Electricity as goods expands jurisdiction in commercial suits over supply agreements and price recovery.

Electricity was treated as "goods" for Clause 4(iv) of the First Schedule to the City Civil Court Act, 1953, because the term was not defined in the Act and had to bear its ordinary and statutory meaning. The Court applied the wide constitutional and Sale of Goods Act understanding of goods, including movable property capable of sale, and regarded electricity as a commercial commodity. A supply agreement between merchants in the colliery business was also treated as a mercantile document. On that construction, the High Court's jurisdiction extended to the commercial suit for price of electrical energy.

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Issues: Whether electricity is "goods" within Clause 4(iv) of the First Schedule of the City Civil Court Act, 1953, so as to attract the High Court's jurisdiction in a commercial suit for price of electrical energy.

Analysis: The word "goods" is not defined in the City Civil Court Act, and therefore its ordinary and statutory meaning had to be applied in the jurisdictional setting of the Act. The constitutional definition of "goods" is wide, and the Indian Sale of Goods Act contains a residuary definition covering every kind of movable property except actionable claims and money. Electricity was treated as movable property capable of being bought and sold as a commercial commodity. The Court further held that the agreement for supply of electricity between merchants and traders in the colliery business was a mercantile document, and that the jurisdictional provisions of the Act should receive a broad, non-technical construction consistent with the legislative scheme.

Conclusion: Electricity is goods within Clause 4(iv) of the First Schedule of the City Civil Court Act, 1953, and the High Court had jurisdiction to try the suit.

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