Rajasthan High Court
Beri, C.J. & Joshi, J.
Mahendra Singh - Appellant
Versus
Sohan Raj - Respondents
D.B. Civil Special Appeal No. 149 of 1969
Decided On : March 09, 1973
Sec. 4 C.P.C. does not mean that the Code does not apply to the proceedings under special or local laws, but only enacts that where there is inconsistency, the rules of the Code will have to yield before such laws. It follows therefore that sec. 4 by itself does not exclude the applicability of the provisions contained in the Code of Civil Procedure to the special appeals. All that sec.4 says is that if the procedure is prescribed by virtue of a special law then the procedure laid down in the Code in respect of the proceeding under the special law shall yield to the special procedure prescribed in that law. We know it well that no special procedure has been provided in the Rajasthan High Court Ordinance in regard to special appeals. The Rajasthan High Court Ordinance which provides for special appeal does not contain any inconsistent provision in the matter of abatement. It will therefore follow that provisions of O. 22, C P. C. will be equally applicable to the Letters Patent appeals.
Held = It is of course true that the Rajasthan High Court Ordinance is undoubtedly a special Act but there is no specific period of limitation prescribed under the special law for an application under O. 22, R. 4 and O. 22, R. 9, C.P.C. Here is a case in which special or local law does not prescribe any period of limitation much less one different from the period prescribed by the Schedule I. Therefore, by implication, under the provisions of sec. 29(2), the provisions of the Limitation Act are applicable to Letters Patent substantially regulated by the Code of Civil Procedure. (Paras 4, 5 and 7)
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 impleading legal representatives of the deceased respondent Sohanraj on 24th October, 1972. This application was obviously not within the prescribed time 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 Sohan Rai 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 O. 22, R. 4, C.P.C. This application was accompanied by affidavits of the appellant himself and that of Babhutdan. Another application was made under sec. 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 O. 22 R. 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-attorney holder of the appellant. A contest was put on behalf of the legal representatives 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 atleast on 22nd July, 1972 when an application was moved on behalf of the legal representatives of the deceased Sohanraj in the executing court for substituting their names in place of the deceased Sohanraj. It was inter alia referred in the reply that the copy of this application 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 not sufficient cause for setting aside the abatement.
3. The point for determination is 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 C.P.C. 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 to special appeals then there is sufficient cause for not bringing the legal rep
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