SupremeToday Landscape Ad
Back
Next
Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation
Listen Audio Icon Pause Audio Icon
judgment-img

2001 Supreme(AP) 1223

Andhra Pradesh High Court
Judges : P.S.NARAYANA
Vizag Medical Stores, Maharanipet, Visakhapatnam - Appellant
Versus
Bharat Heavy Plate and Vessels Ltd., Visakhapatnam - Respondent
Decided On : 10-11-01

Headnote:

Civil law – Civil suit - Indian Partnership Act - Section 69 - Civil Procedure Code - Order XXIII, Rule 1 (3) - Suit for recovery - Suit with a liberty - CRP is filed against an order revision petitioner who is plaintiff in suit filed an application to permit plaintiff to withdraw suit with a liberty to file a fresh suit - Court below by an order had allowed application in part granting permission to petitioner to withdraw suit but refusing liberty to file a fresh suit revision petitioner aggrieved by said order had preferred present CRP - Petitioner was informed that registration was completed and after petitioner had got registration certificate of firm it was found that date of registration was subsequent to the filing of suit and since by date of institution of suit limitation did not expire and as much as cause of action survived - Court below no doubt observed that only after the office had taken objection petitioner-plaintiff had taken steps for registration of firm by submitting the necessary statement to Registrar of Finns on - It is also clear from facts of case that there is undue delay on part of petitioner-plaintiff in making an application to permit petitioner to withdraw suit giving liberty to institute a fresh suit - Held, Counsel for respondent had strenuously contended that inasmuch as the registration of a firm is not a formal defect or it does not even fall expression sufficient grounds provisions of Order Rule and of Civil Procedure code are not attracted at all in this matter - It was held that Court has no jurisdiction to dissect application of this nature into two separate individual portions and grant permission to withdraw and refuse permission to file a suit afresh - In light of the foregoing discussion since am of considered opinion that even allowing application in part by Court below is not sustainable am inclined to set aside impugned order in toto by directing Court below to consider suit by permitting parties to adduce necessary evidence and decide suit on merits - Accordingly impugned order made in on file of Principal Senior Civil Judge is hereby set aside in toto and consequently application seeking permission to withdraw itself is dismissed and hence consequence will be that suit on file of Principal Senior Civil Judge Visakhapatnam shall have to be proceeded with further in accordance with law – Order Accordingly(Para 9)

P. S. NARAYANA, J.

( 1 ) HEARD Ms. Arshia Khatoon representing Smt. Sesharajyam and Mr. M. V. Nagaraj representing Mr. Rajalingam, the Counsel representing both the parties in the CRP.

( 2 ) THE CRP is filed against an order dated 26-7-1999 made in IA No. 9 of 1999 in OS No. 504 of 1991 on the file of the Principal Senior Civil Judge, Visakhapatnam.

( 3 ) THE revision petitioner who is the plaintiff in the suit filed an application under Order XXIII, Rule 1 C. PC to permit the plaintiff to withdraw the suit with a liberty to file a fresh suit. The Court below by an order dated 26-7-1999 had allowed the application in part granting permission to the petitioner to withdraw the suit, but refusing liberty to file a fresh suit. The revision petitioner aggrieved by the said order had preferred the present CRP.

( 4 ) THE facts of the case in brief are as follows:the revision petitioner-petitioner-plaintiff filed a suit for recovery of Rs. 29,531. 48 ps. , and the registration certificate of the firm was not readily available on the date of presentation of the plaint and on oral enquiry with the Registrar of Firms, the petitioner was informed that the registration was completed and after the petitioner had got the registration certificate of the firm, it was found that the date of registration was subsequent to the filing of the suit and since by the date of the institution of the suit, the limitation did not expire and as much as the cause of action survived. The petitioner filed IA No. 9 of 1999 in OS No. 506 of 1991 on the file of Principal Senior Civil Judge, Visakhapatnam to withdraw the suit for the purpose of filing a fresh suit. The suit was filed on 1-6-1991 and the office had taken an objection regarding the registration of the firm and since the objection had been complied with, the suit was numbered on 13-11-1991. The Court below, no doubt, observed that only after the office had taken objection, the petitioner-plaintiff had taken steps for registration of firm by submitting the necessary statement to the Registrar of Finns on 24-6-1991. It is also clear from the facts of the case that there is undue delay on the part of the petitioner-plaintiff in making an application to permit the petitioner to withdraw the suit giving liberty to institute a fresh suit. The Court below allowed the application only in part granting permission to the petitioner to withdraw the suit, but liberty to file a fresh suit on the same cause of action was specifically refused.

( 5 ) MS. Arshia Khatoon, the learned Counsel representing the revision petitioner had contended that the impugned order suffers from legal infirmity since an order of this nature granting permission to withdraw and further rejecting liberty to institute a fresh suit is unsustainable in law especially in the light of the view expressed by this Court in CRP No. 691 of 1969, dated 25-2-1970. The learned" Counsel also had contended that even otherwise under Order XXIII, Rule 1 (3) CPC, the present case falls under the expression "that there are sufficient grounds for allowing the plaintiff to institute a fresh suit for the subject-matter of a suit or part of a claim". The learned Counsel also had submitted that in matters of this nature, the Courts are expected to adopt a liberal approach instead of adopting a very narrow and technical approach.

( 6 ) MR. Nagaraj, the learned Counsel representing the respondent on the contrary had contended that the impugned order does not suffer from any illegality or jurisdictional error and the Court below is justified in making such an order in the facts and circumstances of the case. The learned Counsel also had submitted that Order XXIII, Rule 1 (3) (a) and (b) CPC are to be read together in ejusdem generis and even if the expression sufficient ground had to be construed liberally, those grounds should be analogous or similar to some formal defect or the like nature specified in Order XXIII, Rule 1 (3) (a) CPC. The learned Counsel also




Click Here to Read the rest of this document
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
SupremeToday Portrait Ad
supreme today icon
logo-black

An indispensable Tool for Legal Professionals, Endorsed by Various High Court and Judicial Officers

Please visit our Training & Support
Center or Contact Us for assistance

qr

Scan Me!

India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!

For Daily Legal Updates, Join us on :

whatsapp-icon Back to top