Andhra Pradesh High Court
Judges : C.V.RAMULU
Varanasi Vital Rao - Appellant
Versus
Jallepalli Janardhanarao - Respondent
Decided On : 02-13-06
Civil Procedure code - Rule 17 - Constitution of India - article 227 - cross-objections - suit for recovery of certain amount - Plaintiff laid a suit for recovery of certain amount on the foot of a promissory note - Suit was decreed as against the 2nd defendant and was dismissed as against the 1st defendant, father of the 2nd defendant, on the ground that his signature was forged. Defendant No. 2 carried the matter in appeal being A. S. on the file of the learned I Additional District Judge, being aggrieved by the Judgment and Decree made in O. S. on the file of the learned Junior Civil Judge - Defendant No. 1 against whom the suit was dismissed was also made a pro forma party i. e. respondent No. 2, in the appeal. After receipt of notice in the appeal, the plaintiff filled cross-objections to the extent of denial of his claim for costs while decreeing the suit. However, there after he filed the present IAGR purported to be under order 6 Rule 17 of the Civil Procedure code seeking amendment of cross-objections already filed. In this petition, altogether a different ground has been raised, i. e. to allow the cross-objections by setting aside the dismissal of the suit as against the 1st defendant, who is the 2nd respondent in the appeal. Here, it may be necessary to notice that plaintiff has not filed any independent appeal insofar as dismissing the suit against the 1 st defendant is concerned - Held, 1st defendant (2nd respondent) was only a proforma party. There is also no dispute that the cross- objections filed in the present appeal are only to the extent of denying the costs while decreeing the suit against the 2nd defendant. Assuming that, as held in Dhangir s case (1 supra), if objection cannot be urged under order XLI Rule 22 of CPC against a corespondent, Rule 33 thereof could take over and come to the rescue of the objector- such objections could have been taken in the original cross-objections filed initially and not by way of amendment, which is altogether a different relief sought for in cross-objections against the 1st defendant against whom the suit was dismissed - Cross-objection against a co-respondent is not maintainable except in exceptional circumstances, where common grounds are raised against the appellant and the co-respondent and the parties in the suit as well as in the appeal are one and the same. May be, amendment of cross objections in an appeal is permissible, since it is nothing but amendment of pleadings. But, such amendment of cross-objections firstly should be directed against the appellant alone and they are relatable to the matter under issue. However, amendment to the cross objections of this nature is not permissible under the law. The intention of the petitioner herein seeking amendment is only to avoid a regular appeal and the bar of limitation. No grounds are made out to interfere with the order passed by the appellate Court, under article 227 of the Constitution of India - Civil revision Petition is dismissed
( 2 ) THE petitioner is the 1st respondent in the above appeal and plaintiff in O. S. No. 126 of 2004 on the file of the learned Junior Civil judge, Amudalavalasa. Respondent No. 1 herein is the appellant in the above appeal and 2nd defendant in the suit. Respondent No. 2 is the 2nd respondent in the appeal and 1st defendant in the suit. The parties are here in after referred to as they were arrayed in the suit.
( 3 ) THE plaintiff (petitioner herein) laid a suit for recovery of certain amount on the foot of a promissory note. The suit was decreed as against the 2nd defendant and was dismissed as against the 1st defendant, father of the 2nd defendant, on the ground that his signature was forged. Defendant No. 2 carried the matter in appeal being A. S. No. 81 of 2004 on the file of the learned I Additional District Judge, srikakulam being aggrieved by the Judgment and Decree made in O. S. No. 126 of 2004 on the file of the learned Junior Civil Judge, amudalavalasa. Defendant No. 1 against whom the suit was dismissed was also made a proforma party i. e. respondent No. 2, in the appeal. After receipt of notice in the appeal, the plaintiff filled cross-objections to the extent of denial of his claim forcosts while decreeing the suit. However, there after he filed the present IAGR No. 3530 of 2004 purported to be underordervi Rule 17of the Civil Procedure code seeking amendment of cross-objections already filed. In this petition, altogether a different ground has been raised, i. e. to allow the cross-objections by setting aside the dismissal of the suit as against the 1st defendant, who is the 2nd respondent in the appeal. Here, it may be necessary to notice thatthe plaintiff has notfiled any independent appeal insofar as dismissing the suit against the 1 st defendant is concerned.
( 4 ) THE said application was resisted by the defendants and after hearing both the parties, the lower appellate Court rejected the same on 19-4-2005 by the following Order:"head the petitioner s counsel. Perused the citations relied on by the learned counsel for the petitioner, (1) al R1925 Calcutta 975 (Bhuban Mohan v. Co-operative Bank) and (2) AIR 1934 calcutta 346 (Sudhansudhar v. Sasadhar ). The facts of the present case are not similarto the facts in the above reported cases. As such, I am of the view that both the above citations are not applicable to the facts of the present case. Originally, in the cross-objections, the petitioner/plaintiff sought for costs of the suit only. But now by way of amendment, he is seeking the relief of decree against the 1st defendant, against whom the lower Court dismissed the suit. So, the petitioner, by way of this amendment, wants to change the nature of his cross objections, which goes to the very root of the cross-objections, which is not at all the real controversy between the parties. Hence, I hold that it is not just and proper to allow the petitioner to change the very nature of his cross objections by way of amendment now sought for. "
( 5 ) AGGRIEVED by the said order, the present civil Revision Petition is filed.
( 6 ) LEARNED counsel for the petitioner strenuously contended that the proposed amendment to incorporate the prayertogrant the decree against the 1st defendant (2nd respondent in appeal) will not change the nature of cross-objections. The proposed amendment is only an additional plea raised by the petitioner in his cross-objections by paying the necessary Court fee and it cannot be equated with the amendment of the plaint or written statement and thereby holding that it would change the nature of the cross objections, especially when it will not, in any circumstances, be contrary to the original plea taken in the cross-o
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