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1996 Supreme(All) 957

HIGH COURT OF ALLAHABAD
M.Katju
SUSHIL KUMAR
Versus
XTH ADDL DISTRICT JUDGE BAREILLY
Decided On : 30 August 1996
C. M. W. P. No. 33058 of 1993

Advocates Appeared:
A.Hajela, M.M.D.Agrawal, SUBODH KUMAR,

No amendment to the pleadings should be allowed in appeal or revision if it entails leading fresh evidence, unless the amendment is of a purely legal nature requiring no further evidence.

Headnote:

Amendment of Pleadings - Tenant's Right to Amend Pleadings - The court held that no amendment to the pleadings should ordinarily be allowed in appeal or revision if it entails leading fresh evidence, unless the amendment is of a purely legal nature requiring no further evidence. The court emphasized that an appeal is not an absolute continuation of the suit and that fresh evidence is not ordinarily allowed in appeal. The petitioner's attempt to seek amendment at the revisional stage, which would entail leading fresh evidence, was not permissible under Order XLI Rule 27 C. P. C.

Fact of the Case:

The petitioner, a tenant, filed a writ petition against the impugned order which rejected his application for amendment of pleadings in a suit for eviction filed by the landlord.

Finding of the Court:

The court found no merit in the writ petition and dismissed it, emphasizing that no amendment to the pleadings should be allowed in appeal or revision if it entails leading fresh evidence.

Issues: The issue was whether the petitioner's application for amendment of pleadings at the revisional stage, which would entail leading fresh evidence, should be allowed.

Ratio Decidendi: The court held that no amendment to the pleadings should ordinarily be allowed in appeal or revision if it entails leading fresh evidence, unless the amendment is of a purely legal nature requiring no further evidence.

Final Decision: The writ petition was dismissed, and the court upheld the impugned order rejecting the petitioner's application for amendment of pleadings.

M. KATJU. J.

This writ petition has been filed against the impugned order dated 21-8-1993.

2. I have heard learned Counsel for the parties. I do not find any merit in this writ petition.

3. It appears that the petitioner is a tenant in the premises in dispute of which the respondent is the landlord. The respon dents filed a suit for eviction against the petitioner which was decreed by the trial court on 3-3-1990. The petitioner filed a revision against that judgment. During the course of revision he

sought amendment in the pleading. That application has been rejected by the impugned order, hence, this writ petition.

4. The settled law is that ordinarily no fresh evidence is allowed in appeal or revision. The parties have to rely on the same evidence which they led before the trial court while arguing the appeal or revision. It is only in the exceptional cir cumstances mentioned in Order XLI Rule 27 that fresh evidence is allowed in appeal. It follows as a logical corollary that no amendment to the pleadings should or dinarily be allowed in appeal or revision if it entails leading fresh evidence. It is only if the fresh evidence consequent to such amendment is permissible by Order XLI Rule 27 C. P. C. or if the amendment is of a purely legal nature requiring no further evidence mat such amendment of the plead ing should be allowed at the stage of appeal or revision. In the present case the petitioner did not seek any amendment to the pleading when the case was pending before the trial court. No doubt, according to the Order VI Rule 17 C. P. C. amendment can be allowed at any stage but the proposi tion that an appeal is a continuation of the suit is not an absolute proposition. In a certain sense an appeal is a continuation of the suit, but in another sense it is not. For example, as observed above, no fresh evidence is ordinarily allowed in appeal. The petitioner did not seek amendment at the time when the suit was pending in the trial court. Since the amendment would re quire adducing of fresh evidence at the revisional stage, it can not be allowed now. It may be noticed that in his written statement the petitioner had admitted that the shop in question was built in 1970. By the amendment sought to be made at the revisional stage he sought to change his plea and allege that the shop was built in 1966-67. This will certainly entail leading fresh evidence, and no good reason has been given why such a plea was not taken before the trial court. Hence, the evidence which. will be led if such an amendment is allowed would not be permissible under Order XLI Rule27c. P. C.

5. Hence, I do not find any infirmity in the impugned order. The writ petition is accordingly dismissed.

Petition dismissed.


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