High Court Of Rajasthan
Judgename : B.P. Beri, M.L. Joshi
Mahendra Singh - Appellant
Versus
Sohan Raj - Respondent
Civil Special Appeal No. 149 of 1969
Decided On : 03/09/1973
ABATEMENT OF APPEAL - APPLICABILITY OF CPC PROVISIONS TO SPECIAL APPEALS - LIMITATION FOR BRINGING LEGAL REPRESENTATIVES ON RECORD - SUFFICIENT CAUSE FOR DELAY - SETTING ASIDE ABATEMENT.
Fact of the Case:
An appeal was filed before the Rajasthan High Court under Section 18 of the Rajasthan High Court Ordinance, 1949. One of the respondents died during the pendency of the appeal, and the appellant failed to bring the legal representatives on record within the prescribed limitation period. The appellant filed applications under Order 22 Rule 4, Order 22 Rule 9 CPC, and Section 5 of the Limitation Act, seeking to set aside the abatement of the appeal and implead the legal representatives.
Finding of the Court:
The court held that the provisions of Order 22 of the CPC, relating to abatement, are applicable to special appeals under Section 18 of the Rajasthan High Court Ordinance, 1949. The court also held that the provisions of the Limitation Act, prescribing the time for bringing the legal representatives on record, are applicable to special appeals, as the special law does not provide any specific period of limitation for such applications.
Issues: 1. Whether the provisions of Order 22 of the CPC, relating to abatement, are applicable to special appeals under Section 18 of the Rajasthan High Court Ordinance, 1949? 2. Whether the provisions of the Limitation Act, prescribing the time for bringing the legal representatives on record, are applicable to special appeals? 3. Whether there was sufficient cause for the delay in bringing the legal representatives on record, justifying the setting aside of the abatement?
Ratio Decidendi: 1. The court interpreted Section 117 of the CPC, which provides that the provisions of the Code shall apply to all High Courts, to include special appeals under Section 18 of the Rajasthan High Court Ordinance, 1949. The court reasoned that the Ordinance does not contain any inconsistent provision in the matter of abatement, and therefore, the provisions of Order 22, CPC will be equally applicable to special appeals. 2. The court interpreted Section 29(2) of the Limitation Act, which provides that where a special or local law prescribes a different period of limitation, the provisions of Section 3 shall apply as if such period were the period prescribed by the Schedule, to mean that where the special law does not prescribe any period of limitation, the provisions of the Limitation Act will apply. The court held that since the Ordinance does not prescribe any specific period of limitation for applications under Order 22, Rule 4 and Order 22, Rule 9, CPC, the provisions of the Limitation Act are applicable to special appeals. 3. The court found that the appellant's explanation for the delay in bringing the legal representatives on record was vague and unsubstantiated. The appellant had received information about the respondent's death on October 5, 1972, but failed to take any action until October 24, 1972. The court held that the appellant had not made out a sufficient cause for setting aside the abatement.
Final Decision: The court dismissed the appeal as abated and rejected the appellant's application for setting aside the abatement.
M.L. Joshi, J.-This appeal has come up before us for orders on the three applications under Order 22 Rule 4 Order 22, Rule 9 CPC and Section 5 of the Indian Limitation Act respectively in connection with determination of the question as to whe-ther the appeal has abated or not.
2. The facts relevant for the determination of the points raised before us are as follows: Respondent Sohanraj died on 1st January 1972. His legal representatives were not brought on the record in time. An application was made on behalf of the appellant for implead-ing legal representatives of the deceased respondent Sohanraj on 24th October, 1972. This application was obviously not within the prescribed tune of limitation. The delay in filing application was sought to be explained on the ground that the appellant learnt about the death of the deceased Sohanraj for the first time when he received a letter dated 3rd October, 1972 from his advocate Shri L. R. Mehta from Jodhpur wherein he informed that Sohanraj was reported to have died a year ago and enquired of the appellant the exact date of the death of the respondent Sohanraj along with names of his legal representatives. It was averred in this application that the appellant had been sick since long and was not in a position to move out and that the case was being looked after by his Kamdar Roodsingh who also died on 18th March, 1972. On receipt of the letter from his advocate, the appellant deputed one Babhutdan to proceed to Jodhpur for finding out the names of the legal representatives of the deceased Sohanraj. According to the appellant Babhutdan proceeded to Jodhpur on 14th October, 1972 and stayed there upto 22nd October. 1972 for the purpose of collecting the required information. Ultimately Babhutdan collected the information and on its basis an application was moved on behalf of the appellant on 24th October, 1972 under Order 22 R, 4. CPC This application was accompanied by affidavits of the appellant himself and that of Babhutdan. An-other application was made under Section 5 of the Limitation Act on 4th January, 1972 wherein it was prayed that the delay in filing the application be condoned. This application was also supported by affidavits of the appellant and Babhutdan. Yet, a third application was moved under Order 22 Rule 9 on the same day praying for setting aside the abatement on the ground that there was sufficient cause for not bringing the legal representatives on the record in time. This application too was supported by affidavit of Babhutdan. The power-air torney holder of the appellant. A contest was put on behalf of the legal represent tatives of the deceased respondent by a written reply wherein the fact as to the illness of the appellant was controverted. It was alleged that the appellant had knowledge of the death of the respondent Sohanraj at least on 22nd July. 1972 when an application was moved on behalf of the legal representatives of the deceased Sohanrai in the executing Court for sub-stituting their names in place of the deceased Sohanrai. It was inter alia refer-red in the reply that the copy of this ap-plication was given to Shri Bhomsingh Advocate who was appearing on behalf of the appellant in the execution proceedings. The say of the opposite party is
that the knowledge of the advocate of the appellant will be deemed to be the knowledge to the appellant as to the death of the respondent Sohanraj and consequently there was no sufficient cause for setting aside the abatement.
3. The point for determination is whether the appeal has abated and if so, whether the abatement should be set aside. Mr. Lekh Raj Mehta on behalf of the appellant made two-fold submissions in this regard. Firstly, he urged that the provisions of Order 22 of the CPC relating to abatement do not apply at all to special appeals and, therefore, the question of abatement of this appeal does not arise. His second submission was that if the provisions of Order 22 are held to be applicable
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