Rajasthan High Court, Jaipur Bench
Honble SHIV KUMAR SHARMA, J.
Hakim Chand & Ors. - Appellant
Versus
Raj Mal - Respondents
S.B. Civil Revision Petition No. 1370 of 2000
Decided On : March 07, 2001
An amendment in the pleading adding a new cause of action or new defence should be allowed if it can be made without injustice to the other side. Once a lis is instituted on a pre-litum cause of action the court must take note of all post litum development likely to affect the matters to be determined in the suit. (Para 10)
(2). Contextual facts depict that the plaintiff land lord during the pendency of suit for eviction moved an application u/O. 6 Rule 17 CPC. on August 9, 2000 with the averments that rent from November 7, 1999 to August 6, 2000 was not paid by the defendant tenants, therefore this ground of default in making payment of rent may be allowed to be added in the plaint. The defendants did not file reply to the application and opposed it orally. Learned court below allowed the application as indicated hereinabove.
(3). Mr. B.L. Mandhana, learned counsel for the defendant petitioners canvassed that lis is fought on the cause of action which existed at the time of filing of the suit. As the default was allegedly made much after the filing of the suit, it could not have been permitted to be incorporated in the plaint and as it was a new cause of action a separate suit ought to have been filed. Reliance was placed on Kesho Ram Passey vs. Dr. P.C. Tandon and another (1) and Ashok Kumar vs. Suresh Chand (2).
(4). Per contra, Mr. P.S. Asopa, learned Senior Advocate supported the impugned order and contended that there is no prohibition against allowing a cause of action arising subsequent to the filing of the suit to be incorporated in the plaint by way of amendment. Reliance was placed on Udai Ram vs. Smt. Ladi Bai (3).
(5). Admittedly suit was filed on November 5, 1999 and the defendants submitted written statement on August 7, 2000. Thereafter the plaintiff on August 9, 2000 moved an application under Order 6 Rule 17 CPC seeking amendment in plaint by incorporating the ground of default in making payment of rent.
(6). In the case of Prem Lal vs. Jadav Chand (4), the trial court allowed the application of the plaintiff seeking to amend the plaint with a view to incorporate an additional ground u/Sec. 13(1) (a) alleging that the defendant had neither paid nor tendered the amount of rent for more than six months. While hearing the revision petition against the said order learned Single Judge referred the matter to the Division Bench for consideration of the correctness of Rajeshwar Dayal vs. Padam Kumar Kothari (5) and Kedar Nath vs. Pana Devi (6), rendered by Honble Jagat Narain J. holding that application for amendment of plaint seeking to introduce a new ground of eviction i.e. default based on section 13(1) (a) cannot be allowed where such ground arises after the institution of the suit in as much as that would be tentamount to allowing the plaintiff to include a cause of action which had not accrued on the date of the suit. The Division Bench overruled the above findings of Honble Jagat Narain J. and observed that grounds mentioned in Sec. 13(1) do not constitute a necessary part of cause of action for eviction. The Division Bench did not interfere with the order of the trial court allowing amendment in the plaint, and dismissed the revision petition.
It was held in para 24 of the judgment that-
``Introduction of a new case is no ground for refusal so long as the defendant has an opportunity of meeting the new case by amendment of written statement and by leading in support of that defence.
(7). In Lallu Narain vs. Ratan Chand Lunia (7), following question was referred to the Division Bench -
``Does the decision of this Court in Prem Lal vs. Jadav Chand hold good after the decision of the Supreme Court in V. Dhanpal Chettiar vs. Yeshodai Ammal (8)
Answering the reference the Division Bench observed in para 51 thus -
``.... The observation regarding furnishing of cause of action based on determination
8. V. Dhanpal Chettiar vs. Yeshodai Ammal (AIR 1979 SC 1745)
10. Ram Das vs. Ishwar Chander (1988 (3) SCC 131)
2. Ashok Kumar vs. Suresh Chand (1994 (1) RLR 685 = 1996(1) RLW 380)
3. Udai Ram vs. Smt. Ladi Bai (RLW 1997 (1) 508).–Relied on.
5. Rajeshwar Dayal vs. Padam Kumar Kothari (1969 RLW 546)
7. Lallu Narain vs. Ratan Chand Lunia (1989 (1) RLR 475)
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