IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH
Manjari Nehru Kaul, J.
Sahib Singh Sabi – Appellant
Versus
M/s Balbir Singh & Sons & Anr. – Respondents
CR-3773 of 2022
Decided On : 27-09-2022
Revision Petition - Examination of Plaintiff as Witness - Plaintiff's Right to Testify - The court held that the plaintiff, being the best witness in support of his case, cannot be precluded from examining himself, even if the suit had been filed through an attorney holder. The aim of the judicial process is to discover the truth for just adjudication, and the impugned order was not an abuse of the process of law or fundamental principles of justice.
Fact of the Case:
The petitioner challenged the order dismissing the application for rejection of the plaintiff's affidavit, arguing that the plaintiff, who had filed the suit through an attorney holder, should not have been allowed to subsequently testify as a witness.
Finding of the Court:
The court found that the plaintiff's right to testify in support of his case cannot be precluded, and the impugned order was not an abuse of the process of law or fundamental principles of justice.
Issues: The issue was whether the plaintiff, who had filed the suit through an attorney holder, could subsequently testify as a witness in support of his case.
Ratio Decidendi: The court held that the aim of the judicial process is to discover the truth for just adjudication, and the plaintiff's right to testify as the best witness in support of his case cannot be denied.
Final Decision: The revision petition was dismissed in limine as it was devoid of any merit.
JUDGMENT
Manjari Nehru Kaul, J. (Oral). - The petitioner is impugning the order dated 15.07.2022 passed by the learned Trial Court vide which the application for rejection of the plaintiff's affidavit was dismissed.
2. Learned counsel submits that the impugned order is not in consonance with the settled principles of law. He has vehemently argued that the suit in question had been filed by the respondent/plaintiff through his power of attorney holder Balbir Singh. The said attorney holder had appeared in witness box as PW-2 and tendered his duly sworn affidavit in his examination-in-chief wherein he had categorically stated that he was fully conversant with the facts of the case. Not only this, thereafter said Balbir Singh was cross-examined by the counsel of the petitioner/defendant as well. However, subsequently to the utter surprise of the petitioner, the respondent/plaintiff himself appeared in the witness box as PW-3 and tendered his duly sworn affidavit in his examination-in-chief. Learned counsel has urged that once the attorney holder through whom the suit in question had been instituted and who while stepping into the witness box as PW-2 had categorically deposed that he was fully conversant with the facts of the case, therefore, the plaintiff in the circumstances could not subsequently get himself examined in support of his case. He has also submitted that the Trial Court had failed to appreciate that it was nothing but an attempt by the plaintiff to fill in the lacunae in the testimony of the attorney holder Balbir Singh. In support, learned counsel has placed reliance upon a judgment of the Karnataka High Court in Smt. Leela Vijay Kumar Vs. Smt. Pooja P Kamath : 2019(2) AIR Kar R 111.
3. I have heard learned counsel and perused the relevant material on record.
4. This Court does not find any force in the submissions made by the learned counsel that as the suit in question had been filed through attorney holder, the plaintiff could not lateron step into the witness box in support of his case. The respondent/plaintiff being the best witness in support of his case cannot thus be precluded from examining himself due to the suspicion of the petitioner that the plaintiff was attempting to fill in the lacunae in the case.
5. It would not be out of context to observe here that the aim of every judicial process is to discover and arrive at the truth for just and effective adjudication of the matter in issue. The case law relied upon by the learned counsel would not come to his rescue as the impugned order cannot be said to be an abuse of the process of law much less fundamental principles of law and justice.
6. As a sequel to the above, this Court is not inclined to invoke its revisional jurisdiction and set aside the impugned order.
7. Accordingly, the instant revision petition being devoid of any merit is dismissed in limine.
A party cannot reopen evidence on grounds of prior counsel's negligence; integrity of trial procedures must be upheld.
A witness can be permitted to state on oath about an error crept in the affidavit already filed and allow him to make his own statement about the said fact, and proceed thereafter for cross-examinati....
The main legal point established is that permitting a new plaintiff to file an affidavit at a late stage of the trial, after the original plaintiff had already done so, would amount to a denovo trial....
The main legal point established in the judgment is that procedural lapses and non-compliance with the provisions of CPC may not warrant exclusion of evidence if the party is not prejudiced, and the ....
The trial Court must enforce attendance of witnesses and cannot close evidence without taking necessary coercive measures, ensuring fair opportunity for parties to present their case.
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