IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI
Chandra Dhari Singh, J.
Sh. Parveen Kumar – Appellant
Versus
Sh. Vishnu Dutt Sharma – Respondent
C.R.P. 230 of 2023, CM APPL. 43040 of 2023 & 43041 of 2023
Decided On : 22-08-2023
CPC - Civil Procedure - 115 - The relevant acts and sections referenced and discussed by the court include Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (CPC), Indian Penal Code, 1860, Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, and various judgments of the Hon'ble Supreme Court.
Fact of the Case:
The petitioner filed an application under Order VII Rule 11 of the CPC seeking rejection of the respondent's civil suit for malicious prosecution. The trial court dismissed the application, leading to the petitioner's revision petition.
Finding of the Court:
The court found that the grounds raised by the petitioner in the application under Order VII Rule 11 of the CPC constituted triable issues and could not be decided at the stage of the application. The court also emphasized the limited scope of judicial inquiry in such applications.
Issues: The issues revolved around the rejection of the respondent's civil suit for malicious prosecution under Order VII Rule 11 of the CPC and the scope of judicial inquiry at the application stage.
Ratio Decidendi: The court's decision was based on the interpretation of Order VII Rule 11 of the CPC, which provides for the rejection of a plaint. The court emphasized that the scope of judicial inquiry at the application stage is limited to examining the averments made in the plaint.
Final Decision: The court dismissed the revision petition, upholding the trial court's decision to reject the application under Order VII Rule 11 of the CPC.
ORDER
Chandra Dhari Singh, J. (Oral)--The instant petition has been preferred under Section 115 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (hereinafter referred to as "CPC") seeking the following reliefs:
"a) set aside the impugned order dated 17.05.2023 passed by the Court of Sh. Divyang Thakur, Ld. Additional District Judge, South West, Dwarka, Delhi wherein the application under Order VII Rule 11 CPC filed by the Petitioner/Defendant in the Civil Suit bearing CS DJ No. 831/2019 title as "Vishnu dutt Sharma Versus Parveen Kumar" was dismissed.
b) pass any such other or further order which this Hon'ble Court may think fit and proper in the interest of justice."
2. The relevant factual matrix briefly recapitulated for the disposal of the present petition is reproduced herein:
a) The respondent/plaintiff along with his brother and sister-in-law had allegedly taken Rs.3,00,000/- from the petitioner/defendant on the pretext of providing a government job.
b) Thereafter, the petitioner registered an FIR bearing No. 118/2010 at P.S Palam Village, under Sections 420, 120-B and 34 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 against the respondent, along with his brother and sister-in-law, where under the investigating officer was unable to find substantial evidence against the respondent, her husband and her brother-in-law.
c) Subsequently, the respondent filed a civil suit bearing No. 831/2019, before the learned ADJ, Dwarka Court, New Delhi, for malicious prosecution against the petitioner seeking Rs.5,00,000/- as compensation.
d) Thereafter, the petitioner filed his written statement in the abovementioned suit, along with an application under Order VII Rule 11 of the CPC, for rejection of plaint.
e) In his application under Order VII Rule 11 of the CPC, the petitioner claimed that the respondent along with her husband and brother-in-law are habitual offenders. The petitioner further claimed that no sufficient cause of action accrues in favour of the respondent as the complaint filed under Section 156 (3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, is not a private complaint case and hence, the petitioner has no role to play.
f) Consequently, the learned Trial Court, dismissed the application under Order VII Rule 11 of the CPC, vide the impugned order dated 17th May, 2023 in Civil Suit bearing No. 831/2019. Hence, the present petition."
3. Learned counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioner submitted that the petitioner has approached this Court challenging the impugned order under the revisional jurisdiction of this Court, since the impugned order dated 17th May, 2023 passed by the learned Trial Court is erroneous, illegal and unjustified.
4. It is submitted that the respondent along along with his brother and sister-in-law have cheated many people in a manner similar to that of the petitioner and have several complaints registered against them. Learned counsel also submitted that the suit filed by the respondent against the petitioner is merely to tarnish the petitioner's image in society
5. Heard the learned counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioner and perused the record.
6. As per the material on record, the learned Trial Court vide the impugned order dated 17th May, 2023 held that the grounds taken by the petitioner in his application filed under Order VII Rule 11 of the CPC, requires the Court to peruse the averments made in the plaint and the documents annexed thereto, in order to assess the case of the petitioner.
7. The learned Trial Court while passing the impugned order further observed that the grounds taken by the petitioner are triable issues and the Court will have to adjudicate the same on merits and not in an application made under Order VII Rule 11 of the CPC. Relevant paragraphs of the impugned order dated 17th May, 2023 are reproduced below:
"Ld. Counsel for Defendant has relied heavily upon the order of acquittal in the favour of the Defendant to submit that the present suit is not maintainable. Submissions made in the application
The main legal point established in the judgment is the limited scope of judicial inquiry at the application stage under Order VII Rule 11 of the CPC and the interpretation of the grounds for rejecti....
The Court emphasized that the provision under Order VII Rule 11 of the CPC provides for the rejection of a plaint based on limited grounds, and issues requiring analysis of evidence or constituting t....
The court emphasized that the scope of judicial inquiry under Order VII Rule 11 of the CPC is limited to examining the averments made in the plaint and that issues requiring analysis of evidence cann....
The grounds for rejection of a plaint under Order VII Rule 11 of the CPC cannot be examined at the stage of defendant's evidence and go into the merits of the suit, which should be decided during the....
The importance of looking into the averments in the plaint for adjudicating upon the application under Order VII Rule 11 and the supervisory power conferred by Section 115 of the CPC.
The main legal point established in the judgment is that mere admission of the existence of a document is not sufficient to presume fraud, and the issue of fraud can be considered at the final stage ....
The main legal point established in the judgment is the scope of revisional powers under Section 115 of the CPC and the principles of rejection of plaint under Order VII Rule 11 of the CPC.
The main legal point established is that the Trial Court can exercise the power under Order VII Rule 11 of the CPC at any stage of the suit and the averments in the plaint are crucial for deciding su....
The application for rejection of the plaint has to show that the suit is barred by law and the said bar should appear from the pleadings of the plaintiff itself. The court found that the learned Tria....
Login now and unlock free premium legal research
Login to SupremeToday AI and access free legal analysis, AI highlights, and smart tools.
Login
now!
India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!
Copyright © 2023 Vikas Info Solution Pvt Ltd. All Rights Reserved.