LITIGANTS, LAWYERS AND JUDGES continues...

Jagan Nath, I know, wishes to go on the Syndicate, but my view is that if there is to be a change, the leader of the Bar ought to be on the Syndicate with a member of the Bench. You may let me know your views by return.” My answer was an emphatic no as I did not want to take advantage of the fight between the two contestants for both of whom I had the highest respect.

Another important case that I conducted during this period concerned the Grand Hotel estate in Simla. This property had been acquired by the Central Government and the question was what compensation was payable to Rai Bahadur Ganga Saran, its owner. The Government offered a sum between Rs. 3,00,000 and Rs. 4,00,000 while our claim was that the minimum value of this hotel was more than four times the government offer. Most of the sittings in this case were held in Simla before the arbitrator. By the time, the case reached the argument stage, I had been elevated to the Bench. Bakhshi Sir Tek Chand, who had resumed practice after his retirement from the Bench, argued the case before the arbitrator in my place. The arbitrator awarded a sum of Rs. 9 lakhs to Ganga Saran. Both parties went up in appeal and eventually Ganga Saran got a sum of about ten lakhs by mutual settlement.

Another case of which mention may be made related to a bungalow situated on the outskirts of the Dharamsala tea estate. The government claimed the site of the bungalow, which, it contended was situated within the limits of the cantonment, while the tea estate owners contended that it belonged to them. Eventually they were successful in their contention.

In the beginning of the year I942, I conducted a very interesting case concerning trade marks. My clients had placed on the market a brand of vegetable oil which they called Kottogem. The Tatas who had been selling a coconut product as Cocogem, claimed that the name Kottogem was an infringement of the trade mark Cocogem.

to be continued....