An application for substitution of parties under Order 22, rule 10 of the Code of Civil Procedure can be made at any time during the pendency of a suit and that there is no limitation period prescribed for such an application.

Subhro Kamal Mukherjee, J.

The application for review is not in form. Still, we decided to consider the application for review on merits as we feel that it has no substance.

2. Admittedly, the property belongs to a trust. The original plaintiff was the trustee of a trust estate. He died leaving behind him his last will and testament appointing two persons as the trustees to the trust estate.

3. The plaintiff is dead. Therefore, the newly appointed trustees applied for their additions invoking the provisions under Order 22, rule 10 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

4. The learned trial judge allowed such application and directed addition of those newly appointed trustees by order dated March 13, 2009.

5. The appeal against such order of addition by the defendant was dismissed summarily under Order XLI, rule 11 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

6. The defendant files this application for review.

7. Mr. Shyam Sundar Manna, learned advocate for the appellant, strenuously, argues that the application under Order 22, rule 10 of the Code of Civil Procedure was filed after abatement of such suit and, therefore, this was not maintainable. He heavily relies upon a decision in Kedarnath Kanoria and others versus Khaitan Sons and Company reported in AIR 1959 Calcutta 368.

8. He, further, relies upon a single bench decision of the Patna High Court in the case of Devkinandan Lal versus Jogendra Prasad and others reported in AIR 1980 Patna 71. In Devkinandan Lal (supra) the decision of Kedarnath Kanoria (supra) was only followed.

9. The reliance placed on Kedarnath Kanoria (supra) is misplaced. A Division Bench of this Court held where the case was covered by rules 3 or 4 and rule 10 had no application. However, it was observed that the application under Order 22, rule 10 could not be made after the suit has abated. In the case in hand there was no order recording abatement of the suit. Mr. Manna, however, submits that the abatement is automatic and, thus, the application was not maintainable.

10. Rule 10 applies to cases of creation of interest. When there is creation of interest during the pendency of the suit, the suit may be continued by or against the person upon whom such interest has devolved. Such person can apply to the Court for leave to continue the proceedings.

11. An application for substitution can be made under rule 10 of Order 22 at any time during the pendency of the suit. In such application, it is incumbent on the applicant to state the nature of assignment, transfer, devolution and the party or parties from whom it is claimed. No period of limitation is prescribed for making an application under the said rule. In fact, right to apply under this rule is a continuous right, which accrues every day. An application, therefore, can be made at any time till the proceedings are pending.

12. We may, profitably, refer to the decision of the Supreme Court of India in the case of Shri Rikhu Dev, Chela Bawa Harjug Dass versus Som Dass (deceased) through his Chela Shiam Dass reported in (1976) 1 Supreme Court Cases 103, where the Supreme Court holds that Order 22, rule 10 of the Code of Civil Procedure is based on the principle that the trial of a suit cannot be brought to an end merely because the interest of a party in the subject-matter of the suit has devolved upon another during its pendency, but such a suit may be continued with the leave of the Court by or against the person upon whom such interest has devolved.

13. In Rikha Dev (supra) the Supreme Court of India quoted with approval the decision of the High Court at Madras in the case of Thirumalai Pillai and others –versus- Arunachella Padayachi and others reported in AIR 1926 Madras 540 that a succeeding trustee of a trustee, who filed a suit and, thereafter, died during the pendency of such suit, was not a legal representative of the predecessor in office. It was a case of devolution of interest during the pendency of a suit and the elected person could be added as a p