Dear Sir,
There is other option except approaching the police or to the court by private complaint. In the meanwhile search for their personal addresses from the office of Registrar of Companies and search for their individual properties and file civil suit to attach the property before judgment under following provision of law.
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Order 38, Rule 5 CPC:-
(1) Where, at any stage of a suit, the Court is satisfied, by affidavit or otherwise, that the defendant, with intent to obstruct or delay the execution of any decree that may be passed against him,-
– (a) is about to dispose of the whole or any part of his property, or
– (b) is about to remove the whole or any part of his property from the local limits of the jurisdiction of the Court,
– the Court may direct the defendant, within a time to be fixed by it, either to furnish security, in such sum as may be specified in the order, to produce and place at the disposal of the Court, when required, the said property or the value of the same, or such portion thereof as may be sufficient to satisfy the decree, or to appear and show cause why he should not furnish security.
– (2) The plaintiff shall, unless the court otherwise directs, specify the property required to be attached and the estimated value thereof.
– (3) The Court may also in the order direct the conditional attachment of the whole or any portion of the property so specified.
– (4) If an order of attachment is made without complying with the provisions of sub-rule (1) of this rule such attachment shall be void.
Where defendant may be called upon to furnish security for production of property
Scope of rule:-
The Scheme of Order 38 and the use of the words `to obstruct or delay the execution of any decree that may be passed against him’ in Rule 5 make it clear that before exercising the power under the said Rule, the court should be satisfied that there is a reasonable chance of a decree being passed in the suit against the defendant. This would mean that the court should be satisfied the plaintiff has a prima facie case. If the averments in the plaint and the documents produced in support of it, do not satisfy the court about the existence of a prima facie case, the court will not go to the next stage of examining whether the interest of the plaintiff should be protected by exercising power under Order 38 Rule 5CPC. . (See the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s ruling in the CASE NO.: Appeal (civil) 6171 of 2001, Raman Tech. & Process Engg. Co. & Anr. Vs.Solanki Traders, DATE OF JUDGMENT: 20/11/2007; 2008 (2) SCC 302).
The Hon’ble Apex Court held in the case of Raman Tech. & Process Engg. Co. & Anr the power under Order 38 Rule 5 CPC is drastic and extraordinary power. Such power should not be exercised mechanically or merely for the asking.
Application of Order 38, Rule 5 CPC:-
Where the property is the property in suit, an injunction should be obtained :- Where the property is the property in suit, an injunction should be obtained under O.XXXIX r.1, Clause (a), which may be enforced under r.2 of that Order by imprisonment or attachment, And where the property is not that in suit, an alternative is given under r.1 of the same Order, Clause (b), where the words ‘Property’ is not confined to property within the jurisdiction, or property which is in dispute in the suit. [ Raja Goculdas Vs. Jankibai, 5 Bom. L.R. 570, at p.574 (1903), where it is pointed out that Joy narain Geeree Vs. Shibpershad,6 W.R. Misc. 1 (1866) is not applicable as Sec. 93 of the Code of 1859 was expressly limited to the property in dispute.].
No attachment on light grounds:- In 1866, in the case of Gamble Vs Bholgir [2 BHCR 146,161], it was observed that the jurisdiction to attach before judgment should be exercised with great discretion, and no court should grant such an attachment on light grounds or unless it is perfectly satisfied with trustworthy evidence that the defendant is about to dispose of his property or to remove it from the jurisdiction of the Court.
Where the most perfect good faith is wanting, the application should be rejected:- In all applications for attachment before judgment, there must be uberrina fides on the part of plaintiff, and where the most perfect good faith is wanting the application should be rejected. Ref. Ahmed Ali Vs. Gladstone Wyllie, 7 W.R 508 (1867).
Any stage of the suit :- The application can be made at any stage of the suit, but can be entertained only so long as the suit is pending. See Sri Rammanik Vs.Tin Cowri Rai, B.L.R 68 FB (1869).
Intention to obstruct or delay the execution of any decree which might be passed:- The facts mentioned in clauses (a) and (b) must have been done with the intent mentioned in the first paragraph, namely, to obstruct or delay the execution of any decree which might be passed. Ref: Ram Narain Vs. Levy, 2 Hyde, 183 (1864).
The words, ‘ about to dispose of ’:- Clause (a) says, is ‘ about to dispose of ’,etc., therefore the section does not apply where the defendant has actually parted with the properties. Ref: Soorjee Kumar Vs. Issur Chunder, Bourke, 243 (1865).
It does not refer exclusively to movable properties:- The Section does not refer exclusively to movable properties but applies to immoveable properties also. Ref: Bishambar Vs. Sukhdesi, 16 A 186 (1894).
Attachment of property covers its profits:- As has been held in Ram Coomar Vs. Gobindnath, 12 W.R. 391 (1869), attachment of property covers its profits. But if the owner is allowed to enjoy them the profits cease to be specifically liable.
In Govindrao Mahadik v. Devi Sahai, , the Hon’ble Supreme Court held at para 58 of its judgment as follows: “Attachment before judgment is levied where the Court on an application of the plaintiff is satisfied that the defendant, with intent to obstruct or delay the execution of any decree that may be passed against him (a) is about to dispose of the whole or any part of his property, or (b) is about to remove the whole or any part of his property from the local limits of the jurisdiction of the Court. The sole object behind the order levying attachment before judgment is to give an assurance to the plaintiff that his decree if made would be satisfied. It is a sort of a guarantee against decree becoming infructuous for want of property available from which the plaintiff can satisfy the decree.”
– In the case of Mamidala Suresh Babu And Ors. vs Tirumalasetti Krishnamurthy and … 2006 (3) ALD 605, 2006 (3) ALT 250, the Hon’ble High Court of Andhra Pradesh, it was held that the sine qua non for an order of attachment before judgment or for an order demanding security before judgment is that the defendant is disposing of or about to dispose of his property with the dishonest intention of defeating or delaying the possible decree in the suit. The merits of the claims of the contending parties are merely ancillary factors for consideration by the Court in arriving at a conclusion with regard to the essential requirements of Order 38, Rule 5, C.P.C. [Also See. Nowroji Pudumjee v. Deccan Bank Ltd., A. I. R. (8) 1921 Bom. 69].
Property without the jurisdiction:-
It was held under the last Code both that the section did not and did apply where the property sought to be attached was beyond the jurisdiction of the Court in which the suit was pending. A Court which cannot attach primarily in execution of its decree cannot attach in anticipation of it. It was therefore held, even under the Code of 1859, that a Court of Small Causes could not attach immoveable property under this section. It was held that the Court had jurisdiction where the property was a chose in action due from the Collector who, like the judgment-debtor, resided within the jurisdiction of the attaching court. See. Ravji Moreshwar Vs. Narayan Ballal, 3 Bom. L.R. 462 (1901).
Effect of attachment:-
If we go through the ruling of the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the case of Sardar Govindrao Mahadik & Anr vs Devi Sahai & Ors, 1982 AIR 989, 1982 SCR (2) 186, we can find answer to this question.
What is the effect of attachment before judgment ? Attachment before judgment is levied where the court on an application of the plaintiff is satisfied that the defendant, with intent to obstruct or delay the execution of any decree that may be passed against him (a) is about to dispose of the whole or any part of his property. Or (b) is about to remove the whole or any part of his property from the local limits of the jurisdiction of the Court. The sole object behind the order levying attachment before judgment is to give an assurance to the plaintiff that his decree if made would be satisfied. It is a sort of a guarantee against decree becoming infructuous for want of property available from which the plaintiff can satisfy the decree. The provision in section 64 of the Code of Civil Procedure provides that where an attachment has been made, any private transfer or delivery of the property attached or of any interest therein and any payment to the judgment debtor of any debt, dividend or other monies contrary to. such attachment, shall be void as against all claims enforceable under the attachment. What is claimed enforceable is the claim for which the decree is made. Motilal’s suit was for a money claim. It finally ended in a decree for Rs. 500 by High Court and in between the 1st appellate court had dismissed Motilal’s suit in entirety. There is nothing to show that the attachment which would come to an end on the suit being dismissed would get revived if a second appeal is filed which ultimately succeeds. In fact, a dismissal of the suit may terminate the attachment and the same would not be revived even if the suit is restored and this becomes manifestly clear from the newly added provision in sub rule (2) of rule 11 A of order XXXIII, C.P.C. which provides that attachment before judgment in a suit which is dismissed for default shall not be revived merely because by reason of the fact that the order for the dismissal of the suit for default has been set aside and the suit has been restored. As a corollary it would appear that if attachment before judgment is obtained in a suit which ends in a decree but if in appeal the decree is set aside the attachment of necessity must fail. There should be no difficulty in reaching this conclusion. (See 1982 AIR 989; 1982 SCR (2) 186; 1982 SCC (1) 237; and 1982 SCALE (1)191; and S. Noordeen vs S. Thiru Venkita Reddiar & Ors: 1996 AIR 1293, 1996 SCC (3) 289 for more knowledge as this aspect.)
– To know the effect of Order XXXVIII Rules 5, and 7 of the Code of Civil Procedure; and section 136 of the Code of Civil Procedure, it is better to go through the following rulings: Rajender Singh vs Ramdhar Singh And Ors (2001) (CASE NO.: Appeal (civil) 4394 of 1991), Bansropan Singh and Others v. Emperor, AIR (1937) Patna 603, AIR (1963) Allahabad 320,Haji Pahim Bux and Sons and Others Vs Firm Samiullah, MG. Brothers v. Shah Talchand Parswachand & Co., AIR (1963) Mys. 147, Vannarakkal Kallalathil Sreedharan v. Chandramaath Balakrishnan and another, [1990] 3 SCC 291 and the Hon’ble Apex Court approved the views expressed in Paparaju Veeraraghavayya v. Killaru Kamala Devi. AIR (1935) Mad; 193; Veerappa Thevar v.. C.S Venkatarama Aiyar, AIR (1935) Mad. 872 and Angu Pillai v. M.S.M, Kasiviswanthan Chettiar, AIR (1974) Mad. 16 followed by Rango Ramachandra Kulkarni v. Gurlingappa Chinnappa Muthal, AIR (1941) 198; Yesvant Shatikar Dunakhe V. Pyaraji Nurji Tambol, AIR (1943) Bom 145 and Kochuponchi Varughese v. Ouseph Lonan, AIR (1952) TC 467