NON-REPORTABLE

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

CIVIL APPEAL  NO(S). 6741/2018

(ARISING FROM SLP (C) NO. 31495/2014)

SMT. KALPANA MAJUMDER & ORS.                       APPELLANT(S)

                               VERSUS

SMT. LAKSHMI PRIYA SHAW & ORS.                     RESPONDENT(S)

J U D G M E N T

KURIAN, J.

Leave granted.

2. The parties are before this Court pursuant to a

civil  litigation  since  2002.   During  the  past  16

years there have been several litigations and we find

that  five  criminal  cases  are  pending  between  the

parties.

3. When the matter came up before this Court, after

noticing that there is an element of settlement, we

sought the assistance of Ms. Varuna Bhandari, learned

counsel and also a trained Mediator.  We are informed

that the learned Mediator has put in more than 35

hours  in  the  mediation.  Thanks  to  the  strenuous

efforts thus taken by the learned Mediator, we are

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happy  to note  that the  parties have  settled their

entire disputes and they have filed the application

for direction(s) along with the Deed of Settlement

dated 16.07.2018 duly signed by all the parties and

the learned Mediator in the Registry of this Court,

which are taken on Board.

4. In  view  of  the  Deed  of  Settlement  dated

16.07.2018,  referred  to  above, we are of the view

that for securing the ends of justice, the criminal

cases  involving  them  should  also  be  closed.

Accordingly, Lake P.S. Case Nos.23 of 2008, 255 of

2012, Lake P.S. Case No.56 of 2009, C Case No.4342 of

2008 and Shakespere Sarani P.S. Case No.314/2013; 340

of 2013 and 397 of 2013 are quashed.

5. In  terms  of  the  Deed  of  Settlement  dated

16.07.2018,  we  direct  the  District  Sub  Registrar,

Alipore, West Bengal to register the transfer of the

suit premises in favour of the appellants i.e. Mr.

Mrinal  Kanti  Majumder;  Mrs.  Kalpana  Majumder;  Mrs.

Bani Saha and Mr. Uttam Saha.  Since the parties have

been in litigation, we direct the Registrar concerned

to  levy  only  the  stamp  duty  leviable  in  the  year

2002.

6. The  third  prayer  in  the  application  for

direction(s) reads as follows:

“iii. the  Deed  of  Conveyance  dated

1.03.2005,  confirmed  in  2008,  entered  into

between  [1)  Late  Mangobinda  Shaw,  2)  Smt.

Brinda Rani Shaw (Respondent No. 6), 3) Shri

Badal Shaw (Respondent No.7), 4) Shri Binoy

Shaw (Respondent No.8), 5) Smt. Sonali Shaw

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(Respondent  No.9),  6)  Smt.  Phalguni  Kabi

(Respondent  No.10)  on  the  One  Part  as,  as

VENDORS  AND  1)  Pacard  Export  Pvt  Ltd.

(Respondent No.13)  &  Ritman Commercial Pvt

Ltd (Respondent No.14) on the Other Part as

PURCHASER]  and  registered  before  the

Registrar  of  Assurances,  Calcutta  shall  be

declared cancelled;”

7. The declaration, as prayed for, is granted.

8. We direct the parties to abide by the terms and

conditions  of  the  Deed  of  Settlement  dated

16.07.2018.

9. The appeal is, accordingly, disposed of.

10. Though the learned Mediator Ms. Varuna Bhandari

insisted that she does not require any honorarium and

the services rendered by her are totally  pro bono,

having  regard  to  the  time  and  pains  taken  by  the

learned Mediator, we are of the view that the learned

Mediator should be adequately remunerated. An amount

of Rs.1,50,000/- (Rupees One Lac Fifty Thousand) by

the  appellants,  Rs.1,00,000/-  (Rupees  One  Lac)  by

respondent Nos.1 to 10 and Rs.1,00,000/- (Rupees One

Lac) by Respondent Nos.13 and 14,  be paid to the

learned  Mediator  towards  the  services  rendered  by

her.   

11. We record our appreciation for the efforts taken

by the learned Mediator, Ms. Varuna Bhandari and for

the  cooperation  extended  by  the  parties  and  the

counsel for putting an end to the almost two decade

old litigations between the parties and in particular

Mr.  Jaideep  Gupta,  learned  senior  counsel  for

facilitating the settlement.

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12. Pending  applications,  if  any,  shall  stand

disposed of.

13. There shall be no orders as to costs.

.......................J.               [KURIAN JOSEPH]  

.......................J.               [SANJAY KISHAN KAUL]  

NEW DELHI; JULY 17, 2018.

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