2012 Supreme(All) 2624
ALLAHABAD HIGH COURT
BEFORE : B. AMIT STHALEKAR, J.
Smt. SHANTI DEVI ...Petitioner
Versus
ADDITIONAL DISTRICT JUDGE (E.C.ACT), MAINPURI AND OTHERS ....Respondents
(Civil Misc. Writ Petition No. 14464 of 2000, decided on 3rd October, 2012)
Counsel :
H.M. Srivastava for the Petitioner; C.S.C., Vipin Sinha and Satish Chaturvedi for the Respondents.
Headnote:Code of Civil Procedure, 1908—Order IX, Rule 13—Indian Contract Act, 1872—Section 128—Surety's liability—Deficiency in stamp duty—If the interest and liability of the surety was co-extensive with that of the principal debtor, when the suit was restored on an application of the principal debtor and the ex parte decree set aside—It would automatically imply that the suit had been restored so far as the other defendants whose rights and liabilities were co-extensive of the principal debtor—In view of such facts, impugned order illegal. [Para 10]
Hon’ble B. Amit Sthalekar, J.—By this writ petition the petitioner is seeking quashing of the revisional order dated 29.2.2000 and the order dated 10.8.1998.
2. The facts of the case, in brief, are that the respondent No. 3, Bank of India filed an original suit No. 169 of 1987 against the respondent Nos. 4,5 and 6 as well as the petitioner, who were all arrayed as defendants in the said suit. The said suit was decreed ex parte on 11.4.1988 without any notice to the petitioner or respondent Nos. 4, 5 and 6. An application for setting aside the ex parte decree was filed by the respondent No. 4. The Court by its order dated 1.8.1994 allowed the said application filed by the respondent No. 4 and set aside the ex parte decree dated 11.4.1988 only to the extent of the respondent No. 4 with certain conditions therein.
3. Aggrieved by the said order the respondent No. 4 filed Civil Misc. Writ Petition No. 27548 of 1974, in which an interim order was granted on 31.8.1994 with a direction to the petitioner to furnish security for an amount of Rs. one lakh, other than cash or bank guarantee and subject to that condition the order dated 1.8.1994 was stayed and a further direction was given that the trial Court shall ensure the expeditious disposal of the suit. The proceedings in the suit thereafter has been commenced again. Power of Attorney, guarantee letter and demand letter were filed as an evidence.
4. Thereafter a prayer was made by the petitioner for reference to the Collector that there was a deficiency of the stamp duty paid with respect to the demand draft. This application was marked as paper No. 168 Ga II. These two applications, namely, 167 Ga and 168 Ga II were, however, rejected by the Civil Judge on the ground that the suit has not been restored as against the petitioner and, therefore, she had no right to file the application. Accordingly the application were rejected by the order dated 10.8.1998.
5. Aggrieved by the order dated 10.8.1998 the petitioner filed a civil revision No. 139 of 1998 which, however, was dismissed on 14.7.1999 without any notice to the petitioner, on the ground that she had no right to move the application for recall of the said order dated 10.8.1998, as the original suit had not been restored as against her. This order was challenged by the petitioner by filing a civil revision which too was rejected by the respondent No. 1 by the impugned order dated 29.2.2000.
6. I have heard Shri H.M. Srivastava, learned counsel for the petitioner and the learned standing counsel appearing for the respondent Nos. 1 and 2. List has been revised. No one appears for the respondent Nos. 3, 4, 5 and 6.
7. The submission of learned counsel for the petitioner is that since the petitioner was a surety for the respondent No. 4 M/s Ravi Brick Works, therefore, if the ex parte decree dated 11.4.1988 had been restored in favour of the respondent No. 4 it would automatically mean that it would restore so far as the petitioner was concerned. The petitioner has referred to the provisions of Order IX Rule 13 of Code of Civil Procedure (the Code) as well as Section 128 of the Contract Act. The Order IX Rule 13 of the Code reads as under:
“O.IX Rule 13. Setting aside decree ex parte against defendants.—In any case in which a decree is passed ex parte against a defendant, he may apply to the Court by which the decree was passed for an order to set it aside; and if he satisfies the Court that the summons was not duly served, or that he was prevented by any sufficient cause from appearing when the suit was called on for hearing, the Court shall make an order setting aside the decree as against him upon such terms as to costs, payment into Court or otherwise as it thinks fit, and shall appoint a day for proceeding with the suit.
Provided that where the decree is of such a nature that it cannot be set aside as against such defendant only it may be set aside as against all or any of the other defendants also:
Provided further t