International Union Of Food Agr. vs. Union Of India Ministry Of Law And Justice Secretary

S U P R E M E C O U R T O F I N D I A RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS

CONMT.PET.(C) No. 16/2012 In W.P.(C) No. 365/2006

INTERNATIONAL UNION OF FOOD, AGR. & ORS. Petitioner(s)

VERSUS

UNION OF INDIA & ORS. Respondent(s)/

Alleged contemnors

(IA No. 51720/2020 - APPROPRIATE ORDERS/DIRECTIONS, IA No. 48295/2020 - APPROPRIATE ORDERS/DIRECTIONS, IA No. 50634/2023 - APPROPRIATE ORDERS/DIRECTIONS, IA No. 21010/2023 - APPROPRIATE ORDERS/DIRECTIONS, IA No. 136389/2020 - APPROPRIATE ORDERS/DIRECTIONS, IA No. 28739/2019 – CLARIFICATION/DIRECTION, IA No. 25042/2023 - DISCHARGE OF ADVOCATE ON RECORD, IA Nos. 92630/2018 and 185295/2023 - EXTENSION OF TIME, IA No. 51268/2020 - INTERVENTION APPLICATION, IA No. 48294/2020 - INTERVENTION APPLICATION, IA No. 136388/2020 – INTERVENTION/IMPLEADMENT, IA No. 40394/2020 – INTERVENTION/IMPLEADMENT, IA No. 39587/2020 – INTERVENTION/IMPLEADMENT, IA No. 70001/2019 - PERMISSION TO FILE ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS/FACTS/ANNEXURES, IA No.28737/2019 – CLARIFICATION, IA No. 1/2013 - PERMISSION TO FILE ANNEXURES) AND IA Nos.188869/2023 and 188870/2023 – FOR DIRECTIONS

Date : 05-01-2024 This matter was called on for hearing today.

CORAM :

HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE ABHAY S. OKA HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE UJJAL BHUYAN

For Petitioner(s)	Mr. Colin Gonsalves, Sr. Adv.<br>Ms. Jyoti Mendiratta, AOR
For Respondent(s)	Mr. Jayanth Muth Raj, Sr. Adv.<br>Mr. Nishe Rajen Shonker, AOR<br>Mrs. Anu K Joy, Adv.<br>Mr. Alim Anvar, Adv.<br>Mr. Abraham Mathew, Adv.<br>Mr. Gaurav Agrawal, AOR
	Mr. Rakesh Dwivedi, Sr. Adv.<br>Ms. Astha Sharma, AOR<br>Ms. Mantika Haryani, Adv.<br>Ms. Muskan Surana, Adv.<br>Mr. Bhanu Mishra, Adv.

Mr. P. Kumaresan, Sr. Adv.

Ms. G. Indira, AOR Mr. Harnaman Singh, Adv. Mr. Rahul Tiwari, Adv. Mr. Ashwini Kumar, Adv. Mr. Gandeepan, Adv. Mrs. Aishwarya Bhati, A.S.G. Ms. B.L.N. Shivan, Adv. Mr. Raj Bahadur Yadav, AOR Mr. Sarad Kumar Singhnia, Adv. Mr. Shashank Bajpai, Adv. Mr. Rekha Pandey, Adv. Mrs. Shivika Mehra, Adv. Mr. Ameyvikrama Thanvi, Adv. Mr. Shubhankar Singh, Adv. Ms. Taruna Ardhendumauli Prasad, AOR Mr. Shuvodeep Roy, AOR Mr. Rebin Vincent Gralan, Adv. Mr. Vinod Sharma, AOR Mr. Siddharth, AOR Mr. Anshul Saxena, Adv. Ms. Rashmi Malhotra, AOR Mr. Aneesh Mittal, AOR Mr. M.P. Vinod, AOR Mr. Atul Shankar Vinod, Adv. Mr. Kannan Gopal, Adv. Mr. Dileep Pillai, Adv. Mr. Koshy John, Adv. Mr. Vishnu Sankar, Adv. Mr. Sriram Parakkat, Adv. Athirag Nair, Adv. Mr. Rituraj Biswas, AOR Mr. A. Karthik, AOR Mr. Arsh Khan, Adv. Ms. Smrithi Suresh, Adv. Mr. Partha Sil, AOR Ms. Sayani Bhattacharya, Adv. Mr. Abhiraj Choudhary, Adv. Mr. Satya Mitra, AOR

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Ms. Mugdha, Adv. Mr. Kamran Khwaja, Adv. Mr. P. George Giri, AOR Ms. Jasmin Kurian Giri, Adv. Mr. Shaji Sebastian, Adv. Mr. Ginesh P, Adv. Ms. Mary Scaria, Adv. Mr. Abhay Singh, Adv. Mr. Maneesh Narayanan, Adv. Ms. S. Selvakumari, Adv. Mr. T.R.B. Sivakumar, AOR M/S. Mitter & Mitter Co., AOR Mr. K.V. Mohan, AOR Ms. Tessy Varghese, Adv. Mr. K.V. Balakrishnan, Adv. Mr. R.K. Raghavan, Adv. Mr. Kumar Dushyant Singh, AOR Mr. Anukul Raj, Adv. Mrs. Nikita Raj, Adv. Mr. P.S. Sudheer, AOR Mr. Rishi Maheshwari, Adv. Ms. Anne Mathew, Adv. Mr. Bharat Sood, Adv. Ms. Miranda Solaman, Adv. Mr. Kamal Kant, Adv. Mr. Nalin Kohli, Adv. Mr. Ankit Roy, Adv. Mr. Anshul Malik, Adv.

Ms. Shruti Agrawal, Adv.

UPON hearing the counsel the Court made the following O R D E R

Heard the learned counsel appearing for the parties.

A sum of Rs.88,92,089/- (Rupees Eighty-eight Lakhs Ninety-two Thousand and Eighty-nine) has now been deposited by the Lifetime Agro Private Limited. Therefore, now the said amount shall be distributed as ordered in terms of paragraph 2 of the order dated 6 th November, 2023.

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The learned counsel appearing for the Bethal Plantations (Pvt.) Ltd. will handover the documents reporting compliance regarding deposit of a sum of Rs.3,00,00,000/- (Rupees Three Crores) and deposit of all the installments in terms of paragraph 4 of the last order to the learned counsel representing the Committee. The necessary documents shall be handed over within a period of one month from today.

As regards Mahavir Plantations Private Limited, the time granted by this Court has not yet expired. A copy of the affidavit filed by Peermade Tea Company Limited shall be supplied to the learned counsel representing the Committee and the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner.

The notice was issued in the last order to MMJ Plantation. Today, a learned counsel appears for Bonami Estates and states that MMJ Plantation has been divided. He states that the liability of Bonami Estates is to the extent of Rs.1,31,257/- (Rupees One Lakh Thirty-one Thousand Two hundred and Fifty-seven). He further states that Bonami Estates will deposit the said amount with the Labour Commissioner. We grant time of two weeks to deposit the said amount.

The learned senior counsel appearing for the State of Kerala states that today a sum of Rs.3,33,75,000/- (Rupees Three Crores Thirty-three Lakhs and Seventy-five Thousand) will be transferred to the account of the Labour Commissioner. Therefore, as soon as this amount is deposited, the pro-rata distribution of the amount shall commence in terms of our last order.

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As regards the State of Assam, the learned senior counsel appearing for the State seeks time of two weeks to file an affidavit in terms of our last order. We, accordingly, grant time of two weeks to do so.

List on 9th February, 2024 when we will consider (a) implementation of the recommendations regarding State of Kerala; and (b) implementation of the recommendations regarding State of Assam.

(ASHISH KONDLE) (AVGV RAMU)

COURT MASTER (SH) COURT MASTER (NSH)