High Court Of Delhi
PRITPAL SINGH - Appellant
Versus
SUAD BEGUM - Respondent
Civil 283 of 1990
Decided On : 10/31/1990
CIVIL PROCEDURE CODE - SECTION 151 - RESTORATION OF SUIT - APPLICATION FOR REVIEW OF ORDER - JURISDICTION - INHERENT POWERS OF THE COURT - LIMITATION.
Fact of the Case:
The petitioner challenged an order dismissing an application filed under Section 151 of the Civil Procedure Code (CPC) seeking to recall an earlier order restoring a suit that had been dismissed in default. The petitioner argued that the order restoring the suit was null and void as the original order of dismissal had not been set aside, and that the court lacked inherent jurisdiction to proceed with the suit.
Finding of the Court:
The court held that the application under Section 151 CPC was in effect an application for review of the order restoring the suit, and that such an application could not be filed under Section 151 CPC as the period of limitation for filing a review application had expired. The court also held that the court had jurisdiction to pass the order restoring the suit and that the petitioner should have taken appropriate steps to challenge that order at the right time.
Issues: 1. Whether an application for review of an order restoring a suit could be filed under Section 151 CPC after the period of limitation for filing a review application had expired. 2. Whether the court had inherent powers to recall an order restoring a suit that was allegedly null and void.
Ratio Decidendi: 1. An application for review of an order can only be filed under Order 47 CPC and not under Section 151 CPC. 2. The court has inherent powers to set aside an order that is passed without jurisdiction, but in this case, the court had jurisdiction to pass the order restoring the suit. 3. The petitioner should have taken appropriate steps to challenge the order restoring the suit at the right time, and cannot be allowed to seek a review of that order under Section 151 CPC after the period of limitation has expired.
Final Decision: The revision petition was dismissed, and the order dismissing the application under Section 151 CPC was upheld.
( 1 ) THE petitioner has challenged the order dated 9. 12. 89 passed by Shri P. C. Ranga, Sub Judge 1st Class, Delhi in Suit No. M-17/86. The impugned order had been passed on an application filed under Section 151 Civil Procedure Code. by the petitioner herein which application was dismissed.
( 2 ) SOME relevant dates and facts may be noticed before proceeding further. The respondents herein had filed asuit being Suit No. M. 17/86. This suit had actually been filed on 5. 3. 83. On 1. 2. 84, the suit was dismissed in default. On 3. 2. 84, an application for restoration of the suit was filed in which the petitioner herein had filed hisreply, and issues were framed. The case was fixed for evidence on the issues framed in this application (for restoration ). The next relevant date is 10. 1. 86. On that date the case is supposed to have been adjourned to 12. 3. 86. The case, however, was not put up on 12. 3. 86 but was put up on 14. 3. 86 as has been noticed in paragraph 6 internal page 4 of Annexure- a to the revision petition which is an order dated 25. 4. 89 in the same suit. The respondent s counsel is supposed to have noted down the date as 12. 4. 86 instead of 12. 3. 86 and it has been the case of the respondents that they were wrongly informed that on 12. 3. 86 itself their application for restoration of the suit filed on 3. 2. 84 had been dismissed in default.
( 3 ) ON 29. 7. 88, another application was filed by the respondents herein praying that the order dated 20th August, 1986 be set aside. It may be noticed here that as per the order sheet of the original records, the suit was dismissed in default on that date also. There is some overwriting in this order but no grievance has been made on behalf of the petitioner on account of this over-writing. Notice was given of the application dated 29. 7. 88 to the petitioner herein and reply had also been filed on behalf of the petitioner. In this reply the petitioner did not take the pleas either to the effect that the application dated 29. 7. 88, was barred by the principles of the res judicata or that in view of the fact that there was already an application made earlier for restoration of the suit, this application was not maintainable for that reason. It may also be noticed that no steps had been taken by the petitioner against the order dated 20th August, 1986 on the ground that there was no question of dismissing the suit on that date when the tame was already dismissed. No such objection was raised in the reply to the application dated 29. 7. 88.
( 4 ) THE application of 29. 7. 88 was allowed by an order dated 25. 4. 89 which is annexure- a to the revision petition. By this order the suit was restored subject to costs of Rs. 300. 00. On the next date of hearing on 19 7 89 the costs were paid and received by the petitioner herein. On 28. 7. 89, replication was filed in the suit and on 19. 8. 89, admission/denial of documents was done and issues were framed. On 3. 10. 89, the suit was set down for evidence on which date four witnesses of the respondent herein were present.
( 5 ) IT appears that for some inexplicable reason, on 10. 11. 89, an application was made under Section 151c. P. C. on behalf of the petitioner inter-alia contending that the order dated 1. 2. 84 by which the suit was dismissed in default had not been set aside, and that, therefore, the order of 25. 4. 89 was liable to be recalled. From-the perusal of Annexure- a to the revision- petition as well as the impugned order it is evident that there has been some confusion in the proceedings of this suit and this appears to be also on account of the fact that there were two parallel proreedings going on between the parties, as pointed out by Mr. Malhotra, learned counsel for the petitioner. This application under Section 151 Civil Procedure Code. was dismissed by the impugned order against which, as noticed above, the petitioner has filed this revision petition.
( 6 ) IT may be noticed here tha
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