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2003 Supreme(Gau) 519

IN THE HIGH COURT OF GAUHATI
Iqbal Ahmed Ansari, J.
Viswa Nath Bogar
Vs.
Gyarsilal Agarwalla
Civil Rule No. 232 of 1999
Decided On: 24.11.2003

Advocates Appeared:
For Appellant/Petitioner/Plaintiff: G.N. Sahewalla, A.K. Goswami, P. Bora, S. Senapati and Md. Aslam, Advs.
For Respondents/Defendant: B.K. Goswami, S.K. Kejriwal and S. Kejriwal, Advs.

Headnote:

Service of Summons - Civil Procedure - Order 5 Rule 19, Section 144, Section 151 - The court discussed the provisions of Order 5 Rule 19 of the Code of Civil Procedure, which provides for the issue and service of summons. The court emphasized the importance of proper service of summons and the discretion of the court to examine the serving officer even if the summons has been verified. The court highlighted the need for the order accepting the service of notice to disclose the reasons for accepting such service. The judgment focused on the lack of adequate reasons for accepting the service of summons and the justification for condonation of delay in filing the application, ultimately upholding the impugned order condoning the delay and setting aside the ex parte decree.

Fact of the Case:

The plaintiff sought eviction of the defendant from a suit room and delivery of vacant possession. The defendant filed an application seeking setting aside of the ex parte decree and restitution of possession, claiming no knowledge of the suit and delay in filing the application due to various reasons.

Finding of the Court:

The court found that the order accepting the service of summons lacked adequate reasons and upheld the impugned order condoning the delay and setting aside the ex parte decree.

Issues: The issues revolved around the acceptance of service of summons, condonation of delay, and setting aside the ex parte decree.

Ratio Decidendi: The court emphasized the importance of proper service of summons, the discretion of the court to examine the serving officer, and the need for the order accepting the service of notice to disclose the reasons for accepting such service. The judgment focused on the lack of adequate reasons for accepting the service of summons and the justification for condonation of delay in filing the application.

Final Decision: The revision failed, and the impugned order condoning the delay and setting aside the ex parte decree was upheld. The respective parties were left to bear their own costs, and the case records were sent back.

JUDGMENT

I.A. Ansari, J.

1. Put shortly, the facts giving rise to this revision are as follows :

(i) The revision petitioner, as plaintiff, instituted Title Suit No. 63/96 in the Court of the learned Munsiff No. 1, at Sibsagar, seeking, inter alia, the reliefs of eviction of the defendant (i.e., opposite party in this revision) from the suit room and delivery of vacant possession thereof to the plaintiff. The process server reported, on the body of the summons issued to the defendant (opposite party), to the effect, inter alia, that the defendant had refused to accept the summons and that the summons had been hanged on the outer-side of the door of the house of the defendant. By order, dated 3.9.1996, the learned trial Court, while accepting service of the said summons on the defendant, fixed the case for ex parte hearing. The plaintiff accordingly examined himself, on 9.9.1996, as a witness and the suit was decreed, on 9.9.1996 itself, in favour of the plaintiff. This decree was executed on 10.10.1996. The defendant filed an application, on 18.11.1996, before the learned Court below under Order 9, Rule 13 and Section 144 read with Section 151 of the Code of Civil Procedure seeking, inter alia, the reliefs of setting aside of the said ex parte decree and also of restitution of the possession of the suit rooms on the ground, inter alia, that defendant had no knowledge of the said suit, he had never refused to receive the summons issued in the suit and no summons had been served on him. This application gave rise to Misc (J) Case No. 120/96. In this Misc (J) Case No. 120/96, the defendant also filed, on the same date, i.e., 18.11.1996, an application under Section 5 of the Limitation Act seeking condonation of delay in making the application for setting aside the said decree and also for seeking restitution of the possession of the suit room, his case being, briefly stated, thus : The petitioner was evicted from the suit room with the help of police, on 10.10.1996, as a result of the said ex parte decree, the petitioner remained busy in shifting his articles for the whole day on 11.10.1996 and could come to the court only on 12.10.1996 and upon his arrival there, he came to learn that the Civil Court stood closed due to Puja Vacation, the Court re-opened on 11.11.1996 and on that very day, he made an application for certified copy of the decree, the same was made available to the defendant on 14.11.1996, whereupon the defendant handed over the papers to his counsel and upon the applications aforementioned having been prepared by the defendant's counsel, the same was filed on 18.11.1996.

(ii) By order, dated 18.11.1996, the learned trial Court, while dealing with the application for setting aside the said ex parte decree, issued notice to the plaintiff to show cause as to why the said ex parte decree be not set aside. Aggrieved by the fact that the learned trial Court had condoned the delay without hearing the plaintiff, the plaintiff came before this Court impugning the order, dated 18.11.1996, aforementioned in Civil Revision 105/97. This revision was disposed of on 14.3.1997, wherein this Court held to the effect that the order, dated 18.11.1996, did not suffer from error of jurisdiction and that the petitioner, while resisting the prayer for setting aside the decree, would have the liberty to raise his objection as to why the delay in making such application be not refused to be condoned. On receiving back the matter, the learned trial Court heard the parties and passed an order on 14.6.1999, whereby it condoned the delay in making the application, it also set aside the said ex parte decree and further directed restitution of the possession of the suit room in favour of the defendant. Aggrieved by the order, dated 14.6.1999 aforementioned, to the extent that the same relates to condonation of delay and setting aside of the said decree ex parte, the plaintiff has come before this Court in the present revision, but as regards the r



















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