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2009 Supreme(Online)(Gau) 5

GAUHATI HIGH COURT
,
Chitta Ranjan Kar v. State of Tripura and Others
R. F. A. 39 of 2001 | Special Leave Petition (Civil) No. 6149 of 2007



Advocates:
For the Appellants/Petitioners: Mr. B. Das
For the Respondents: Mr. T.D. Majumder

Inherent power to review exists when decisions are made without jurisdiction, allowing for restoration of appeal to avoid injustice.

Headnote:(A) Civil Procedure Code - Sections 114, 151, and Orders 41 and 47 - Review of judgment and decree - Application for review allowed due to the dismissal on merit in absence of counsel being treated as dismissal in default - Court's inherent powers can be invoked to prevent injustice. (Paras 1, 4, 36)

(B) Review application - Maintainability - Court clarifies that remedy under Order 41, Rule 19 for re-admission of appeal does not preclude filing for review under Order 47. (Paras 8, 35)

Facts of the case:
The petitioner sought to review the judgment and decree dated 4-12-2006, which dismissed his appeal on merit due to the absence of learned counsel, despite a claim for costs associated with construction work commissioned by the government. (Paras 1-3)

Findings of Court:
The order dismissing the appeal on merits was found to have been made without jurisdiction and thus constitutes an error that could be corrected by review. (Paras 30-31)

Issues: The key issue was whether the dismissal on merits due to absence of counsel constituted a valid ground for review and the invocation of inherent powers of the court. (Paras 8, 34)

Ratio Decidendi: The court ruled that dismissing an appeal on merits in the absence of representation is an evident error, meriting review to ensure justice, thereby allowing the restoration of the appeal. (Paras 36-37)

Result: Review petition allowed, and the appeal is restored for hearing on merit.

Table of Content
1. petition is for review of judgment. (Para 1 , 2 , 3)
2. issues framed and evidence presented. (Para 4 , 5 , 6 , 7)
3. questions of maintainability arise. (Para 8)
4. arguments on jurisdiction and review criteria. (Para 9 , 10 , 11)
5. discussion on court fees and indigent status. (Para 12 , 13)
6. provisions of cpc concerning review and jurisdiction. (Para 14 , 15 , 16 , 17)
7. discussion on error apparent and review limitations. (Para 18 , 19 , 20 , 21)
8. court's inherent power to correct errors. (Para 22 , 23)
9. justice must prevail over technicalities. (Para 24 , 25 , 26)
10. discussion of past judgments allowing review. (Para 27 , 28)
11. court must rectify apparent mistakes. (Para 29 , 30)
12. review application based on procedural errors. (Para 31 , 32)
13. distinguishing reasons for relief under different provisions. (Para 33 , 34)
14. finding that dismissal should be treated as default. (Para 35)
15. prior proceedings to slp not detrimental. (Para 36)
16. order restoring the appeal for re-hearing. (Para 37 , 38)

1. This petition under S.114 read with O.47 of the CPC is filed for review of the judgment and decree dated 4-12-2006 passed in R. F. A. 39 of 2001 dismissing the appeal of the appellant petitioner on merit in absence of the learned Counsel for the parties, preferred under S.96 read with O.41 of the CPC against the judgment and decree dated 25-9-2001 passed by the learned Civil Judge, Senior Division, Court No. 1, West Tripura, Agartala in Money Suit No. 25, of 2000, whereby, the claim of the appellant petitioner was rejected.

2. Aggrieved by, the appellant petitioner filed special leave petition before the Hon'ble Supreme Court seeking special leave to Appeal (Civil) No. 6149 of 2007 which was also dismissed on withdrawal. The order of the Apex Court reads as follows :
"Learned counsel for the petitioner wants to withdraw this petition stating that she will move the High Court.
The Special Leave Petition is dismissed as withdrawn."


3. The case of the appellant petitioner was that he was issued work order for the work of construction of Sale Hall at Sundar Tilla Market under Mohanpur (Sidhal) vide No. F. 4(14) Agri / EE / W / 85-86/3406-11 dated 7-3-1986 and for the work of construction of Sale Hall Development Market (Block I and II) at Hapania under Sadar, West Tripura vide work order No. 4(36) Agr / EE / W / 89-90 / 1082 dated 2-8-1989 and Work Order No. 4(36) - Agri / EE / W / 89-90/12-06-1209 dated 9-8-1989. According to the appellant petitioner, during construction of the said work, he was asked to execute some extra works. Accordingly, after completion of the works, final bill was prepared, but he was not paid in full of the final bill. Consequently, he filed a suit in the Court of Civil Judge, Senior Division No. 1, West Tripura, Agartala praying for a money decree against the defendant respondents towards recovery of the cost incurred for execution of the said works.

4. On pleading of the parties, learned Court below framed the following issues :
A. Is the suit maintainable and has the plaintiff cause of action for the present suit?
B. Has the plaintiff completed the work as per terms and condition of work order? If so, what is the cost of the work?
C. Is the plaintiff entitled to get money decree in this suit with interest and cost, as prayed for?
D. What other relief / reliefs the parties are entitled to get?




5. The appellant petitioner examined himself as P. W. 1 by exhibiting as many as 25 documents as exhibits and the defendants respondents examined only one witness, namely, Dipak Ghosh, as D. W. 1 and placed on records as many as 17 exhibits (Ext. A to Ext. Q).

6. After considering the materials as well as evidences on record, the learned Civil Judge analyzed each issue for adjudication and by judgment dated 25-9-2001 dismissed the suit rejecting the claim of the appellant petitioner.

7. Dissatisfied with the said judgment, the appellant petitioner preferred R. F. A. No. 39 of 2001 before this Court an




















































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