LAWS(SIK)-1991-10-2

I T C LTD Vs. PHURBA LAMA

Decided On October 05, 1991
ITC LTD. Appellant
V/S
PHURBA LAMA Respondents

JUDGEMENT

(1.) By this revision-petition, the petitioner, I.T.C. Ltd, a company registered under the Indian Companies Act, 1956, has challenged the order dated 27-5-1991 of Shri T. Dorjee, the learned District Judge, Sikkim, rejecting the petitioner's application in Civil Suit No. 2 of 1991, under O. VII, R. 11 of the Code of Civil Procedure, for rejecting the plaint on the grounds that the plaint does not disclose any cause of action and the suit is barred by law.

(2.) Suit No. 2 of 1991 from which this revision has arisen was filed by respondents Nos. 1 to 4 on 7-3-1991. Respondent No. 5, Druk investment Company, Private Ltd., is the first defendant and the petitioner-company (hereinafter referred as ITC) is the second defendant in the suit. The plaintiffs have claimed the following substantive reliefs :-

(3.) On 21-1-1991, three other persons had filed a similar suit (suit No. 1) for a declaration and perpetual injunction in substantially the same terms in which these reliefs mentioned as (a) and (b) above have been claimed in the present suit, against the same defendants. The plaintiffs have alleged that from a publication in the Times of India dated 12-2-1991, they came to know about the pendency of that suit in the Court of the District Judge, Sikkim challenging the user of the mark "W.D. and H.O. Wills" and/or "Wills" by ITC in respect of the cigarettes manufactured by it, on the basis that the user of the said mark has caused and is likely to cause deception and confusion, whereupon they got interested in the matter and contacted the plaintiffs and obtained copies of the pleadings of that suit and came to know that the plaintiffs had made the following allegations in that suit :-