Asha Kumar and Lakshmi Priya v. The Trivandrum Co-operative Urban Bank Ltd.

## **IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM** ## **PRESENT** ## **THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE DEVAN RAMACHANDRAN** ## **WEDNESDAY, THE 06TH DAY OF JANUARY 2021 / 16TH POUSHA, 1942** ## **WP(C).No.284 OF 2021(I)** ## **PETITIONERS:** |**1**|**ASHAI KUMAR, AGED 42 YEARS**| |---|---| ||**S/O. VIKRAMA KURUP, TC 52/1402,**| ||**VISHNU NAGAR, ESTATE P.O.,**| ||**PAPPANAMCODE, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-695 019.**| |**2**|**LAKSHMI PRIYA, AGED 37 YEARS**| ||**W/O. ASHAI KUMAR, TC 52/1402,**| ||**VISHNU NAGAR, ESTATE P.O., P**| ||**APPANAMCODE, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-695 019.**| ||**BY ADVS.**| ||**SRI.S.JATHIN DAS**| ||**SMT.S.SOUMYA ISSAC**| ## **RESPONDENTS:** - **1 THE TRIVANDRUM CO-OPERATIVE URBAN BANK LTD., HEAD OFFICE. PB NO.15, M.G.ROAD, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-695 001 REPRESENTED BY ITS MANAGER/RECOVERY OFFICER.** - **2 THE BRANCH MANAGER THE TRIVANDRUM CO-OPERATIVE URBAN BANK LTD., THYCAUD BRANCH, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-695 014.** - **3 THE AUTHORISED OFFICER THE TRIVANDRUM CO-OPERATIVE URBAN BANK LTD., HEAD OFFICE. PB NO.15, MG ROAD, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-695 001. SMT. NISHA GEORGE - SC** **THIS WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON 06.01.2021, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING:** WPC 284/21 2 ## **JUDGMENT** Through this writ petition, the petitioners call into question certain proceedings initiated and being pursued by the respondent Bank under the provisions of the Securitisation and Reconstruction of Financial Assets and Enforcement of Securities Interest Act ('the SARFAESI Act' for brevity). 2. I have heard the learned counsel for the petitioners and the learned counsel for the respondent Bank. 3. As I proceed to consider the reliefs prayed for by the petitioners herein, I am conscious that I am jurisdictionally proscribed from entering into any enquiry or consideration of the legality or otherwise of the orders impugned in this writ petition on account of the imperative statutory provisions and the binding judicial pronouncements, WPC 284/21 3 especially that of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in **Union Bank of India v. Satyawati Tondon [(2010) 8 SCC 110]** and in **Authorised Officer, State Bank of Travancore and Another v. Mathew** **K.C. [2018 (1) KLT 784]** . I, therefore, cannot and do not propose to consider any of the legal contentions raised by the petitioners on its merits. 4. However, obviously being aware of this, the learned counsel appearing for the petitioners has prayed that notwithstanding the limitations of jurisdiction as aforementioned, the petitioners may be granted some leniency or latitude in order to enable them to pay off the overdue amounts in installments. 5. I, therefore, enquired with the learned counsel for the Bank as to whether the request on the part of the petitioners can be WPC 284/21 4 allowed, especially on account of the fact that the Banks are only interested in recovering and not in maintaining and keep pending litigations and legal proceedings against such recovery. The learned counsel has fairly submitted that the Bank is concerned about recovery at the earliest and that if the petitioners pay off the dues quickly, it would be to their interest also. 6. In view of the fact that the proceedings initiated by the Bank would consume time to culminate in total recovery and taking into account the financial constraints and burden that have been alleged and pleaded by the petitioners, I am inclined to dispose of this writ petition allowing them an opportunity to pay off the overdue amounts demanded by the Bank. 7. The learned counsel for the Bank at WPC 284/21 5 this time submits that the petitioners can be allowed to pay off the overdue amount of Rs.3,22,645/- as on 06.01.2021 in not more than ten instalments commencing from 21.01.2021 and that the account can thus be regularised by the Bank. 8. The learned counsel for the petitioners says that the petitioners are agreeable to the above offer made by the Bank and therefore that the writ petition may be ordered granting permission to the petitioners to pay off the amount in the manner as afore. 9. In such circumstances, I direct the petitioners to pay off the aforementioned overdue amount of **Rs.3,22,645/-** as on **06.01.2021** , along with applicable charges and interest, in **ten** equal monthly instalments commencing from **21.01.2021.** They shall also, in addition to this, pay the regular EMIs WPC 284/21 6 without fail. If such payment is made by the petitioners, their loan account would stand regularised and they would then be at liberty to service the account as per the terms of the loan sanctioned. It goes without saying that if there is any default in making the payment as directed above, the benefit granted under this judgment would stand vacated and the Bank will be at liberty to recover the entire liability from the petitioners by continuing with the proceedings from the stage it is on this date. **==> picture [343 x 10] intentionally omitted <==** directions in this judgment are peremptory in nature and that the petitioners will have to comply with the same meticulously. WPC 284/21 7 The writ petition is ordered accordingly. **Sd/-** **DEVAN RAMACHANDRAN** RR **JUDGE** WPC 284/21 8 ## APPENDIX ## PETITIONER'S EXHIBITS: EXHIBIT P1 TRUE COPY OF POSSESSION NOTICE DATED 5.2.2020 ISSUED BY THE 3RD RESPONDENT. EXHIBIT P2 TRUE COPY OF THE AUCTION SALE NOTICE DATED 14.12.2020 ISSUED BY THE 3RD RESPONDENT.