IN THE HIGH COURT OF ALLAHABAD
B. L. Yadav, J.
STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH - Appellant
Versus
III ADDITIONAL DISTRICT JUDGE, AZAMGARH - Respondents
Civil Misc. Writ Petn. 938 Of 1988
Decided On : 09/27/1988
RESTORATION OF SUIT - ORDER 9 RULE 13 CPC - REVISION - SCOPE - JURISDICTION - FINDINGS OF FACT - INTERFERENCE BY REVISIONAL COURT - LIMITATION ACT (36 OF 1963), SEC. 5 - CONDONATION OF DELAY - RE-EXAMINATION BY REVISIONAL COURT.
Fact of the Case:
The defendants filed an application for restoration under Order 9, Rule 13 of the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC) accompanied by an affidavit and application for condonation of delay under Section 5 of the Limitation Act, which was allowed by the trial court. The plaintiff preferred a revision which was allowed by the impugned order. The defendants challenged the impugned order by filing a petition under Article 226 of the Constitution seeking a writ of certiorari to quash the impugned order.
Finding of the Court:
The court held that the findings of the trial court pertaining to the condonation of delay in filing the restoration application under Section 5 of the Limitation Act and restoration of the suit under Order 9, Rule 13 of the CPC cannot be set aside by the revisional court in exercise of powers under Section 115 of the CPC. The court further held that the revisional court assumed the jurisdiction of the first appellate court, whereas it has only the limited jurisdiction of a revisional court.
Issues: 1. Whether the findings of the trial court pertaining to the condonation of delay in filing the restoration application under Section 5 of the Limitation Act and restoration of the suit under Order 9, Rule 13 of the CPC can be set aside by the revisional court in exercise of powers under Section 115 of the CPC? 2. Whether the revisional court can re-examine the grounds for condonation of delay under Section 5 of the Limitation Act?
Ratio Decidendi: 1. The court held that the findings of the trial court pertaining to the condonation of delay in filing the restoration application under Section 5 of the Limitation Act and restoration of the suit under Order 9, Rule 13 of the CPC cannot be set aside by the revisional court in exercise of powers under Section 115 of the CPC because such findings are findings of fact and cannot be re-examined by the revisional court. 2. The court held that the revisional court cannot re-examine the grounds for condonation of delay under Section 5 of the Limitation Act because such grounds were already considered and decided by the trial court.
Final Decision: The court allowed the petition and quashed the impugned order. The court also directed the trial court to decide the suit on merits within a period of 6 months from the date a certified copy of the order is produced before it.
( 1 ) WHETHER the findings, which were essentially findings of fact, given by the trial Court about the sufficient cause, having been made out by the defendants under Order 9 Rule 13 of the Code of Civil Procedure (for short the Code) for restoring the suit, can be set aside by the revisional court under Section 115 of the Code, or only questions pertaining to the jurisdiction could have been gone into by the revisional Court and whether the grounds for condonation of delay under section 5 of the Limitation Act (for short the Act) could be re-examined by the Revisiona! Court are the short questions for consideration in the present petition filed by the defendants under article 226 of the Constitution seeking the relief for writ of certiorari quashing impugned order dated 7-9-1987 passed by IIIrd Additional District Judge, in revision.
( 2 ) THE portrayal of essential facts are these. The plaintiff? respondent No. 2 has filed Suit No. 337 of 1983 in the Court of Munsiff for permanent injunction restraining the defendants/present petitioners from realising the amount of pension already paid to him and the suit was decreed ex parte on 27-9-1985 as the defendants, present petitioners were not present. The defendants/present petitioners filed an application for restoration under Order 9, Rule 13 of the code accompanied by an affidavit and application for condonation of delay under Section 5 of the Limitation Act which was allowed by an order dated 31st October, 1986. Against that order plaintiff/respondent No. 2 preferred a revision which has been allowed by the impugned order. Hence present petition.
( 3 ) MR. K. B. Mathur, learned counsel for the petitioners, urged that sufficient cause for non-appearance of the petitioners, as required by Order 9, Rule 13 of the Code was explained in the affidavit filed in support of the restoration application and grounds for condonation of delay in filing the restoration application were made out and explained in the affidavit filed in support of the application under Section 5 of the Limitation Act. The affidavits filed by the petitioners were relied upon by the trial Court and delay was condoned and sufficient cause was made out for restoration of the suit. These findings of the trial Court about the sufficient cause being made out for restoration of the suit and for condonation of delay in filing the restoration application, were findings of fact, even if they were perverse, could not have been set aside in revision filed under Section 115 of the Code.
( 4 ) MR. K. P. Agarwal learned counsel for the respondents on the other hand urged that the learned Additional Distt. Judge has correctly scrutinised the cause for restoration of the suit and condonation of delay in filing. the restoration application and in the instant case the Revisional court has correctly interfered to meet the ends of justice.
( 5 ) HAVING heard learned counsel for the parties, as stated above, main points for determination in this case are whether the findings of the trial Court pertaining to the condonation of delay in filing the restoration application under Section 5 of Limitation Act and restoration of the suit under Order 9, Rule 13 of the Code can be set aside by the Revisional Court in exercise of powers under Section 115 of the Code.
( 6 ) BROADLY speaking High Court or the District Judge or Additional Distt. Judge as the case may be according to the nature of the suit may interfere under Section 115 of the Code only if the subordinate Court appears to have exercised jurisdiction not vested in it by law or if acted with material irregularity. Even though Section 115 of the Code has been amended by the State amendment on a number of times but substantially for our purposes it remains the same. The iiird clause in Section 115 pertaining to have acted in exercise of jurisdiction illegally or with material irregularity must also relate to some defect in jurisdiction pointed out under Clause A or b.
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