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2021 Supreme(Mad) 3248

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
A.D. JAGADISH CHANDIRA, J.
R. Velladurai - Appellant
Versus
C. Tamil Selvi & Another - Respondent
C.R.P. (NPD) No. 4645 of 2017
Decided On : 21-04-2021

Advocates:
Advocate Appeared:
For the Appellant :C. Umashankar, Advocate.
For the Respondents:A.G. Rajan, Advocate.

Headnote:

Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 - Sections 115 and 47, Order XXXII Rule 12 - Seeking to set aside the order and decreetal order - Minor plaintiff - Petitioner would submit that Petitioner is the Judgment Debtor in O.S. filed by Respondents/Plaintiffs. He would further submit that First Respondent had filed suit in O.S. behalf of the Second Respondent as his mother and natural guardian - First Respondent did not bring it to the knowledge of Trial Court - He would further submit that as per Order XXXII Rule 12 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 - Minor plaintiff becomes major, he has to make an election whether to contest suit or abandon same and if he chooses to continue with suit, he has to apply for discharging of his next friend. He would further submit that in this case, Respondents have failed to do so - Respondents have filed the Execution Petition - He would further submit that even at that stage, though Second Respondent has attained majority, it was suppressed and that Execution Petition was filed only by the First Respondent as mother and natural guardian of Second Respondent in violation of Order XXXII Rule 12 of Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 – Held, Counsel for the tenant is that appellant No. 5 has become major long back and if she was to file the appeal after becoming major the same would have been time barred and thus, as she had not elected to continue with the appeal within limitation of 60 days which was the period for filing appeal, the whole appeal should be dismissed - There remains no iota of doubt, that plaintiff after attaining age of majority is required to take certain positive steps and the litigation cannot be permitted to exist in a vacuum - He cannot take the plea that he would continue to be represented by his guardian. In view of the aforesaid the impugned order is unsustainable and is accordingly set aside and plaintiff is directed to take positive steps as contemplated under Order 32 Rule 12 of the Civil Procedure Code within a period of eight weeks from today - Civil revision is accordingly allowed.

JUDGMENT :

Prayer: Civil Revision Petition filed under Section 115 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, praying to set aside the order and decreetal order dated 27.03.2017 passed in E.A. No. 688 of 2014 in E.P. No. 840 of 2013 on the file of the X Assistant Judge, City Civil Court, Chennai and allow this Civil Revision Petition.

(The case has been heard through video conference)

The Civil Revision Petition has been filed seeking to set aside the order and decreetal order dated 27.03.2017 in E.A. No. 688/2014 in E.P. No. 840 of 2013 in O.S. No. 7540 of 2000 passed by the Learned X Assistant Judge, City Civil Court, Chennai.

2. The Learned Counsel for the Petitioner would submit that the Petitioner is the Judgment Debtor in O.S. No. 7540 of 2000 filed by the Respondents/Plaintiffs. He would further submit that the First Respondent had filed the suit in O.S. No. 7540 of 2000 on behalf of the Second Respondent as his mother and natural guardian. He would further submit that even during the pendency of the suit, the Second Respondent minor had attained majority and that the First Respondent did not bring it to the knowledge of the Trial Court. He would further submit that as per Order XXXII Rule 12 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, when a minor plaintiff becomes major, he has to make an election whether to contest the suit or abandon the same and if he chooses to continue with the suit, he has to apply for discharging of his next friend. He would further submit that in this case, the Respondents have failed to do so. He would further submit that even as per the judgment dated 25.04.2012 in O.S. No. 7540 of 2000, the Second Respondent was aged 15 years during the year 1999 and subsequently, after obtaining judgment and decree, the Respondents have filed the Execution Petition in E.P. No. 840 of 2013. He would further submit that even at that stage, though the Second Respondent has attained majority, it was suppressed and that the Execution Petition was filed only by the First Respondent as mother and natural guardian of the Second Respondent in violation of Order XXXII Rule 12 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908. He would further submit that thereby, the Revision Petitioner has filed an application in E.A. No. 688 of 2014 under Section 47 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, to dismiss the E.P. No. 840 of 2013 as the decree dated 24.05.2012 passed in O.S. No. 7540 of 2000 is null and void and in executable under law. He would further submit that the Petitioner had raised two grounds, viz., one stating that the suit property is a Government property and that the name of the settlor of the Second Respondent figures in the register of the Government as encroacher and another ground is that procedure under Order XXXII Rule 12 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, has not been followed. He would further submit that though the Respondents/Plaintiffs have filed counter, they did not appear before the Execution Court and that they were set exparte, whereas the Execution Court without properly considering the objections raised by the Petitioner, had dismissed the E.A. No. 688 of 2014. He would further submit that in fact, the Second Respondent is the actual party interested in the suit and the First Respondent has filed the suit and the Execution Petition as the mother and next friend of the Second Respondent. He would further submit that the Petitioner is not aware whether the Second Respondent is interested in continuing with the execution proceedings or not, whereas the Learned Judge did not take into consideration that the Second Respondent, who is the interested person, has been kept in dark even after the decree and that the Execution Petition has been filed by mother of the Second Respondent as next friend without bringing the interested party on record. He would further submit that in view of the non-compliance of Order XXXII Rule 12 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, the decree itself has become null and void and not valid in

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