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2002 Supreme(All) 945

IN THE HIGH COURT OF ALLAHABAD
RAKESH TIWARI
BAL MUKUND PERSAD GUPTA - Appellant
Versus
MATHURA PRASAD - Respondents
CIV. REVN. 97 Of 1987
Decided On : 08/01/2002

Advocates Appeared:
K.C.SRIVASTAV, Tarun Varma

Irregularities in signing the plaint by a guardian after the defendant attained majority can be rectified in law and should not affect the jurisdiction of the court.

Headnote:

Irregularity - Civil Procedure - Order III, Rule 4, C. P. C., AIR 1966 SC 1119, Kanhaiya Lal v. Panchayat Shahara, 1994 0 AWR 217, State v. Raja Singh, 1972 All LJ 9 - The court discussed the irregularity in signing the plaint by a guardian after the defendant attained majority and referenced Order III, Rule 4, C. P. C., along with relevant case laws to emphasize that such irregularities can be rectified and should not affect the jurisdiction of the court.

Fact of the Case:

The suit was initially filed in the Court of Munsif, and the defendant, a minor at the time, had his guardian sign the plaint. After attaining majority, an objection was raised that the plaint should not be signed by the guardian, making the suit illegal.

Finding of the Court:

The Court found that the irregularity in signing the plaint by the guardian after the defendant attained majority could be rectified in law and should not affect the jurisdiction of the court.

Issues: The main issue was whether the lack of proper verification and signing of the pleading after the defendant attained majority rendered the suit illegal.

Ratio Decidendi: The court held that such irregularities can be rectified in law and should not affect the jurisdiction of the court, citing relevant legal provisions and case laws.

Final Decision: The revision was dismissed, and the Court directed the lower court to decide the suit expeditiously.

RAKESH TIWARI, J.

( 1 ) HEARD learned counsel for the parties and perused the record.

( 2 ) THIS revision is directed against the judgment and order dated 5-12-1986 passed by the Civil Judge-1, Gorakhpur in suit No. 64 of 1985 Mathura Prasad v. Smt. Rati Devi and others. By the aforesaid judgment and order dated 5-12-1986 the Civil Judge-1, Gorakhpur has decided issue No. 8 against the defendant-revisionist.

( 3 ) THE brief facts giving rise to this revision are that initially the suit was filed in the Court of Munsif. The valuation of the suit was excessive, hence the plaint was taken back for filing the same before the Civil Judge. At the time of filing of the suit defendant Mathura Prasad was aged about 19 years and during the pendency of the suit he has attained the majority. In this regard an amendment application was moved on 31/03/1980. An objection was raised that after attaining the majority the plaint should not be signed by his guardian while presenting the plaint before the Court of Civil Judge. It is alleged that since the defendant has not signed the plaint the suit has become illegal.

( 4 ) THE findings of the trial Court are assailed on the ground that the trial Court has acted illegally in deciding issue No. 8 in favour of the plaintiff and has exercised his jurisdiction with material irregularity by holding that lack of proper verification and signing of pleading is merely a mistake and can be subsequently rectified.

( 5 ) IT has been submitted by the respondents that the decision on issue No. 8 does not come within the ambit of expression any case which has been decided and as such, the revision is not maintainable against the order deciding an issue.

( 6 ) IT is not in dispute that the suit was filed by the defendant Mathura Prasad, the minor, and it was signed by his guardian and the same was maintainable and was not defective when it was filed at the relevant time.

( 7 ) IN the impugned order the Civil Judge has held that after attaining the majority defendant Mathura Prasad has committed irregularity by not signing the plaint and this irregularity can be rectified in law.

( 8 ) IN Kanhaiya Lal v. Panchayat Shahara, 1994 0 AWR 217, it was held that the act of defective presentation did not amount to any illegality and that it was a mere irregularity. It was held that in such circumstances opportunity should be offered to the applicant to have filed a Vakalatnama to remove the defect in presentation of the appeal.

( 9 ) IN State v. Raja Singh, 1972 All LJ 9 (Revenue side) it has been held that :"under Order III, Rule 4, C. P. C. no pleader can act for any person unless he is appointed for the purpose by a document in writing signed by such person or by his recognized agent or by some other person duly authorized to make such appointment. This Rule requires a Vakalatnama and for Government pleader Order XXVII, Rule 9 prescribes an alternative in the shape of a memo of appearance signed by him. Where the D. G. C. filed an appeal on behalf of the State Government but did not file his Vakalatnama or a memo of appearance, such defective presentation does not amount to any illegality. The Court should afford an opportunity to file a memo of appearance as soon as it becomes convinced of the defect. "

( 10 ) IN AIR 1966 SC 1119 shastri Yagnapurushdasji v. Muldas Bhundardas Vaishya it has been held that:"in this case, the Vakalatnama had evidently been signed by respondent No. 1 in favour of the Government Pleader in time; and so, the High Court was plainly right in allowing the Government Pleader to sign the memo of appeal and the Vakalatnama in order to remove the irregularity committed in the presentation of the appeal. We do not think that Mr. Desai is justified in contending that the High Court was in error in overruling the objection raised by the appellants before it that the appeal preferred by respondent No. 1 was incompetent. "

( 11 ) IT is against this order dated 6-12-86 the present revision has been filed








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