedies and that his
action was contrary to official propriety and Slibvcrsive of good discipline. This charge was framed on the strength of a, circular letter
issued by the Chief Secretary of the Government on June 25, 1953.
It emphasised that "any attempt by a Government servant to seek
a decision on such issues in a court of law without first exhausting the
normal official channels of redress could only be regarded as contrary
to official· propriety and
subversive
of
good
discipline
and could well justify the initiation of disciplinary action against him.
This Court held that the authorities have committed contempt of court.
In the second case while the respondent's suit challenging the election
of his opponent to a committee of a political party was pendingJ the
appellant letters expelling him from the party on the strength
of an earlier resolution Qf the party which barred reference of such
disputes to a taw court and provided for summary removal of any
member who initiated a suit. This Court held that the action of
expulsion amounted to contempt of court. It should be observed
that in both cases the complainant had a right to institute a
l~gal
proceeding in a law court for redress of his grievance. This legal njtht
(1) A.I.R. 1953 MB 245.
(2) {1962) Su[Jp. 2 SCR 838. (3) [1969]1 SCR. 176. "' ·
654
SUPREME COURT 'IBPORTI
[1~74) 2 l.c.L
could be taken away only by a valid law. But there was no such law
A·
in operation. .So neither the officers of the Government nor the
political party had· a legal right to take any action for punishina the
suitor for his mere act of instituting a legal proceeding in a law court.
In our case the appellant hiid a right under the contract ~o terminate
the service of the
respondent.
'
Counsel for the respondent has submitted that aa the appellant
had tendered an unconditional apoloay in the High Court, we ahould
B
not interfere with the High Court's order. We are unable to appreciate the submission, Apology goes to sentence and may be accepted
only upon a finding that contempt has been committed. The Hiah
Court has in fact held that the appellant has committed contempt.
But it has accepted his apology and refrained from awardina
an~
punishment. Moreover, the appellant has been directed to pay Rs. 200/·
C
as costs to the respondent. So the appellant is entitled to have the
order of the High Court set aside.
We allow the appeal and set aside the order of the High Court.
V.P.S.
Appeal allowed.