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2003 Supreme(All) 2988

IN THE HIGH COURT OF ALLAHABAD
S.U. KHAN, J.
Deepak Soni - Appellant
Versus
8th Additional District Judge and Others - Respondent
C.M.W.P. No. 24743 of 2000
Decided On : 13-10-2003

Advocates:
Advocate Appeared:
For the Appellant : Suresh Chandra Dwivedi.
For the Respondent: Rajesh Tandon and S.C.

Compliance with procedural rules, proper notification to the parties, and the interest of justice in deciding matters on merit unless there is extreme negligence or deliberate absence of the Defendant.

Headnote:

restoration application - eviction suit - Rule 89A of General Rule Civil - [Rule 89A General Rule Civil] - The court allowed the restoration application of the tenant Petitioner on the grounds that Rule 89A General Rule Civil was not complied with, and the Defendant was not properly informed about the transfer of the case and the date fixed in the transferee court after his previous counsel had intimated that the client had taken away the file from him. The court set aside the impugned judgments and orders and allowed the restoration application on payment of 10,000 rupees costs.

Fact of the Case:

The tenant Petitioner filed a restoration application after the suit for ejectment against him was decreed ex parte due to his non-appearance. The restoration application was rejected by the courts below, leading to the filing of this writ petition.

Finding of the Court:

The court found that the conduct of the tenant Petitioner was not aboveboard, but there was an apparent error in the orders passed by the courts below rejecting the restoration application. The court also emphasized the importance of deciding the matter on merit unless the Defendant has been extremely negligent and his absence is deliberate.

Issues: The issues revolved around the rejection of the restoration application, compliance with Rule 89A of General Rule Civil, and the Defendant's knowledge about the transfer of the case and the date fixed in the transferee court.

Ratio Decidendi: The court held that Rule 89A General Rule Civil was not complied with, and the Defendant was not properly informed about the transfer of the case and the date fixed in the transferee court. The court also emphasized that it is in the interest of justice to decide the matter on merit unless the Defendant has been extremely negligent and his absence is deliberate.

Final Decision: The court set aside the impugned judgments and orders, allowed the restoration application on payment of 10,000 rupees costs, and directed both parties to appear before the IInd Additional J.S.C.C., Kanpur Nagar on a specified date.

JUDGMENT :

S.U. KHAN, J.

1. This writ petition is directed against the orders dismissing the restoration application of tenant Petitioner by trial court and dismissing the revision against the said order by revisional court.

2. Landlord Respondent No. 3 filed suit for ejectment against the tenant Petitioner being S.C.C. suit No. 269 of 1994 on the file of J.S.C.C., Kanpur Nagar. In the said suit an order was passed by J.S.C.C., on 17.12.1997, against which revision was filed by the tenant Petitioner, in which the file of the suit was summoned. The revision was dismissed on 5.3.1998. Thereafter suit proceeded before J.S.C.C. and IInd Additional J.S.C.C., where Petitioner did not appear and the suit was decreed ex parte on 27.10.1998 by IInd Additional J.S.C.C. The tenant Petitioner filed restoration application on 23.11.1998 stating therein that after dismissal of revision on 5.3.1998, his previous counsel who was conducting the case at that time told him that he would be intimated about the date fixed by the J.S.C.C. and then he would inform him (Defendant) about the same ; that on 20.11.1998, he heard that the suit had been decreed ex parte, hence he engaged another counsel. The tenant Petitioner further stated in restoration application that as he was waiting for the information about the date from his previous counsel which he did not receive, hence he could not appear in the suit. The original file of the J.S.C.C. was received back in the Court on 22.3.1998 after dismissal of the revision on 5.3.1998. On 10.4.1998, parties were present in the Court of J.S.C.C., however, as Presiding Officer was on leave, hence 14.5.1998 was fixed as the next date for hearing. On 14.5.1998 Plaintiff's counsel was present, however, no one was present for Defendant, hence the case was adjourned to 6.7.1998 and it was also directed that the Defendant's counsel must be informed. On 6.7.1998, again an order was passed directing that Defendant's counsel Sri Ganga Narain Jaiswal must be informed and 12.8.1998 was fixed as the next date of hearing. Daftari, Kanhaiya Lal gave report on order sheet on 18.7.1998 that Sri Jaiswal, learned Counsel for the Defendant informed him that the client had taken away his file, however, Sri Jaiswal refused to sign the order sheet.

3. On 12.8.1998, the suit was transferred from the Court of J.S.C.C. to the Court of IInd Additional J.S.C.C. in view of an administrative order dated 6.8.1998, passed by District Judge. The parties were directed to appear before the transferee court on 24.8.1998. On the order sheet dated 12.8.1998, whereby the file was directed to be transferred to IInd Additional J.S.C.C. and 24.8.1998 was fixed, Sri Jaiswal, learned Counsel for the Defendant made his signature. The Defendant vehemently denied the signatures of Sri Jaiswal on the order sheet dated 12.8.1998. Defendant also asserted that the report of daftari dated 18.7.1998, was also wrong. The Defendant also asserted in the restoration application that the ex parte decree should be set aside as Rule 89A of General Rule Civil was not complied with, as no information of transfer of suit was given to him.

4. The restoration application (registered as Misc. Case No. 62/74/1998) was rejected by the IInd Additional J.S.C.C., Kanpur Nagar, on 20.4.1999. The tenant Petitioner filed revision against the same being S.C.C. Revision No. 120 of 1999. The said revision was also dismissed by VIIIth Additional District Judge, Kanpur, through judgment and order dated 14.10.1999. This writ petition is directed against the aforesaid judgment and orders.

5. The revisional court has also considered the previous defaults of the tenant which were not at all relevant.

6. Even though the conduct of the tenant Petitioner is not aboveboard and his anxiety to delay the proceedings is writ large on the face of the record, however, there is an apparent error in the orders passed by the courts below rejecting the restoration application. Even otherwise, it is always in t




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