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2019 Supreme(HP) 626

IN THE HIGH COURT OF HIMACHAL PRADESH
Sureshwar Thakur, J.
Kushal Jethi - Appellant
Vs.
Ravinder Parihar And Others - Respondents
Original Miscellaneous Petition No. 454 of 2019; Commercial Suit No. 37 of 2018
Decided On : 13-11-2019

Advocates Appeared:
Sunita Sharma, Adv., Saraswati, Adv., Sudhir Thakur, Adv., Karn Negi, Adv., Manohar Lal Sharma, Adv., Nitin Thakur, Adv., Rahul Mahajan, Adv., Kulbhushan Khajuria, Adv., Balwant Thakur, Adv.

The court's decision was influenced by the interpretation of procedural rules and the acceptance of the defendants' counsel's oral submission regarding the preparation of written statements.

Headnote:

Commercial Courts Act - Extension of Time for Filing Written Statement - Section 63 of Commercial Courts Act - Order 5 Rule 1 CPC - High Court Rules and Orders - Section 129 of CPC - H.P. High Court Rules and Orders - Written Statement Filing

Fact of the Case:

Defendants were served at different times, and one defendant was proceeded against ex-parte. Plaintiff's counsel argued that no further time should be granted to the defendants to file their written statements based on the provisions of Section 63 of Commercial Courts Act and the High Court Rules and Orders. The court rejected this argument as the suit fell outside the statutory definition of a commercial dispute.

Finding of the Court:

The court rejected the plaintiff's argument regarding the inapplicability of previous court verdicts and made a decision based on the interpretation of provisions of Order 8 Rule 1 CPC, Section 129 of CPC, and H.P. High Court Rules and Orders. The court accepted the oral submission of the defendants' counsel and granted a last opportunity for the defendants to file their written statements within three weeks.

Issues: Service of defendants, time for filing written statements, applicability of previous court verdicts, interpretation of procedural rules

Ratio Decidendi: The court's decision was based on the interpretation of procedural rules and the acceptance of the defendants' counsel's oral submission regarding the preparation of written statements.

Final Decision: The court permitted the defendants to file their written statements within three weeks and allowed the written statement already on record to be taken on record. The application was disposed of, and the plaintiff's counsel was permitted to file a replication within the specified period.

JUDGMENT :

Sureshwar Thakur, J.

Defendant No. 1 became served, on 28.12.2018, defendant No. 2 became served, on 27.12.2018, defendant No. 3 became served, on 20.12.2018, defendant No. 5 became served on 20.12.2018, Defendant No. 6 became served, on 27.6.2019, and, defendant No. 7 became served, through, one Bhim Singh. However, defendant No. 4, stood proceeded, against ex-parte on 11.9.2019.

2. Written statements, to, the plaint, stands filed, on, behalf of co-defendants No. 3. The afore instituted written statement, on behalf, of co-defendant No. 3, becomes instituted, upon, time, becoming granted, for, the afore purpose, rather under orders recorded, on 11.9.2019. However, the learned senior Advocate, appearing for the plaintiff, submits, that the written statement, instituted on behalf of defendant No. 3, being not taken on record, nor any further time, being granted, to, the other errant defendants, to, hence institute their respective written statements. She has made the afore submission, on anvil, of the sub-Section (3) of Section 63 of Commercial Courts Act, (i) wherein any Rule, in the High Court of H.P. Rules and Orders, and, appertaining, to, extensions of time, to, file written statement, (ii) and, upon theirs being in conflict, with the provisions of CPC, and, appertaining, to, special regulatory provisions, rather governing, and, regulating the granting, of, the espoused time for, institutions, of, written statements, vis--vis, the plaint, by the errant defendant concerned, (iii) rather holding paramountacy thereupon, the special amendment, appertaining to extensions of time, being granted, to, the defendant, and, as made to order 5 Rule 1 CPC, and, also appertaining to trial, of, commercial suits, rather with a rigid bar therein, that, upon expiry, of, 120 days, from, the receipt, of, summons, there being a complete statutory bar, against, further espoused extension of time, to institute their respective written statements, becoming granted, to, the defendants, also likewise holding an absolute apposite barring clout, against the defendants' right, to, institute their written statements, to, the plaint. Consequently, she espouses that with there, occurring therein rather statutory contemplations, vis--vis, forfeiture, of, rights operating qua the defendant concerned, to, thereafter seek time, for institution of written statement, to the plaint, hence the instituted written statement, being ordered, to, be taken off the record, and, also no further opportunity, being granted, to, the other errant defendants. However, the afore submission is rejected, as the nature/genre of the suit, and, also the relief, cast therein, visibly appertains, to, relief of damages, arising, from tort, of, libel, and the afore, genre, of, the extant suit, does render it, to, fall, outside the statutory, definition, of, a commercial dispute, as embodied in, Clause (c) of Section 2, of, the Commercial Courts Act. Conspicuously, hence all the afore submissions, reiteratedly become rudderless.

3. However, the learned counsel, for, the plaintiff has made a further submission, vis--vis, inapplicability here at rather the verdicts, rendered by this Court, in OMP No. 67 of 2016 in Civil Suit No. 89 of 2016, titled as Smt. Gopi Merchant versus Smt. Ujwala Chauhan and another, and in OMPs No. 531 2018 and 550 of 2018, in Civil Suit No. 1 of 2018, case titled as Anil Kumar and another versus Smt. Ujwala Chauhan and another, (i) wherein this Court, rather had, made an interpretation, vis--vis, the provisions of Order 8 Rule 1 CPC, and also vis--vis, Section 129 of the CPC, provisions whereof stand extracted hereinafter:

"129. Power of High Court to make rules as to their original Civil Procedure:- Notwithstanding anything in this code, any High Court not being the Court of a Judicial Commissioner may make such rules not inconsistent with the Letters Patent or order or other law establishing it to regulate its own procedure in the exercise of its origina

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