1
Reportable
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION
CIVIL APPEAL NO. 4923 OF 2011
[Arising out of SLP [C] No.15113 of 2008]
Mangluram Dewangan ... Appellant
Vs.
Surendra Singh & Ors. ... Respondents
J U D G M E N T
R.V.RAVEENDRAN, J.
Leave granted.
2. One Prannath filed a suit against the respondents for declaration,
possession and damages on 4.8.1989 in regard to an immovable property.
Prannath died on 12.11.1994 during the pendency of the suit. The appellant
filed an application under Order 22 Rule 3 of the Code of Civil Procedure
(`Code' for short) on 27.1.1995 to be added and substituted as the legal
representative of Prannath, claiming that he was the sole legatee under the
registered will dated 10.10.1994 executed by Prannath. The said application
was contested by the respondents-defendants. They denied the allegation
2
that deceased plaintiff Prannath had executed any will in favour of the
appellant. They contended that the appellant was not the legal heir nor
legatee of Prannath and therefore not entitled to be added as a party, as the
legal representative of the deceased plaintiff. In view of the contest to the
application, the appellant examined one Balwant who was an attesting
witness to the will. After considering the documentary and oral evidence, the
trial court (IV Civil Judge, Class II, Bilaspur) made an order dated
31.8.1996, holding that there was no acceptable evidence to prove the will
and therefore the appellant could not be held to be the legal representative of
the plaintiff. The trial court held that the application by the appellant under
Order 22 Rule 3 of the Code could not be entertained or accepted and
consequently in the absence of any legal heir of the plaintiff dismissed the
suit.
2. Feeling aggrieved the appellant filed an appeal in the court of the V
Additional District Judge, Bilaspur. The appellate court allowed the appeal
by order dated 28.1.1998. It held that the registered will was proved by
examining one of the attesting witnesses; that deceased Prannath himself had
submitted an application in court in the pending suit on 25.10.1994 referring
to the execution of his will dated 10.10.1994 and praying that his evidence
3
may be recorded without delay; and that therefore the appellant was entitled
to be impleaded as the legal representative of the deceased plaintiff. The
appellate court rejected the contention of the respondents-defendants that the
appeal was not maintainable. It held that the order of the trial court
dismissing the suit as a consequence of the rejection of the application under
Order 22 Rule 3 of the Code would fall within the definition of "decree"
under section 2(2) of the Code. The appellate court therefore set aside the
order dated 31.8.1996 passed by the trial court, permitted the appellant to be
brought on record and continue the suit as legal representative of the
plaintiff and remanded the suit to trial court under Order 41 Rule 23 of the
Code for deciding the matter on merits.
3. Respondents 1 and 2 filed a miscellaneous appeal before the High
Court, under Order 43 Rule 1(u) of the Code against the said appellate
judgment. A learned Single Judge of the Chhattisgarh High Court, by the
impugned order dated 15.4.2008 allowed the said appeal and set aside the
order dated 28.1.1998 passed by the appellate court and restored the order
dated 31.8.1996 passed by the trial court. The High Court held that the order
dated 31.8.1996 of the trial court did not amount to a decree and therefore
the appeal by the appellant before the appellate court was not maintainable.
The High Court held that an order can be a "decree" if it conclusively
4
determined the rights of parties, with regard to all or any of the matters in
controversy in the suit. The question whether Prannath executed a will in
favour of appellant and thus appellant was a legal representative of Prannath
was not an issue in controversy in the suit, but arose incidentally for
determination in view of the application of appellant for being brought on
record as the legal representative of Prannath. An order on such an
application did not decide all or any of the matters in controversy in the suit
and not a `decree' as defined under Order 2(2), and therefore, only a revision
would be a remedy against such an order and not an appeal. The High Court
after holding that the appeal was not maintainable also considered the matter
on merits and held that the trial court was justified in dismissing the
application under Order 22 Rule 3 of the Code by holding that the will was
not proved.
4. The said order of the High Court is challenged in this appeal by
special leave. The following questions arise for consideration on the
contentions urged :
(i) Whether an order of the trial court rejecting an application filed under
Order 22 Rule 3 of the Code, by a person claiming to be the legatee under
the will of the plaintiff and consequently dismissing the suit in the absence
of any legal heir, is an appealable decree?
5
(ii) Whether the High Court was justified in upholding the decision of the
trial court that the will was not proved and rejecting the application under
Order 22 Rule 3 of the Code?
Re : Question (i)
5. Order 22 deals with death of parties. Rules 1, 3, 5 and 9 of order 22 of
the Code have a bearing on the issue and relevant portions thereof are
extracted below :
"1. No abatement by party's death if right to sue survives.--The death
of a plaintiff or defendant shall not cause the suit to abate if the right to
sue survives.
3. Procedure in case of death of one of several plaintiffs or of sole
plaintiff.--(1) Where one of two or more plaintiffs dies and the right to
sue does not survive to the surviving plaintiff or plaintiffs alone, or a sole
plaintiff or sole surviving plaintiff dies and the right to the sue survives,
the Court, on an application made in that behalf, shall cause the legal
representative of the deceased plaintiff to be made a party and shall
proceed with the suit.
(2) Where within the time limited by law no application is made under
sub-rule (1) the suit shall abate so far as the deceased plaintiff is
concerned, and, on the application of the defendant, the Court may award
to him the costs which he may have incurred in defending the suit, to be
recovered from the estate of the deceased plaintiff.
5. Determination of question as to legal representative.--Where a
question arises as to whether any person is or is not the legal
representative of a deceased plaintiff or a deceased defendant, such
question shall be determined by the Court: x x x x x
9. Effect of abatement or dismissal.--(1) Where a suit abates or is
dismissed under this Order, no fresh suit shall be brought on the same
cause of action.
(2) The plaintiff or the person claiming to be the legal representative of a
deceased plaintiff or the assignee or the receiver in the case of an insolvent
6
plaintiff may apply for an order to set aside the abatement or dismissal;
and if it is proved that he was prevented by any sufficient cause from
continuing the suit, the Court shall set aside the abatement or dismissal
upon such terms as to costs or otherwise as it thinks fit".
x x x x x
(emphasis supplied)
A combined reading of the several provisions of Order 22 of the Code makes
the following position clear:
(a) When the sole plaintiff dies and the right to sue survives, on an
application made in that behalf, the court shall cause the legal representative
of the deceased plaintiff to be brought on record and proceed with the suit.
(b) If the court holds that the right to sue does not survive on the death of
the plaintiff, the suit will abate under Rule 1 of Order 22 of the Code.
(c) Even where the right to sue survives, if no application is made for
making the legal representative a party to the suit, within the time limited by
law (that is a period of 90 days from the date of death of the plaintiff
prescribed for making an application to make the legal representative a party
under Article 120 of the Limitation Act, 1963), the suit abates, as per Rule
3(2) of Order 22 of the Code.
(d) Abatement occurs as a legal consequence of (i) court holding that the
right to sue does not survive; or (ii) no application being made by any legal
representative of the deceased plaintiff to come on record and continue the
suit. Abatement is not dependant upon any formal order of the court that the
suit has abated.
7
(e) Even though a formal order declaring the abatement is not necessary
when the suit abates, as the proceedings in the suit are likely to linger and
will not be closed without a formal order of the court, the court is usually to
make an order recording that the suit has abated, or dismiss the suit by
reason of abatement under Order 22 of the Code.
(f) Where a suit abates or where the suit is dismissed, any person
claiming to be the legal representative of the deceased plaintiff may apply
for setting aside the abatement or dismissal of the suit under Order 22 Rule 9
(2) of the Code. If sufficient cause is shown, the court will set aside the
abatement or dismissal. If however such application is dismissed, the order
dismissing such an application is open to challenge in an appeal under Order
43 Rule 1(k) of the Code.
(g) A person claiming to be the legal representative cannot make an
application under rule 9(2) of order 22 for setting aside the abatement or
dismissal, if he had already applied under order 22 Rule 3 for being brought
on record within time and his application had been dismissed after an
enquiry under Rule 5 of Order 22, on the ground that he is not the legal
representative.
6. We may next consider the remedies available to an applicant whose
application under Order 22 Rule 3 of the Code, for being added as a party to
the suit as legal representative of the deceased plaintiff, has been rejected.
The normal remedies available under the Code whenever a civil court makes
an order under the Code are as under:
8
(i) Where the order is a `decree' as defined under section 2(2) of the
Code, an appeal would lie under section 96 of the Code (with a
provision for a second appeal under section 100 of the Code).
(ii) When the order is not a `decree', but is an order which is one
among those enumerated in section 104 or Rule 1 of Order 43, an
appeal would lie under section 104 or under section 104 read with
order 43, Rule 1 of the Code (without any provision for a second
appeal).
(iii) If the order is neither a `decree', nor an appealable `order'
enumerated in section 104 or Order 43 Rule 1, a revision would lie
under section 115 of the Code, if it satisfies the requirements of
that section.
When a party is aggrieved by any decree or order, he can also seek review as
provided in Section 114 subject to fulfillment of the conditions contained in
that section and Order 47 Rule 1 of the Code. Be that as it may. The
difference between a `decree' appealable under section 96 and an `order'
appealable under section 104 is that a second appeal is available in respect of
decrees in first appeals under section 96, whereas no further appeal lies from
an order in an appeal under section 104 and Order 43, Rule 1 of the Code.
The question for consideration in this case is whether the order dated
31.8.1996 of the trial court dismissing an application under Order 22 Rule 3
9
and consequently dismissing the suit is an order amenable to the remedy of
appeal or revision. If the remedy is by way of appeal, the incidental question
would be whether it is under section 96, or under section 104 read with
Order 43, Rule 1 of the Code.
7. Section 96 of the Code provides that save where otherwise expressly
provided in the body of the Code or by any other law for the time
being in force, an appeal shall lie from every decree passed by any
court exercising original jurisdiction to the court authorized to hear
appeals from the decision of such court. The word `decree' is defined
under section 2(2) of the Code thus:
"decree" means the formal expression of an adjudication which, so far as
regards the Court expressing it, conclusively determines the rights of the
parties with regard to all or any of the matters in controversy in the suit
and may be either preliminary or final. It shall be deemed to include the
rejection of a plaint and the determination of any question within section
144, but shall not include -
(a) any adjudication from which an appeal lies as an appeal from an
order, or
(b) any order of dismissal for default.
Explanation.--A decree is preliminary when further proceedings have to
be taken before the suit can be completely disposed of. It is final when
such adjudication completely disposes of the suit. It may be partly
preliminary and partly final;"
1
A reading of the definition of decree in Section 2(2) shows that the
following essential requirements should be fulfilled if an order should be
treated as a `decree' :
(i) there should be an adjudication in a suit;
(ii) the adjudication should result in a formal expression which is
conclusive so far as the court expressing it;
(iii) the adjudication should determine the rights of parties with regard
to all or any of the matters in controversy in the suit; and
(iv) the adjudication should be one from which an appeal does not lie
as an appeal from an order (under section 104 and order 43
Rule 1 of the Code) nor should it be an order dismissing the suit
for default.
(emphasis supplied)
8. There is no dispute that the order dated 31.8.1996 made on the
application under Rules 3 and 5 of Order 22 of the trial court satisfies
requirements (i) and (ii). The question is whether it satisfies the third and
fourth requirements. We may first consider the fourth requirement. No
appeal is provided against an order under Order 22 Rule 3 and 5 of the Code,
either under section 104 or Order 43 Rule 1 of the Code. Clause (k) of Rule
1 of Order 43 of the Code however provides that an appeal shall lie under
Section 104 of the Code, from an order under Rule 9 of Order 22 refusing to
set aside the abatement or dismissal of a suit. Sub-Rule (2) of Rule 9 of
Order 22 permits a legal representative of a deceased plaintiff to apply for an
1
order to set aside the abatement or dismissal under Order 22 of the Code. An
order under Rule 9(2) refusing to set aside an abatement or dismissal of the
suit is contemplated, only where there is abatement or dismissal under order
22 and an application has been made by a legal representative to set aside
such abatement or dismissal. But where a person claiming to be the legal
representative had already filed an application under Order 22 Rule 3 within
the period of limitation, and such application has been dismissed on the
ground that he is not a legal representative, there is no question of such
applicant under Order 22 Rule 3, filing an application under Rule 9(2) for
setting aside the abatement or dismissal. An application under Rule 9(2) can
be filed only if there is abatement or dismissal under Order 22 on account of
no application being made. Therefore when an order is passed under Order
22 Rules 3 and 5 of the Code, dismissing an application by a person
claiming to be a legal representative on the ground that he is not a legal
representative and consequently dismissing the suit, it will not be a dismissal
under Rule 9(2) of Order 22 which is amenable for an appeal under section
104 read with Order 43 Rule 1(k) of the Code. It therefore follows that an
order under Order 22 Rule 3 and 5 is not appealable under section 104 or
Order 43 Rule 1 of the Code.
1
9. Having found that the order under Order dated 31.8.1996 complied
with requirements (i), (ii) and (iv), what remains to be considered is whether
it fulfils requirement (iii) also, so that it will answer the definition of decree
in section 2(2) of the Code. Requirement (iii) is that the adjudication must
determine the rights of the parties with regard to all or any of the matters in
controversy in the suit. The applicant in an application under Order 22 Rule
3 is not a party to the suit. An application under Order 22 Rule 3 is by a non-
party requesting the court to make him a party as the legal representative of
the deceased plaintiff. Necessarily unless the applicant in the application
under Order 22 Rule 3 allowed and the applicant is permitted to come on
record as the legal representative of the deceased, he will continue to be a
non-party to the suit. When such an application by a non-party is dismissed
after a determination of the question whether he is a legal representative of
the deceased plaintiff, there is no adjudication determining the rights of
parties to the suit with regard to all or any of the matters in controversy in
the suit. It is determination of a collateral issue as to whether the applicant,
who is not a party, should be permitted to come on record as the legal
representative of the deceased. Therefore an order dismissing an application
under Order 22 Rule 3 after an enquiry under Rule 5 and consequently
dismissing the suit, is not a decree.
1
10. As the order dated 31.8.1996 is neither a `decree' appealable under
section 96 of the Code nor an order appealable under section 104 and Order
43 Rule 1, the remedy of the applicant under Order 22 Rule 3, is to file a
revision. The High Court was therefore, right in its view that the
adjudication of the question whether an applicant in an application under
Order 22 Rule 3 was a legatee under a valid will executed by the deceased
plaintiff in his favour, was not a not a decree and therefore the remedy of the
applicant was to file a revision.
11. The appellant submitted that even if the rejection of an application
under Order 22 Rule 3 after an enquiry under Rule 5, may not amount to a
decree, the consequential dismissal of the suit on the ground that there is no
legal representative, is a denial of the substantive rights claimed by the
plaintiff against the defendant in the suit. This contention is clearly flawed.
If the court orders that suit has abated or dismissed the suit as having abated,
as a consequence of rejection of an application under Order 22 Rule 3 of the
Code, as noticed above, there is no determination of rights of parties with
regard to any of the matters in controversy in the suit and therefore the order
is not a decree. But if an order declares that the suit has abated, or dismisses
a suit not as a consequence of legal representatives filing any application to
1
come on record, but in view of a finding that right to sue does not survive on
the death of sole plaintiff, there is an adjudication determining the rights of
parties in regard to all or any of the matters in controversy in the suit, and
such order will be a decree. But that is not the case here. Similar contention
raised before various High Courts have repeatedly negatived by different
High Courts. It is sufficient to refer to two of them with which we
respectfully agree.
12. A full Bench decision of the Lahore High Court in Niranjan Nath v.
Afzal Hussain - AIR 1916 Lahore 245 held as follows:
"After examining the matter carefully we consider that if a court passes a
purely formal order recognizing the abatement, which is a fait accompli,
such an order, though virtually disposing of the suit, does not adjudicate
upon any rights, and cannot be treated as a decree. An order of this nature,
as observed already, merely records an abatement, which has already taken
place by reason of the lapse of six months*, after the death of the plaintiff,
and does not contain any decision arrived at by the court. In a case of this
kind Order 22, Rule 9 allows the legal representative to make an application
for the revival of the suit, and the only question the court is thereupon
required to determine is whether the applicant was prevented by any
sufficient cause from continuing his suit, and if the decision is in the
negative, the aggrieved party is entitled to prefer an appeal against that order
under Order 43 Rule 1(k). The decision of the appellate court is, however,
made final and a second appeal is not competent.
The language of Order 22, Rule 9(2) when carefully examined, leads us to
the conclusion that it is confined to cases in which the abatement takes place
by reason of an application not having been made within the time permitted
by law to implead the legal representative of the deceased plaintiff or the
deceased defendant, and that it has no applicability to cases in which the suit
has abated on account of some other cause. This view receives support from
the decision of the Madras High Court in Subramania Iyer v. Venkataramier
1
(1915) 31 I.C. 4. Suppose, the sole plaintiff in a suit dies, and in spite of an
application within six months* by his legal representative the court holds
that the right to sue does not survive, and consequently directs the
abatement of the suit. An abatement of this character obviously stands on a
different footing. It does no take place ipso facto. The court does not record
a merely formal order reciting a past event, as in the case of an abatement in
consequence of an application not having been made within the prescribed
period to implead the legal representative, but it exercises its mind in the
determination of a matter in controversy. The decision of the court directing
the abatement of the suit is, in our opinion, a decree, because the right to
represent the deceased is a point in controversy between the claimant and
the opposite party, and the adjudicator determines their rights with respect
thereto, and puts an end to the case, there being no appeal from the
adjudication as an appeal from an order. An application under Rule 9 is, as
observed above, incompetent and it is difficult to believe that the Legislature
intended that the decision of a matter, which concludes the suit, should be
final and that the aggrieved party should have no remedy whatever.
(*what is referred as `six months' is three months, under Article 120 of
Limitation Act, 1963).
(emphasis supplied)
13. In Mitthulal vs. Badri Prasad - AIR 1981 Madh. Pradesh 1, a full
Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court held as follows :
"There seems to be a general consensus of judicial opinion that all orders
of abatement are not decrees. Only those orders of abatement are decrees
in which the Court comes to the conclusion that the right to sue does not
survive on the death of the sole plaintiff or on the death of one of the
plaintiffs to the surviving plaintiffs. The orders of abatement which follow
consequent on the failure of the legal representative of plaintiff to be
brought on record within the period allowed by law or due to the Court
deciding that a particular applicant is not the legal representative, such
orders do not amount to decree. The reason being that the abatement is
automatic consequent on the failure of the legal representative to be
brought on record within the period of limitation and no formal order is
necessary. So there is no adjudication on the rights of the parties in the suit
or appeal by such an order. An order under Order 22, Rule 5 cannot
obviously be said to fall within the definition of decree for the following
reasons (i) the order is made only for the purpose of determining who
should continue the suit as brought by the original plaintiff. It is not
intended to determine and it does not, in fact, determine the rights of the
1
parties with regard to any of the matters in controversy in suit. The
question that arises for decision and actually decided is not one arising in
the suit itself but is one that arises in a collateral proceeding and has to be
got decided before the suit can go on; and (ii) In order to operate as a
decree, the adjudication must be one between the parties to the original
suit or their legal representatives, and with regard to only matters in
controversy between the original parties and, therefore, cannot include a
decision of the question as to whether certain individual is or is not
entitled to represent one of such parties. In cases where the Court comes to
the conclusion that the right to sue does not survive consequent on the
death of the sole plaintiff or one of the plaintiffs to the surviving plaintiffs,
there is final adjudication of the rights of the parties and the order amounts
to decree."
(emphasis supplied)
Re: Question (ii)
14. The trial court concentrated upon the evidence of the attesting witness
(Balwant) to the will, and found it inadequate and therefore held that the will
not proved. But the appellate court, in addition relied upon the fact that
deceased plaintiff himself, when he was alive, had filed an application on
25.10.1994 where he referred to the execution of the will. The appellate
court concluded that the evidence of the attesting witness when read with
statement/admission of the deceased plaintiff himself, established due
execution of the will and that the appellant was the legatee under the will of
plaintiff. Thus, the appellate court had given cogent reasons for accepting
the appellant to be the legal representative of the deceased plaintiff, in
pursuance of the will. The High Court, after holding that the appeal filed by
appellant under section 96 of the Code before the District Court was not
1
maintainable, should not have proceeded to consider the matter on merits.
But the High Court chose to examine the merits of the matter, in a brief and
casual manner and held that the finding of the trial court was preferable and
finding of the first appellate court was erroneous. The High Court failed to
consider all the facts and circumstances considered by the appellate court.
Having held that the appellate court could not have entertained the appeal,
the High Court was not required to examine the matter on merits. If it chose
to do so, it ought to have done in thoroughly, which it did not.
Conclusion
15. In view of the above, the finding of the High Court that the order
dated 31.1.1996 passed by the trial court, was not appealable is upheld. The
finding of the High Court that the will was not proved and therefore, the
appellant was not a legal representative is set aside as the said finding was
not warranted without consideration of the entire evidence. As a
consequence, it will be open to the appellant to challenge the order dated
31.8.1996 in a revision petition before the High Court and if such a revision
is filed, the period spent till now in bona fide litigation, shall have to be
excluded for purposes of limitation.
1
16. We accordingly allow this appeal in part and set aside the finding of
the High Court on the merits of the matter. As we have upheld the finding of
the High Court that the order dated 31.8.1996 was not a decree and not
appealable, we uphold the setting aside of the judgment dated 28.1.1998 of
the appellate court, but reserve liberty to the appellant to challenge the order
dated 31.8.1996 in revision. If a revision is filed within 90 days from today,
the High Court will condone the delay in view of pendency of the matter till
now.
................................J.
(R V Raveendran)
New Delhi; ................................J.
July 4, 2011. (A K Patnaik)
