Holding

Section 53A confers jurisdiction on civil courts to determine disputes as to the educational agency, so the earlier judgment is not a nullity and res judicata applies, leading to dismissal of the appeal.

Summary

The appellants (Swamy Atmananda and others) challenged a Madras High Court judgment that had upheld a decree declaring the respondent society (Sri Ramakrishna Tapovanam) as the sole educational agency of several private schools. The key issue was whether Sections 53 and 53A of the Tamil Nadu Recognized Private Schools (Regulation) Act, 1973 barred civil courts from entertaining the dispute, thereby rendering the earlier judgment a nullity and negating the operation of res judicata. The Supreme Court examined the statutory scheme, held that Section 53A expressly permits civil courts to decide disputes concerning the identity of the educational agency, and that the civil court’s jurisdiction was not ousted. Consequently, the earlier judgment was valid, the doctrine of res judicata applied, and the appeal was dismissed.

Issues considered

Whether Sections 53 and 53A of the Tamil Nadu Recognized Private Schools (Regulation) Act, 1973 exclude the jurisdiction of civil courts in disputes over the educational agency of a private school.
Whether the earlier judgment is a nullity for lack of jurisdiction, thereby defeating the operation of the doctrine of res judicata.
Whether the doctrine of res judicata applies despite the absence of a specifically framed issue in the pleadings.

Legislation cited

Code of Civil Procedure, 1908s. 11, s. 9

Subjects

res judicatacivil court jurisdictioneducational agencyTamil Nadu Recognized Private Schools Actstatutory interpretationcause of actioncivil procedure

Judgment

A SWAMY ATMANANDA AND ORS.
v.
SRI RAMAKRISHNA TAPOV ANAM AND ORS.

APRIL 13, 2005

B [B.P. SINGH AND S.B. SINHA, JJ.]
--
Education:

Tamil Nadu Recognized Private Schools (Regulation) Act, 1973--Sections
C 53 & 53A-Settlement of dispute as to "educational agency" under the Act in
relation to a private school-Issue as to whether the plaintiffs or the defendants
.were "educational agencies"-Jurisdiction ofCivil Court-Held: Not barred-
Code of Civil Procedure, 1908-Section 9-Maxims-Maxim 'ubi jus ibi
· remedium'
D Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 :

Cause of action-Meaning of-Held: It is a bundle offacts which taken
with law applicable to them gives plaintiff a right to relief against the
defendant-It must include some act done by the defendant since in the absence
E of such an act no cause of action can possibly accrue-It is not limited to the
actual infringement of the right sued on but includes all the material facts on
which it is founded

Section 1 I-Doctrine of 'res judicata '-Object and purport of-Held:
ls to uphold the rule of conclusiveness ofjudgment, as to the points decided
F earlier offact, or of law, or offact and law, in every subsequent suit between
the same parties--The doctrine is conceived not only in larger public interest
but also founded on equity, justice and good conscience.

In a suit filed by First Appellant, a question arose as to whether the
First Appellant or the the First Respondent was the 'educational agency'
G in terms of the provisions of the Tamil Nadu Recognized Private Schools
(Regulation) Act, 1973. The suit was dismissed on the finding that the First
Appellant was an agent of the First Respondent and that the First
Respondent was the owner and educational agency of the Schools in
question. Succesive appeals thereagainst as also review petition were

H 556
·.
SWAMY ATMANANDA v. SRI RAMAKRISHNA TAPOVANAM 557

dismissed. Meanwhile during pendency of the proceeding before High A
Court, the First Respondent had filed a suit against the Appellants and
13 others for a declaration that it was the absolute owner and the
'educational agency' in respect of the institutions mentioned. The suit was
decreed on the premise that the finding in the earlier suit holding the First
Appellant to be an agent of First Respondent was binding upon the B
Appellants, hence the same would attract the principle of res judicata.

In appeal to this Court, the question which arose for consideration
is whether the jurisdiction of Civil Court was barred in view of Sections
53 and 53A of the Tamil Nadu Recognized Private Schools (Regulation)
Act, 1973, and the judgment passed in the earlier suit was a nullity, and C
consequently the principle of res judicata had no application.
1
Dismissing the appeals, the Court

HELD : 1. This is not a case where there was not adequate pleadings.
On the other hand, it is a case where the documents as also the judgment D
produced in the previous suit were brought on record. The judgment
contained extensive details of statement of pleadings and issues which could
be taken as enough to prove the plea of res judicata. [570-G-H; 571-A)

2. It is, however, beyond any doubt or dispute that if a Court lacks
inherent jurisdiction, its judgment would be a nullity and, thus, the E
principle of res judicata which is in the domain of procedure will have no
application. [572-E)

Mohan/al Goenka v. Benoy Krishna Mukherjee and Ors., (1953) SCR
377; Ashok Leyland Ltd v. State of Tamil Nadu and Anr., (2004) 3 SCC 1;
Management of Mis Sonepat Cooperative Sugar Mills Ltd v. Ajit Singh, (2005) F
2 SCALE 151 : (2005) 3 SCC 232 and lshwardas v. the State of Madhya
Pradesh and Ors., AIR (1979) SC 551, relied on.

Mis. R.N Gar.ekar and Co. v. Mis. Hindustan Wires Ltd, AIR (1974)
SC 303 and The Vulcan Insurance Co. v. Maharaj Singh and Anr., AIR (1976)
SC 287, distinguished. G
Sulochana Amma v. Narayanan Nair, (1994) 2 SCC 14; V. Rajeshwari
(Smt.) v. T.C. Saravanabava, (2004) 1 SCC 551; Bhanu Kumar Jain v.
Arehano Kumar.and Anr., AIR (2005) SC 626 and Nedunuri Kameswaramma
v. Sampati Subba Rao, AIR (1963) SC 884, referred to.
H
558 SUPREME COURT REPORTS (2005) 3 S.C.R.

A 3. Indisputably a dispute with regard to the title over immovable
property will have to be adjudicated in the Civil Court alone. Section 53
of the Tamil Nadu Recognized Private Schools (Regulation) Act, 1973
merely postulates that the Civil Court will have no jurisdiction to decide
or deal with any question which is by or under the said Act required to
B be decided or dealt with by any authority or officer mentioned in the said
Act. (573-G-Hl

4.1. A dispute as to who is the real.educational agency in relation to
a private school is not a matter which in terms of the provisions of the
said Act would be determined by an authority under the provisions of the
C said Act. Section 53A of the Act carves out an exception to Section 53
thereof. In terms of the said provision any dispute as to the educational
institution is to be determined by a Civil Court having jurisdiction for its
decision. (574-B, CJ

4.2. A person having a grievance as against other must have a
D remedy. The maxim 'ubi jus ibi remedium' is not an empty formality. The
jurisdiction of the Civil Court exemplifies the said doctrine. The
jurisdiction of the Civil Court cannot be held to have been ousted unless
it is so, expressly or by necessary implication, stated in the statute. In terms ...
of Section 53A of the Act, a dispute as to educational agency is concededly
required to be decided by a Civil Court. How the jurisdiction of the Civil
E Court is required to be invoked is a matter to be examined by the Civil
Court. UnJike a private tribunal or a statutory tribunal which would not
derive a jurisdiction unless a reference in terms of the provisions of the
Act is made to it, the Civil Court enjoys a plenary jurisdiction.
Furthermore, if and when a dispute arises before the competent authority
F as regard entitlement of an educational agency in relation to educational
institutions, the same must also be referred to the Civil Court. Statutory
authority in terms of Section 5 of the· Act cannot be said to have any
jurisdiction to determine such a dispute. A statute, as is wtll-known, must
be read in such a manner so as to give effect to the provisions thereof. It
must be read reasonably. A statute must be construed in such a manner
G so as to make it workable. The wordings "referred by the persons
interested" would, thus, mean a person who has a grievance as regard
.....,.
claim of other side relating to educational agency of the educational
institutions. It can be done by filing a suit before the Civil Court The term
"persons" which is plural has been used having regard to the fact that
H educational agency need not be a person alone but would also include a
SWAMY ATMANANDA v. SRI RAMAKRISHNA TAPOVANAM [S.B. SINHA, J.] 559

society registered under the Societies Registration Act or a body corporate A
in terms of the Companies Act. In any event, if such a dispute within the
contemplation of Section 53A has to be decided by a civil court, it will
not attract the bar under Section 53 which applies only to a question which
is required to be dealt with or decided by any authority or officer
mentioned in the Act. [574-E-H; 575-A-BI
B
Principles of Statutory Interpretation, by G.P. Singh, Ninth Edition,·
page 630, referred to.

5. The instant case does not fulfil the principles enunciated in
Dhulabai case and the jurisdiction of the Civil Court was not excluded by C
reason of Sections 53 and 53A of the Act. (577-BI

Dhulabhai and Ors. v. The State of Madhya Pradesh and Anr., (19681
3 SCR 662; Rajasthan State Road Transport Corporation and Anr. v. Krishna
Kant and Ors.• (1995) 5 SCC 75; Dwarka Prasad Agarwal v. Ramesh Chand
Agarwal, (20031 6 SCC 220, Sahebgouda v. Ogeppa, (20031 6 SCC 151 and D
Dhruv Green Field Ltd. v. Hukam Singh, (2002) 6 SCC 416, relied on.

Math Sauna and Ors. v. Kedar Nath alias Uma Shankar and Ors., AIR
(1981) SC 1878, distinguished.

CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Civil Appeal No. 2395 of2000. £
From the Judgment and Order dated 13.10.99 of the Madras High
Court in A.S. No. 568 of 1998.
WITH

F
C.A. No. 3740 of 2000.

K. Sukumaran, K. Ramamoorthy, L.N. Rao, Dr. A. Francis Julian, Sumit
Kumar, for Mis. Arputham Aruna & Co. M.A. Chinnasamy, Mrs. N. Shobha,
Sriram Thalapathy, N.K. Arulmuruganandham, Vikas Mehta, Ms. Indu
Malhotra, Ms. Mamata Choudhary, P. Nedu Chezian, C. Paramashivam, R. G
Ayyam Perumal, Sewa Ram, S. Vallinayagam and Satya Mitra Garg with
them for the appearing parties.

The Judgment of the Court was delivered by

S.B. SINHA, J. The question as to whether the jurisdiction of the Civil H
560 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2005] 3 S.C.R.

A Court stands ousted in terms of Sections 53 and 53A of the Tamil Nadu
Recognized Private Schools (Regulation) Act, 1973 (hereinafter referred to
as 'the Act') falls for consideration in this appeal which arises out of a
judgment and order dated 13.10.1999 passed by a Division Bench of the
Madras High Court in A.S. No.568 of 1998 whereby and whereunder the
B appeal preferred by the Appellants herein from a judgment and decree dated
7 .8.1998 passed in O.S. No.1254 of 1994 by the Subordinate Judge,
Tiruchirapally decreeing the plair.tiff·Respondents' suit, was dismissed.

BACKGROUND FACTS :

C The First Respondent herein (hereinafter referred to as 'Tapovanam ')
is a registered Society. It was founded by Swamy Chidbavananda. It has been
functioning since 1942. The said Swamy Chidbavananda used to propagate_
the ideals of Swamy Ramakrishna Param Hans and Swamy Vivekananda. It
started functioning at Ooty and later shifted to Thiruparaithurari. A number
of branches were established at various places, namely, Thiruvedagam,
D Courtallam, Chitraichavadi, Thirunelveli, Kodaikanal, Ramanathampuram,
Rameshwaram, Salem and Karur. Educational institutions and ashrams as
well as dispensaries were established at allthese places. Swamy Chidbavananda
during his life time acquired various properties by collecting funds from the
public, which partook the character of Trust property.

E The First Appellant herein was an employee in a mill at Coimbatore.
He joined 'Tapovanam' as an ordinary member. He became Sanyasi in 1970
whereupon he was assigned a job at Thiruvedagam and later transferred to
Karur in the year 1976. 'Tapovanam' established a number of educational
institutions at Karur from donations collected from the public as also with the
F funds available through the trusts called Vairaperumal Trust and
Tathinagireswarar Trust, the object whereof was to dedicate their properties
to Tapovanam to enable it to establish educational institutions.

It is not in dispute that in the year 19.87, the First Appellant here"in got
a Trust registered known as 'Sri Ramakrishna Ashramam Trust'. A clarm was
G set up by him to the effect that all the institutions at Karur had been founded
by him from his own money as well as the· money collected by him
individually. He filed a suit in the Court of the Subordinate Judge, Karur,
marked as O.S. No. 251 of 1991, for a declaration that he along with other
members were the owners as well as founders of the educational agencies of
the six educational institutions mentioned in the plaint. The said suit was
H
SWAMY ATMANANDA v. SRI RAMAKRISHNA TAPOVANAM [S.B. SINHA, J.) 561

dismissed as withdrawn whereupon he filed another suit, marked as O.S. No. A
1368 of 1990 in the Court of the District Munsif at Karur, which was
subsequently transferred to the Court of Subordinate Judge, Karur and re-
numbered as O.S. No.459 of 1991, the subject-matter whereof was two
educational institutions, namely, Sri Vivekananda Higher Secondary School
for Boys and Sri Sarada Girls Higher Secondary School at Pasupathipalayam. B
In the said suit a question arose as regard the status of the First Appellant vis-
a-vis the First Respondent herein (Tapovanam) as regard 'educational agency'
in terms of the provisions of the said Act.

In the said suit the Trial Judge framed the following issues :
(i) Whether the Plaintiff No. I-trust was in management and whether c
it was in existence?

(ii) Whether it was legally constituted?
(iii) Whether the plaintiffs were the owners of the suit Schedule
Institutions?
D
(iv) Whether the Defendant No. I was not the Educational Agency of
the Plaint Schedule Schools?
(v) Whether the Plaintiff No. 2 functioned as an agent of the
Defendant No. l?
(vi) Whether the Defendant No. I had no right over the Plaint Schedule E
Schools?

(vii) Whether the suit was maintainable?

(viii) Whether the Plaintiffs were entitled to the declaration prayed
~ F
(ix) To what relief the Plaintiffs were entitled to?

The said suit was dismissed by a judgment and order dated 30.4.1992,
by the Court of Subordinate Judge, Karur, inter alia, holding :

(i) The Appellant No. 2 Trust was not legally constitute.ct and was G
never in existence.

(ii) The Appellant No. l was an agent of Tapovanam and Tapovanam
was the owner and Educational Agency of the Schools in question.

The Appellants preferred an appeal thereagainst in the Court of the H
562 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2005] 3 S.C.R.

A District Judge, Trichirapally, which was marked as A.S. No.288of1992. The
said appeal was also dismissed by a judgment and order dated 17.2.1993,
inter alia, on the following findings :

(i) Defendants 3 and 4, were misguided by 2nd Plaintiff in forming
the !st Plaintiff Trust.
B
(ii) The Trust deed, Ext. A-1 was not proved, not genuine and did
not come into existence.

The Appellant Nos. 1 and 2 preferred a Second Appeal thereagainst in
the High Court of Madras which was also dismissed by a judgment and order
C dated 28.4.1997, holding :

(i) Appellant No. 1 herein was only an agent of Tapovanam.
(ii) Appellant No. 2 herein did not come into existence.

A Review Petition filed thereagainst was also dismissed by an order
D dated 13.9.1999.

During the pendency of the said proceeding before the High Court, ,...'
Tapovanam filed a suit in the Court of Sub Judge, Karur, marked as O.S. No.
273of1992 on or about 6.7.1992, which was subsequently transferred to the
Court of Subordinate Judge, Trichirapally and renumbered as O.S. No.1254
E of 1994, ·against the Appellants and 13 others for a declaration that it was the
absolute owner of the suit properties more fully and in details described in
Schedule-A therein, and furthermore it was the educational agency in respect
of the institutions mentioned therein. The Appellants herein in their written
.statement, inter alia, contended that the Appellant Nos. 2 and 3 were
F independent trusts and no money in relation thereto was contributed by
Tapovanam for establishing the institutions and furthermore the Appellant
No. I herein was not its agent.

In said suit filed before the learned Subordinate Judge, Trichirapally,
the following issues WP.re framed :·
G
"(i) Whether the Plaintiff is entitled for declaration and possession as
prayed for?
(ii) Whether the Plaintiff is entitled for an injunction as against the
1st defendant from projecting himself as the Secretary and
Correspondent? .
H
SWAMY ATMANANDA v. SRI RAMAKRISHNA TAPOVANA'.'1 [S.B. SINHA,J.] 56~

(iii) Whether the Plaintiff is entitled for accounting relief? A
(iv) Whether assignment deeds dated 22.5.1987 and 15.7.1989 are
enforceable against the Plaintiff?

(v) Whether the Plaintiff is the owner of the B-Schedule properties
or any other properties acquired by the I st defendant?

- (vi) To what relief?

(vii) Whether the suit claim had been valued properly and whether
B

correct Court fee had been paid on the Plaint?"

- The said suit filed by Tapovanam was decreed, inter alia, on the premise
that the finding in the earlier suit the First Appellant herein having been held
to be an agent of Tapovanam being binding upon the Appellants, the same
C
would attract the principle of res judicata. An appeal preferred by the
Appellants before the High Court of Madras, marked as A.S. No. 568 of
I 998 was dismissed by the impugned judgment holding :

(i) The earlier judgment is O.S. No.459 of 1991 confirmed in A.S. D
No. 288 of 1992 and Second Appeal No.604 of 1993 constituted
res judicata.
(ii) In view of Rule 3 of the Rules of Tapovanam the properties
belonged to the Appellant Nos. 2 and 3 automatically became E
the property of Tapovanam.
(iii) The suit could not be dismissed for non-compliance with Order
31 Rule 2 CPC since the same was not raised before the trial
court.

The Appellants are, thus, before us. F
SUBMISSIONS:

Mr. K. Sukumaran, the learned Senior Counsel appearing on behalf of
the Appellants, would principally raise two contentions in support of this
appeal. Firstly, relying on V. Rajeshwari (Smt.) v. T.C. Saravanabava, [2004] G
I SCC 551, the learned counsel contended that no issue as regard applicability
of the principle of res judicata having been framed by the Trial Court, the
impugned judgment is vitiated in law. Secondly the jurisdiction of the Civil
Court being barred in view of Sections 53 and 53A of the Act, the judgment
and decree passed in the earlier suit being a nullity, the principle of res H
564 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2005] 3 S.C.R.

A judicata will have no application. Reliance, in this behalf, has been placed on
Mohan/al Goenka v. Benoy Krishna Mukherjee and Ors., [1953] SCR 377.

Mr. L. Nagheshwar Rao, the learned Senior Counsel appearing on behalf
of the Respondents, on the other hand, would support the judgment under
appeal contending that although no issue as regard res judicata was framed,
B the parties proceeded at the trial knowing fully well that such an issue is
involved and in fact all the relevant documents pertaining to the earlier suit
were brought on record and in that view of the matter, the Appellants cannot
be said to have been prejudiced thereby.

The learned counsel would urge that the findings of the learned
C Subordinate Judge in the instant case would come within the purview of the
exception carved out by this Court in V. Rajeshwari (supra). It was submitted
that Section 53A of the Act being an exception to Section 53 thereof, the
Civil Court had the necessary jurisdiction to determine the issue as to whether
the plaintiffs or the defendants were the educational agencies in terms of the
D provisions of the said Act.

RES JUDICATA:

O.S. No. 1368 of 1990 was filed by the Appellant Nos. 1 and 2 against
Tapovanam and three others, namely, Swamy Bodhananda, Swamy Guhananda
E and Swamy Amalananda.

In the said suit, it was accepted that the First Appellant was a disciple
of Swamy Chidbhavananda. It was claimed that the six educational institutions,
namely Vivekananda Primary School having standard l to 5 in
Pasupathipalayam, Karur Taluk; (2) Vivekananda English School having
F standard l to 5 at Pasupathipalayam, Karur Town, Karur Taluk; (3)
Vivekananda Higher Secondary School (Boys); (4) Vivekananda Matriculation
Higher Secondary School at Pasupathipalayam, Kaur Taluk; (5) Sri Saratha
Girls Higher Secondary School at Pasupathipalayam, Karurn Taluk, and (6)
Sri Saratha Nikathan College of Science for Women at Sri Sarathapuri, Karur,
G were founded by the First Appellant herein alleging that the funds for the
educational institutions and ashrams were raised from donations of the devotees
and general public. He stated that he was a Correspondent and Secretary of
the educational institutions ever since they were established. It was contended
that Tapovanam neither established nor administered the said institutions, nor
contributed any money for the establishment thereof. It was alleged that the
H Trust had been founded to.manage the Ashrams, temples, schools and colleges
SWAMY ATMANANDA v. SRI RAMAKRISHNA TAPOVANAM [S.B. SINHA, J.) 565

by the First Appellant herein and Tapovanam had no right, title or interest A
over the ashrams and the educational institutions established by him. The
said suit was filed on the premise that Tapovanam had been claiming to be
the educational agency of the schools. The cause of action for the said suit
is said to have arisen on the dates of establishment of plaintiffs ashram and
on various dates when all the educational institutions were established as also
on 17.11.1990 when the defendants threatened to interfere. with the B
administration of educational institutions.

Tapovanam in its written statement not only denied and disputed the
said claim of the Appellants but set up a title over the properties involved
therein in itself. It was averred that Tapovanam was the educational agency C
in, respect of these institutions.

The parties, therefore, in the aforementioned suit litigated, inter alia,
on the question of existence of the trust said to have been founded by the
First Appellant as also right of the parties to act as educational agency of the
schools. The High Court in its judgment dated 28.4.1997 passed in Second D
Appeal No. 604 of 1993 noticed all the contentions of the parties and recorded
that a concession had been made by the Appellants herein that Tapovanam
was the educational agency in respect of the educational institutions and all
the documents stood in its name. The plea of the Appellants herein that the
documents were created in the name of Tapovanam by the Appellant No. I
out of respect and his closeness with its founder Swamy Chidbhavananda, E
was negatived.

In the Second Appeal, the High Court furthermore noticed that a
concurrent finding of fact had been arrived at to the effect that the schools
in question were recognized in the name of Tapovanam and even for the F
recognition in the name of its officer, necessary application was filed by the
First Appellant herein, who was then the Correspondent-cum-Secretary of the
Schools, holding :

" .. .It was also admitted that all the official records stand in the name
of the first defendant, and even the correspondence for the same was G
taken only by the second plaintiff. It is also not disputed that second
plaintiff was acting as Correspondent cum Secretary of these
educational institutions. The schools have been constructed in a lease
hold premises, and the lease deed was also taken in the name of the
first defendant. It is in this background, we have to consider how far
the plaintiffs' case could be sustained in this case." H
566 SU~REME COURT REPORTS [2005) 3 S.C.R.

A The High Court noticed the provisions of the Act as also those of the
Trust Act and in particular Section 88 thereof, and opined :

" .. .If the person is bound to protect the interest of another and gains
any advantage, that advantage <;J.lso must go to the persons whose
interest he is bound to protect. So, even if by chance second plaintiff
B can contend that he is the owner, since he was acting throughout only
as an agent of the first defendant-society, his claim for ownership
cannot be put forward."

The Court negatived the contention of the Appellants herein as regard
title in respect of the schools in question observing :
c
"Courts below have rightly come to the conclusion that the second
plaintiff has no claim as put forward and as a Sanyasi, he should not
have put forward such a claim. A person who is bound to promote
the interest of the Ashramam and who says that he was brought to
this world by his Guru, is now acting against its own interest. The
D confidence reposed on the second plaintiff has really been misused
by him. The courts below have right!y dismissed his claim."

In its .plaint, Tapovanam extensively referred to the factum of institution
of the earlier suit and also the concession of the First Appellant herein to the
E effect that all the documents stood in its name. It was categorically stated that
all the contentions of the Appellants had been rejected holding that Tapovanam
alone was the owner, founder and educational agency in respect of all the
.educational institutions and the First Appellant herein was only its agent,
correspondent and person in charge. The purported assignment made by the
First Appellant herein in favour of the other Appellants in relation to certain
F lands were questioned, inter alia, on the premise that in the earlier suit such
assignments had been found to be invalid and the First Appellant herein had
been acting on behalf of Tapovanam in the fiduciary capacity and had no
independent right in himself. In the said suit, the following reliefs were
claimed:

G (a) Holding that the plaintiff is the absolute owner of the suit
properties and educational agency with respect to the suit institutions
described in Schedule A and the properties in Schedule B and for a
consequential relief of possession and directing the first defendant to
hand over charge relating to the suit institutions and properties
described in Schedule A and B.
H
SWAMY ATMANANDA v. SRI RAMAKRISHNA TAPOVANAM [S.B. SINHA, J.] 567

(b) Directing the first defendant to render a true and proper A
accounts with regard to the income from the suit prope'.iies for the
last three years and till he actually hands over charge.

(c) Granting a permanent injunction restraining the first defendant
from interfering with the right of the plaintiff to manage the suit
institutions and properties described in Schedule A and B or collecting B
any amounts for and on behalf of the suit institutions either projecting
himself as the founder, secretary or correspondent or in any other
capacity.
(d) Granting such further or other reliefs as this Hon'ble Court
may deem fit and proper in the circumstances of the case and render C
justice.

The fact giving rise to the cause of action for the said suit is stated in
paragraph I 9 of the plaint and one of the facts constituting cause of action
was said to be the dismissal of the earlier suit and on subsequent dates when
the First Appellant refused to hand over the collections made illegally in D
respect of the suit institutions in spite of the judgment of the court.

Osborn's Concise Law Dictionary defines 'cause of action' as the fact
or combination of facts which give rise to a right or action.

In Black's Law Dictionary it has been stated that the expression cause E
of action is the fact or facts which give a person a right to judicial relief.

In Stroud's Judicial Dictionary a cause of action is stated to be the
entire set of facts that give rise to an enforceable claim; the phrase comprises
every fact which, if traversed, the plaintiff must prove in order to obtain
judgment.
F

A cause of action, thus, means every fact, which, if traversed, it would
be necessary for the plaintiff to prove in order to support his right to a
judgment of the Court. In other words, it is a bundle of facts which taken
with the law applicable to them gives the plaintiff a right to relief against the G
defendant. It must include some act done by the defendant since in the
absence of such an act no cause of action can possibly accrue. It is not
limited to the actual infringement of the right sued on but includes all the
· material facts on which it is founded.

H
568 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2005] 3 S.C.R.

A The status of the First Appellant vis-a-vis Tapovanam was, thus, the
subject matter of determination in the earlier suit. A finding as regard
relationship between the parties rendered in the said suit is binding upon the
First Appellant herein. Similarly, the finding to the effect that the Second
Appellant was constituted illegally and did not derive any right, title or interest
B over any property standing in its name is also binding upon the Appellants.

The object and purport of principle of res judicata as contended in
Section 11 of the Code of Civil Procedure is to uphold the rule of
conclusiveness of judgment, as to the points decided earlier of fact, or of law,
or of fact and law, in every subsequent suit between the same parties. Once
C the matter which was the subject-matter of !is stood determined by a competent --".\'
court, no party thereafter can be permitted to reopen it in a subsequent
litigation. Such a rule was brought into the statute book with a view to bring
the litigation to an end so that the other side may not be put to harassment.

The principle .of res judicata envisages that a judgment of a court of
D concurrent jurisdiction directly upon a point would create a bar as regards a
plea, between the same parties in some other matter in another court where
the said plea seeks to raise a fresh the very point that was determined in the
earlier judgment.

The doctrine of res judicata is conceived not only in)arger public
E . interest which requires that all litigation must, sooner than later, come to an
end but is also founded on equity, justice and good conscience.

In Sulochana Amma v. Narayanan Nair, [1994] 2 SCC 14, it was held:

"5. Section 11 of CPC embodies the rule of conclusiveness as
F evidence or bars as a plea as issue tried in an earlier suit founded on
a plaint in which the matter is directly and substantially in issue and
became final. In a later suit between the same parties or their privies ...
iri a court competent to try such subsequent suit in which the issue
has been directly and substantially raised and decided in the judgment
and decree in the former suit would operate as res judicata. Section
G 11 does not create any right or interest in the property, but merely
operates as a bar to try the same issue once over. In other words, it
aims to prevent multiplicity of the proceedings and accords finality
to an issue, which directly and substantially had arisen in the former
suit between the same parties or their privies, been decided and became
H
SWAMY ATMANANDA '" SRI RAMAKRISHNA TAPOVANAM (S.B. SINHA, J.) 569

final, so that parties are not vexed twice over; vexatious litigation A
would be put to an end and the valuable time of the court is saved.
It is based on public policy, as well as private justice. They would
apply, therefore, to all judicial proceedings whether civil or otherwise.
It equally applies to quasi-judicial proceedings of the tribunals other
than the civil courts."
B
The Appellants did not object to the ra1smg of tht: said plea by
Tapovanam in the suit. As the said plea had adequately been raised in the
plaint, in relation whereto the Appellants herein had adequate opportunity to
traverse and furthermore both the parties having brought on records all the
relevant documents the Appellants herein cannot be said to have been C
prejudiced in any manner by reason of non-framing of the issue as regard res
judicata.

We have noticed hereinbefore that Tapovanam in its suit extensively
referred to the lis between the parties and the findings of the court in the
earlier proceedings. The First Appellant herein in his written statement, inter D
alia. contended that the matter was subjudice as the Second Appeal was then
pending adjudication. It was specifically stated :

"This defendant has filed the 2nd appeal S.A. No. 604/93 on the
file of the High Court of Judicature at Madras against the judgment
and decree in A.S. No. 288/92. The 2nd appeal is pending adjudication. E
It is therefore, clear that the entire matter is subju.dice ... "

It was urged that no relief would be granted with regard to the A
schedule properties unless and until an adjudication is made in Second Appeal
No. 604 of 1993. Tapovanam, therefore, in its written statement did not deny
or dispute that the issues which were germane for determination of the suit F
filed by Tapovanam arose for consideration in the earlier suit. It reiterated its
claim that the properties in suit were being held by him as the managing
trustee of the Appellants which plea, as noticed hereinbefore, had subsequently
been rejected by the court of competent jurisdiction. The Trial Court while
determining the issues took into consideration the fact that the documents
mostly relied upon by the parties in the previous proceedings had been G
reproduced and marked as exhibits in the said suit also. It was held :

" ... The deeper probe and study of the bolts and nuts of these material
and vital documents, unequivocally points to one and the only
conclusion that from out of the nucleus of the plaintiff-Tapovanam,
rather from out of the seeds sown by the plaintiff-Tapovanam, all H
570 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2005) 3 S.C.R.

A these suit properties have emanated and emerged out, of course with
the each and every nerve of pain and strain of the I st defendant, as
its member servant."

The Court found the evidence of Appellant No. l herein as unconvincing.
It observed that the entire case was a shallow. The Court took note of Clause
B 3(b) of Memorandum of Association of the First Respondent which is as
under:

"Monastic members shall not own personal properties. All properties
gifted to them automatically become the property of the TapovanaM."

C The Court' furthermore considered the matter on merits holding that the
First Appellant has failed to prove his case.

In V. Rajeshwari (supra), this Court while emphasizing the need of
raising the relevant plea as well as framing appropriate issues, observed :

D "12. The plea of res judicata is founded on proof of certain facts and
then by applying the law to the facts so found. It is, therefore, necessary
that the foundation for the plea must be laid in the pleadings and then
an issue must be framed and tried. A plea not properly raised in the
pleadings or in issues at the stage of the trial, would not be permitted
to be raised for the first time at the stage of appeal [see (Raja) Jagadish
E Chandra Deo Dhabal Deb v. Gour Hari Mahato, Medapati Surayya
v. Tondapu Bala Gangadhara Ramakrishna Reddi and Katragadda
China Anjaneyulu v. Kattaragadda China Ramayya]. The view taken
by the Privy Council was cited with approval before this Court in
State of Punjab v. Bud Das Kaushal. However, an exception was
carved out by this Court and the plea was permitted to be raised,
F
though not iaken in the pleadings nor covered by any issue, because
the necessary facts were present to the mind of the parties and were
gone into by the trial court. The opposite party had ample opportunity
of leading the evidence in rebuttal of the plea. The Court concluded
that the point of res judicata had throughout been in consideration
G and discussion and so the want of pleadings or plea of waiver of res
judicata cannot be allowed to be urged."

(Emphasis supplied)
This is, therefore, not a case where there was not adequate pleadings.
H On the other hand, it is a case where the documents as also the judgment
SWAMY ATMANANDA v. SRI RAMAKRISHNA TAPOVANAM [S.B. SINHA,J.) 571
produced in the previous suit were brought on record. The judgment contained A
extensive details of statement of pleadings and issues which could be taken
as enough to prove the plea of res judicata. Furthermore, the First Appellant
in his written statement by necessary implication accepted that the plea as
regard title over the properties as described in Schedule A of the plaint as
also other issues raised by the Tapovnam in his suit would depend upon tbe
findings of the High Court in the Second Appeal w!iich was then pending. B
One of the facts which was necessary to be pleacled and proved relates
to the relationship between the parties i.e. First Appellant was agent of the
First Respondent or he was :icting of his own. Such a question was raised and
answered in the suit filed by the First Appellant herein. His plea that he C
collected donations and also invested his money in acquiring the properties
albeit in the name of the First Respondent was negatived.

Thus, the finding arrived at in the earlier suit, inter alia, was that the
First Respondent herein was not the benamidar of the First Appellant but in
effect and substance was its agent. D
This Court recently in Bhanu Kumar Jain v. Archana Kumar and Anr.,
AIR (2005) SC 626, while drawing a distinction between the principles of
'res judicata' and 'issue estoppel' noticed the principle of cause of action
estoppel in the following terms :
E
"There is a distinction between 'issue estoppel' and 'resjudicata'
[See Thoday v. Thoday, [ 1964] I All ER 341]

Res judicata debars a court from exercising its jurisdiction to
determine the !is if it has attained finality between the parties whereas
the doctrine issue estoppel is invoked against the party. If such an F
issue is decided against him, he would be estopped from raising the
same in the later proceeding. The doctrine of res-judicata creates a
different kind of estoppel viz Estoppel By Accord.

xxx xxx xxx

The said dicta was followed in Barber v. Staffordshire Country
G
Council, (1996] 2 All ER 748. A cause of action estoppel arises
where in two different proceedings identical issues are raised, in which
event, the latter proceedings between the same parties shall be dealt
with similarly as was done in the previous proceedings. In such an
event the bar is absolute in relation to all points decided save and H
572 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2005) 3 S.C.R.

A except allegation of fraud and collusion. [See C. (a minor) v. Hackney
London Borough Council, [1996] I All ER 973].

Ifthe parties went to the trial knowing fully well the real issues involved
and adduced evidence in such a case without establishing prejudice, it would
not be open to a party to raise the question of non-framing of particular issue.
B
In Nedunuri Kameswaramma v. Sampati Subba Rao, AIR (1963) SC
884, it was observed :

"No doubt, no issue was framed, and the one, which was framed,
could have been more elaborate; but since the parties went to trial
C fully knowing the rival case and led all the evidence not only in
support of their contentions but in refutation of those of the other
side, it cannot be said that the absence of an issue was fatal to the
case, or that there was that mis-trial which vitiates proceedings. We
are, therefore, of opinion that the suit could not be dismissed on this
narrow ground, and also that there is no need for a remit, as the
D evidence which has been led in the case is sufficient to reach the right
conclusion. Neither party claimed before us that it had any further
evidence to offer.... " ~·

It is, however, beyond any doubt or dispute that if a court lacks inherent
E jurisdiction, its judgment would be a nullity and, thus, the principle of res
judicata which is in the domain of procedure will have no application. [See
Mohan/al Goenka (supra), Ashok Leyland Ltd. v. State of Tamil Nadu and
Anr., [2004] 3 SCC 1 and Management of Mis Sonepat Cooperative Sugar
Mills Ltd. v. Ajit Singh, (2005) 2 SCALE 151 : [2005] 3 SCC 232].

F In Jshwardas v. the State of Madhya Pradesh and Ors., AIR (l 979) SC
551, this Court held :

" .. .In order to sustain the plea of res judicata it is not necessary that
all the parties to the two litigations must be common. All that is
necessary is that the issue should be between the same parties or
G between parties under whom they or any of them claim ... "

We may now consider some of the decisions cited by Mr. Sukumilran.

Mis. R.N. Ganekar & Co. v. Mis. Hindustan Wires Ltd., AIR (1974) SC
303 relates to a reference under Arbitration Act. The said decision is an
H authority for the proposition as regard the interpretation of Section 33 of the
SWAMYATMANANDA v. SRI RAMAKRISHNA TAPOVANAM[S.B.SINHA,J.) 573

Arbitration Act, 1940. In that case, the Court was concerned with the validity A
of arbitration clause contained in a contract if the contract itself is found to
be illegal.

In The Vulcan Insurance Co. v. Maharaj Singh and Anr., AIR (1976)
SC 287, this Court was again concerned with the question as to whether in
view of the repudiation of liability by the Appellant therein under Clause 13 B
-·
':""... of the insurance policy, a dispute could be referred to arbitration.

The decisions referred under Industrial Disputes Act or the Arbitration
Act will, thus, have no application in the instant case.

JURISDICTION OF CIVIL COURT :
c
Sections 53 and 53A of the Act read as under :

"53. No Civil court shall have jurisdiction to decide or deal with
any question which is by or under this Act required to be decided or
dealt with by any authority or officer mentioned in this Act." D
53A. (I) Notwithstanding anything contained in section 53,
whenever any dispute as to the constitution of any educational agency,
or as to whether any person or body of persons, is an educational
r-·
agency, in relation to any private school, or as to the constitution of
a school committee, or as to the appointment of secretary of the E
school committee, arises, such dispute may be referred by the persons
interested or by the competent authority to the civil court having
jurisdiction, for its decision.

(2) Pending the decision of the civil court on a dispute referred
to it under sub-section (I), or the making of an interim arrangement F
by the civil court for the running of the private school, the Government
may nominate an officer to discharge the functions of the educational
agency, the school committee or the secretary, as the case may be, in
relation to the private school concerned."

Indisputably a dispute with regard to the title over immovable property
G
will have to be adjudicated in the Civil Court alone. Section 53 merely
postulates that the Civil Court will have no jurisdiction to decide or deal with
any question whic~ is by or under the said Act required to be decided or dealt
with by any authority or officer mentioned in the said Act. Section 5 of the
Act whereupon reliance has been placed by Mr. Sukumaran for advancing H
574 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2005] 3 S.C.R.

A the contention that the matter relating to recognition of schools is required to
be decided by an authority created thereunder cannot be accepted. Section 5
lays down a procedure as regard necessity to file an application and the
contents thereof for permission to run such schools. Section 4 of the Act
prohibits every person from establishing any school without obtaining
B pennission of the competent authority save and except in accordance with the
terms and conditions specified in such permission.
·---;,.

A dispute as to who is the real educational agency in relation to a
private school iS not a matter which in terms of the provisions of the said Act
would be determined by an authority under the provisions of the said Act.
C Section 53A of the Act carves out an exception to Section 53 thereof. In
terms of the said provision any dispute as to the educational institution is to
be determined by a Civil Court having jurisdiction for its decision. The
submission of Mr. Sukumaran, however, is that the jurisdiction of the Civil
Court is required to be invoked in such matters specified therein by way of ~'

reference by the persons interested or by the competent authority. Mr.
D Sukumaran would contend that such a reference would be akin to a dispute
pending under the Industrial Disputes Act. We cannot accept the said
contention. A party to a dispute may not join the other in referring the same
.)
to the Civil Court. The party may agree or may not agree therefor. A person

E
having a grievance as against other must have a remedy. The maxim 'ubi jus
ibi remedium' is not an empty formality. The jurisdiction of the Civil Court
exemplifies the said doctrine. The jurisdiction of the Civil Court cannot be
·-
held to have been ousted unless it is so, expressly or by necessary implication,
stated in the statute. In terms of Section 53A of the Act, a dispute as to
educational agency is concededly required to be decided by a Civil Court.
How the jurisdiction of the Civil Court is required to be invoked is a matter
F to be examined by the Civil Court. Unlike a private tribunal or a statutory
tribunal whieh would not derive a jurisdiction unless a reference in terms of
the provisions of the Act is made to it, the Civil Court enjoys a plenary
jurisdiction. Furthermore, if and when a dispute arises before the competent
authority as regard entitlement of an educational agency in relation to
G educational institutions, the same must also be referred to the Civil Court.
Statutory authority in terms of Section 5 of the Act cannot be said to have
any jurisdiction to determine such a dispute. A statute, as is well-known,
must be read in such a manner so as to give effect to the provisions thereof.
It must be read reasonably. A statute must be construed in such a manner so
as to make it workable. The wordings "referred by the persons interested"
H would, thus, mean a person who has a grievance as regard claim of other side
SWAMY ATMANANDA i·. SRI RAMAKRISHNA TAPOVANAM [S.B. SINHA, J.] 575

relating to educational agency of the educational institutions. It can be done A
by filing a suit before the Civil Suit. The term "persons" which is plural has
been used having regard to the fact that educational agency need not be a
person alone but would also include a society registered under the Societies
Registration Act or a body corporate in terms of the Companies Act. In any
event, if such a dispute within the contemplation of Section 53A has to be B
decided by a civil court, it will not attract the bar under Section 53 which
applies only to a question which is required to be dealt with or decided by
any authority or officer mentioned in the Act.

We may notice that after the Second Appeal was dismissed, the
Appellants herein sought to raise additional grounds in their review application, C
as regard the lack of jurisdiction in a Civil Court. The said plea was negatived.

In Principles of Statutory Interpretation, by G.P. Singh, Ninth Edition,
page 630, it is stated :

"As a necessary corollary of this rule prov1s1ons excluding D
jurisdiction of civil courts and provisions conferring jurisdiction on
authorities and tribunals other than civil courts are strictly construed.
The existence of jurisdiction in civil courts to decide questions of
civil nature being the general rule and exclusion being an exception,
the burden of proof to show that jurisdiction is excluded in any
particular case is on the party raising such a contention. The rule that E
the exclusion of jurisdiction of civil courts is not to be readily inferred
is based on the theory that civil courts are courts of general jurisdiction
and the people have a right, unless expressly or impliedly debarred,
to insist for free access to the courts of general jurisdiction of the
State. Indeed, the principle is not limited to civil courts alone, but F
applies to all courts of general jurisdiction including criminal courts ..."

In Dhulabhai and Ors. v. The State of Madhya Pradesh and Anr.,
[1968) 3 SCR 662, Hidayatullah, CJ summarized the following principles
relating to the exclusion of jurisdiction of civil courts :

(a) Where the statute gives a finality to the orders of the special G
tribunals, the civil court's jurisdiction must be held to be excluded
if there is adequate remedy to do what the civil courts would
normally do in a suit. Such provision, however, does not exclude
those cases where the provisions of the particular Act have not
been complied with or the statutory tribunals has not acted in H
576 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2005) 3 S.C.R. ~

.
A conformity with the fundamental principles of judicial procedure.
(b) Where there is an express bar of the jurisdiction of the court, an
examination of the scheme of the particular Act to find the
adequacy or the sufficiency of the remedies provided may be
relevant but is not decisive to sustain the jurisdiction of the Civil
B Court.
...._
Where there is no express exclusion, the examination of the
remedies and the scheme of the particular Act to find out the
intendment becomes necessary and the result of the inquiry may
be decisive. In the latter case, it is necessary to see if the statute
c creates a special right or a liability and provides for the
determination of the right or liability and further lays down that
all questions about the said right and liability shall be determined
by the tribunals' so constituted, and whether remedies normally
associated with actions in Civil Courts are prescribed by the said
statute or not. r
D
(c)' Challenge to the provisions of the particular Act as ultra vires
cannot be brought before tribunals constituted under that Act.
Even the High Court cannot go i11to that question on a revision
or reference from the decision of the tribunals.
(d} When the provision is already declared unconstitutional or the
E
constitutionality of any provision is to be challenged, a suit is
open. A writ of certiorari may include a direction for refund if
the claim is clearly within the time prescribed by the Limitation
Act but it is not a compulsory remedy to replace a suit.
(e) Where the particular Act contains no machinery for refund of tax
F
collected in excess of constitutional limits or illegally collected,
a suit lies.
(f) Questions of the correctness of the assessment, apart from its
constitutionality, are for the decision of the authorities and a
civil suit does not lie if the orders of the authorities are declared
G to be final or there is an express prohibition in the particular Act. ..
In either case, the scheme of the particular Act must be examined
because it is a relevant enquiry.

(g} An exclusion of the jurisdiction of the civil court is not readily
to be inferred unless the conditions above set down apply. [See
H
SWAMY ATMANANDA ''-SRI RAMAKRISHNA TAPOVANAM [S.B. SINHA, .I.) 577

Rajasthan State Road Transport C01poration and Anr. v. Krishna A
Kant and Ors., (l 995] 5 SCC 75, Dwarka Prasad Agarwal v.
Ramesh Chand Agarwal, [2003] 6 SCC 220, Sahebgouda v.
Ogeppa, [2003] 6 SCC 151 and Dhruv Green Field Ltd v. Hukam
Singh, [20021 6 sec 416].

This case does not fulfil the said conditions and the jurisdiction of the B
Civil Court was not excluded by reason of Sections 53 and 53A of the Act.

The reliance placed by the Appellant oil the decision of this Court in
Math Sauna and Ors. v. Kedar Nath alias Uma Shankar and Ors., AIR
(1981) SC 1878 is wholly erroneous. In that case the Court had held that the
question whether properties in possession of a mahant were math or personal C
was to be decided on the basis of facts and circumstances of the case.

For the reasons aforementioned, we do not find any merit in this appeal,
which is dismissed accordingly. However, in the facts and circumstances of
the case, there shall be no order as to costs.
D
CIVIL APPEAL NO. 3740 of 2000

This appeal has been filed against certain observations made by the
High Court in paragraph 50 of its judgment. In view of the dismissal of Civil
Appeal 2395 of 2002, this appeal also fails and is dismissed accordingly. E
B.B.B. Appeals dismissed.