Code of Civil Procedure, 1908

Harjas Rai Makhija appealed to the Supreme Court alleging that the decree of 4 October 1999, which granted possession of a Bhopal plot to Pushparani Jain, was obtained by fraud because she allegedly concealed a Power of Attorney dated 30 April 1983. The Court held that fraud must be proved with evidence of intent to de…

The Koushik Mutually Aided Cooperative Housing Society sued for specific performance of a sale agreement, and the respondents were set ex‑parte, resulting in an ex‑parte decree on 15‑02‑1999. The respondents later filed an application under Order IX Rule 13 of the CPC to set aside the decree and sought condonation of a…

The respondent, a Judicial Officer, applied for recruitment to the Andhra Pradesh Judicial Service stating his date of birth as 1 July 1949 based on his school certificate, but later obtained a civil decree declaring his birth as 29 March 1953 and used that date at the time of joining service in 1985. He later sought c…

The State Bank of Hyderabad sued the Town Municipal Council for an injunction concerning a plot it had purchased at public auction. During the proceedings the bank sought leave to amend its plaint, which was initially allowed by the appellate court. The High Court set aside that order, relying on the proviso added to O…

A group of Amins employed by the West Bengal government sought to be placed in the same pay scale as Surveyors, invoking the principle of ‘equal pay for equal work’. The High Court had earlier granted such parity in a number of writ petitions without examining the distinct qualifications and duties of the two posts, an…

Mis. Upadhyay & Co. was permitted to collect tolls on the Shastri Bridge for a limited period and later sought to continue collection at revised rates. Various writ petitions were filed in the Allahabad High Court, resulting in interim orders, a Supreme Court set‑aside of those orders, and a High Court direction dated …

In the 1995 Vidhan Sabha election for the Lakhisarai constituency, respondent No.1 was declared elected. The appellant, Ashwini Kumar Sharma, filed an election petition under Section 100(1)(d)(iii) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, alleging irregularities and illegalities in the counting of votes, includin…

Ram Nath Dewan executed a 1942 will granting his wife Satyawati a life estate in the Doctor's Lane house and directing that after her death the property go to his legal heirs. After Ram Nath's death, the son (first defendant) contested the will, claiming a later 1950 will, and the parties litigated until a 1955 settlem…

The plaintiffs filed a suit for specific performance of a sale agreement and were ordered by the High Court to amend the plaint to implead the purchaser, Kabari Pvt. Ltd. Although the amendment was allowed in 1982, the plaintiffs failed to act on it for about ten years despite being aware of their own laches and the ne…

Amar Chand had stood as a surety for a decree of Rs.10,000, which included mesne profits, owed by the principal debtor Dia Singh to the decree holder. The decree holder later entered into a compromise with Dia Singh, recording it without any reference to the surety. The question before the Supreme Court was whether the…

The dispute concerned a garden and temple complex in Jaipur claimed as community property of the Darjee (tailors) community. The appellant, Kalyan Singh, challenged a decree that had upheld the plaintiff’s title based on a 1916 will and an 1875 sale deed. The Supreme Court examined whether the earlier suit against Bhon…

The respondent mortgaged his shop and handed possession to the mortgagees, who subsequently let the premises to the appellant as a tenant. The respondent sued for redemption of the mortgage and vacant possession; the mortgage was redeemed and an order was made to give possession to the respondent. The tenant sought to …

The petitioners, legatees of the deceased Mohideen Abdul Khadar, challenged a Madras High Court judgment that upheld the title and possession of Rahmath Beevi over a second scheduled property measuring 15 × 18 feet. The dispute arose from earlier suits where Mohideen claimed title to a first scheduled property and soug…

The trustees of a trust estate had leased premises to a lessee for 21 years, who later assigned the lease to TIVOLI PARK APARTMENTS (the respondent). An oral agreement was made to renew the lease for 70 years on increased rent and premium, but the trustees failed to execute the transfer deed. The respondent obtained a …

The landlord filed an eviction suit against a partnership firm. The son of a deceased partner sought to be impleaded as an additional defendant, first under Order I Rule 10(2) CPC and later under Order 30 Rule 4 CPC, both applications being dismissed by the trial court and the district court. While the suit was pending…

The Central Bank of India obtained a decree against M/s. Madan Lal and Brothers for a debt and directed execution against a hypothecated factory premises. The respondents contended that the property should be sold at its market value, with the proceeds applied to the decree, and that any shortfall could be recovered fr…

The dispute arose from a partition of family property where the respondent sought a declaration of title and eviction of the appellants. The appellants relied on a family settlement document (Khararunama) dated 15‑04‑1986 and a receipt of Rs.2,00,000 as evidence of the parties' past arrangements. The trial court admitt…

M/S. Magma FinCorp Ltd., the financier, entered into a hire‑purchase agreement with Rajesh Kumar Tiwari for a vehicle. Tiwari paid seven instalments before the financier repossessed the vehicle without a notice addressed to his correct address and later sold it. Tiwari filed a consumer complaint alleging unfair trade p…

The plaintiff, RABO Bank, sued State Bank of Hyderabad (SBH) in a summary suit under Order 37 of the CPC, claiming payment on several Bills of Exchange that SBH had allegedly accepted via telex/fax messages. SBH denied liability, asserting that the co‑acceptances were unauthorized, that the Bills lacked proper signatur…

Punjab and Sino Bank had granted cash credit facilities to Allied Beverage Company, which later became a non‑performing asset. The bank recovered the dues through the Debts Recovery Tribunal, which awarded interest at 18% per annum with monthly rests. The High Court modified this order, reducing the pendente lite and f…

The appeal concerned a partition suit whose final decree was passed in 1968, followed by a series of appeals and a formal decree dated 30 October 1986. The judgment debtor filed an execution petition in 1997, which the executing court dismissed as barred by limitation. The Supreme Court examined whether the decree beca…

Raj Kumar, a mentally retarded owner of premises, filed an eviction petition through his father who was appointed as his guardian and next friend under Order 32, Rule 1 read with Rule 15 of the CPC. The rent‑control authority dismissed the petition and the appellant sought a civil revision. The High Court set aside the…

The respondents, a registered partnership firm, filed a suit to recover Rs. 58,880 on a promissory note dated 1 April 1960. During the pendency of the suit one of the partners died, and the trial court dismissed the suit on the ground that the deceased partner’s legal representatives had not been joined as parties. The…

The appellant, M/s Triveni Engineering and Industries Ltd., a sugar manufacturer, was ordered by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to pay Rs.18 crore as environmental compensation for alleged illegal discharge of untreated effluents and related violations. The appellant challenged the orders on the ground that it was n…

The appellant (LIC) challenged the High Court’s order allowing the respondents (Sanjeev Builders and another) to amend their plaint in a suit for specific performance, seeking a higher quantum of damages. The appellant argued that the amendment was barred by Order II Rule 2 of the CPC and the doctrine of constructive r…

The plaintiff filed a suit for perpetual injunction over a parcel of land, which the trial court decreed in his favour. The defendants successfully appealed, and the first appellate court set aside the trial court decree. The plaintiff then filed a second appeal before the High Court, which restored the trial court dec…

The Wakf Board filed eviction suits against tenants occupying property identified as wakf, and the Wakf Tribunal held it had jurisdiction to decide the matters, ordering eviction. The High Court of Andhra Pradesh affirmed the Tribunal's orders. The appellants challenged the jurisdiction of the Wakf Tribunal under Secti…

Ranvir Singh challenged two criminal complaints filed by Smt. Ved Wati under the Prevention of Corruption Act, alleging that the first complaint (1999) and a later complaint (2002) were dismissed because the complainant failed to pay the process fee. He argued that a second complaint on the same facts could not be ente…

Two neighbours were litigating over a narrow lane. The plaintiff obtained an interim injunction restraining the defendant from obstructing the lane, but the defendant erected a brick wall in defiance. The trial court, invoking Order 39 Rule 2A of the Code of Civil Procedure, ordered the defendant's civil imprisonment f…

The tenant, Mohan Singh, obtained two successive permissions for a limited tenancy under Section 21 of the Delhi Rent Control Act, 1958. After the second limited period expired, the landlord sought possession and the tenant alleged that the second permission was procured by fraud and that he was absent from the court o…

The landlord filed an eviction suit against the tenant claiming a bona‑fide personal need for the premises to start a general‑store business. The trial court, after evaluating evidence, held that the landlord's need was not genuine and dismissed the suit; the appellate court affirmed this finding. The landlord then fil…

The Government was set ex‑parte in a suit and an ex‑parte decree was passed against it. The State filed an application on 17 February 1984 to set aside that decree, claiming it had knowledge of the decree on 15 February 1984 when its office was informed. The Karnataka High Court dismissed the application on the ground …

Members of the Thousand‑Yadhava community filed a representative suit against the trustee of two temples seeking a decree for the rendition of true accounts and payment of amounts due. The defendants contended that the temples were public religious endowments under the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowmen…

The Supreme Court considered a civil appeal filed by the State of Gujarat against S.M. Baquir, wherein the sole respondent died on 10 December 1978. The Court held that the right to sue survived in the deceased's legal representatives, but under Order XLXI of the CPC and Article 121 of the Limitation Act, an applicatio…

The landlord (EIH Ltd.) and tenant (Nadia A. Virji) entered into a tenancy agreement for a commercial showroom with a fixed rent of Rs 10,000 per month, while the tenant also agreed to pay municipal taxes separately. The landlord terminated the tenancy under Section 106 of the Transfer of Property Act and filed an evic…

The State of Uttar Pradesh issued a Government Order (G.O.) on 7 May 1999 identifying certain posts for reservation for persons with disabilities, reserving some posts for hearing‑impaired candidates but not for those with locomotor disability. In a recruitment for 1,651 Safai‑Karmis posts, three percent of vacancies w…

The dispute concerned the office of mutawalli of the historic Andrott Jumah mosque in Lakshadweep. The senior members of the Pattakal family claimed a hereditary customary right to the office, tracing it to Saint Ubaidulla, the mosque’s founder, while the appellants, representing island residents, argued that the right…

Madina Begum filed a suit for specific performance of a sale agreement that lacked a fixed calendar date for completion. The respondents contended the suit was barred by the three‑year limitation under Article 54 of Schedule I of the Limitation Act, 1963. The Supreme Court held that where no specific date is fixed, the…

The Supreme Court examined the proper territorial jurisdiction for criminal complaints filed under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act. It held that the offence is completed when a cheque is dishonoured by the drawee bank, and therefore the court having jurisdiction over the place where the cheque is dishonou…

Ram Daan filed a suit seeking a permanent injunction to prevent Urban Development Trust from dispossessing him of a 4,914‑sq‑yard plot, claiming uninterrupted possession since 1942. The respondent asserted that the land belonged to the State of Rajasthan and that the appellant had been evicted in 1965 under Section 91 …

The appellant, who had sold his immovable property to the respondent, later entered into a written agreement whereby the respondent would sell the property back to him after five years for a specified sum. After the period elapsed, the appellant demanded reconveyance, but the respondent refused, leading the appellant t…

Punjab National Bank sued Chajju Ram and others for a principal sum of Rs 6,19,250. The trial court decreed the amount with interest, totalling Rs 12,91,398, and the bank filed an execution application. After the Recovery of Debts Due to Banks and Financial Institutions Act, 1993 came into force and a Debts Recovery Tr…

The respondent landlord and the appellant entered into a written agreement that was labeled as a leave and licence, but its terms required payment of monthly rent, prohibited sub‑letting, and provided for renewal, indicating an interest in the premises. After the agreement expired, the landlord sued for eviction, claim…

Jitendra Nath Biswas, an employee of Empire of India & Ceylon Tea Co., was dismissed after a domestic enquiry for alleged misconduct. He filed a civil suit in the Munsiff Court seeking reinstatement, back wages and an injunction against the dismissal. The respondents contended that such relief was exclusively available…

The appellants, heirs of the original plaintiffs in a partition suit, challenged a compromise decree entered on 22 February 1994 that purportedly settled the suit but was signed without the consent of Defendant No.5, Chaturbhuj Chaudhary. The lower courts had set aside the decree on grounds of fraud and lack of signatu…

The appellants, home buyers, filed suits against the builder and Axis Bank seeking specific performance, possession and other reliefs concerning flats in the Orbit Heaven project. Axis Bank moved a notice of motion under Order 7 Rule 11(d) of the CPC to have the plaint rejected only against it, invoking the bar under S…

The appellant challenged a partition suit filed by his brother, claiming the properties were self‑acquired, while the plaintiff alleged they were bought with joint family funds and thus belonged to the Hindu joint family. The trial court held the properties were joint family assets and ordered partition; the High Court…

The plaintiff, New Delhi Television Ltd, filed a civil suit against Quantum Securities Pvt Ltd and others seeking a permanent injunction restraining defamatory communications and damages. During the suit, the plaintiff filed a Notice of Motion under Order XXXIX of the CPC and obtained an ex‑parte interim injunction on …

The Supreme Court examined whether sections 62 of the Copyright Act, 1957 and 134 of the Trade Marks Act, 1999 allow a plaintiff to sue in a district court where it resides or carries on business even when the cause of action has also arisen at its principal place of business. The Court held that these provisions creat…

The appellant, Vanchalabai Raghunath Ithape (by legal representatives), executed a deed in 1967 transferring land to Shankarrao Baburao Bhilare for Rs.3,000 with a clause that the land would be returned if the amount was paid within five years. The appellant later claimed the deed was a mortgage by conditional sale and…

The petitioner, Santosh Devi, filed a suit in 2012 seeking cancellation of a sale deed and related mutation, alleging that the deed was obtained through fraud. The trial court dismissed the suit on the ground of limitation, a decision affirmed by the first appellate court and the High Court. The petitioner contended th…

The appellant, K.R. Suresh, paid Rs.20,00,000 as advance under an agreement of sale that required the balance to be paid within four months, failing which the advance would be forfeited. He did not pay the balance on time, and the respondents forfeited the advance and later sold the property to third parties. The appel…

The Constitution Bench examined the scope of Article 142(1) of the Constitution, holding that the Supreme Court may depart from statutory procedure and even substantive law to achieve "complete justice" provided the exercise is guided by fundamental public policy. It ruled that, in cases of settlement between parties, …

The original plaintiff filed a suit for declaration of title and permanent injunction, claiming ownership of a property based on a registered sale deed. The defendants contended that the property had become part of a joint family and that the sale deed was merely a security instrument, not an operative transfer, and th…

The case concerned two suits filed by S. Ramasamy for injunction and partition of certain immovable properties, which the trial court dismissed on the ground that the properties were self‑acquired by the father and not part of a joint Hindu family. The first appellate court affirmed this view. The High Court, exercisin…

The appellants, including DSR Steel (P) Ltd., challenged the Rajasthan Electricity Regulatory Commission’s tariff order and the withdrawal of an incentive scheme, alleging promissory estoppel. Their review petitions were dismissed by the Commission and the Appellate Tribunal, and they filed appeals under Section 125 of…

The appellant, a Sub‑Inspector, was punished for dereliction of duty after a Head Constable under his charge was caught transporting liquor in a government vehicle. While the Head Constable was later exonerated in criminal court and his departmental punishment set aside, the appellant's punishment of stopping two futur…

The plaintiff, Mahant Dooj Das (deceased) through legal representatives, sued to declare title and cancel a sale deed concerning lands he claimed as heir and successor of Mahant Tahal Dass. The defendants argued that the lands were agricultural areas demarcated under the Uttar Pradesh Urban Areas Zamindari Abolition an…

The landlord Abdul Sattar sought eviction of the heirs of his former tenant Mohammed Gouse under clause (p) of Section 21(1) of the Karnataka Rent Control Act, 1961, alleging that one heir had been allotted a house by the Housing Board. The house was allotted in 1984 to the son, Mohammed Ismail, while the original tena…

Mis Sikkim Subba Associates was appointed by the State of Sikkim as the organising agent for state lotteries. A dispute over payments led to arbitration under the Arbitration Act, 1940, where the arbitrator awarded the appellants Rs 37.75 crore in damages. The State sought to set aside the award under Section 30 of the…

The husband filed a petition under Section 5(ii) read with Section 12(1)(b) of the Hindu Marriage Act seeking a declaration that his marriage was null and void because his wife allegedly suffered a chronic, incurable mental disorder and refused cohabitation. The trial court dismissed the petition for lack of proof; the…

The decree-holder obtained a decree in 1949 and later sold the attached house to an auction purchaser. After a compromise failed, a fresh execution application was filed on 16 November 1961, more than twelve years after the decree, leading to the sale of the property. The widow and daughters of the original judgment de…

The plaintiffs filed a suit for possession of a property against the first defendant, who was deceased, and the second defendant, the petitioner. The petitioner sought to file an additional written statement asserting title under a will, but the trial court dismissed the application, holding that a legal representative…

The petitioners filed a suit for a permanent injunction to restrain the respondents from dealing with a trust property. After the suit was filed, they discovered that the Charity Commissioner had granted permission to sell the property and sought to amend the plaint under Order 6 Rule 17 to claim specific performance o…

The appellant purchased a property by a registered sale deed in 1950 and the respondent entered into a rent agreement with her in 1951. In 1974 the respondent sued for conveyance of the property based on an alleged handwritten 'yadast' by the appellant's mother, which was unstamped, unregistered and later found to be f…

The appellants, I.K. Merchants Pvt. Ltd. and others, sold their shares in a state-owned company in 1973 for Rs.11.50 per share and later sought a higher valuation, which was finally fixed at Rs.640 per share by a court-appointed valuer. The State of Rajasthan, as respondent, delayed payment for over five decades, leadi…

The plaintiffs, grandchildren of Shivanna, filed a suit for partition of ancestral immovable property in 2023, alleging denial of their share. The defendants moved an application under Order 7 Rule 11 of the CPC, contending that the property had been orally partitioned in 1968 and that registered sale deeds executed in…

The plaintiff, a mining company, sued the defendant for a declaration that a Rs 56‑lakh cheque, given as security under a memorandum of understanding, was not payable because the defendant failed to protect the plaintiff’s port licence. The defendant filed an application under Order VII Rule 11 CPC seeking rejection of…

The appellants, legal heirs of a deceased road‑accident victim, were awarded Rs.98.40 million with 12% interest by the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal. The insurer appealed, reduced the principal to Rs.56.40 million but retained the interest rate, and made several partial payments. The Executing Court adjusted those pay…

The State of Maharashtra entered into a construction contract with Hindustan Construction Company Ltd., and after the arbitral tribunal awarded Rs. 17.81 crore to the company, the State filed an application under Section 34 of the Arbitration and Conciliation Act, 1996 to set aside the award on five grounds. The applic…

The appellant, a defendant in a partition suit, failed to file his written statement within the 30‑day period and beyond the 90‑day limit prescribed by Order 8 Rule 1 of the CPC because his counsel advised him to wait for the outcome of a pending appeal and the case files were not available. Both the trial court and th…

The appellant, P. Varadarajulu, sued the Agricultural Produce Market Committee for renewal of his licence and allotment of a vacant site in the market yard as specified in the decree. The decree ordered the committee to allot the site between plot numbers 10‑C and 11/2, but the committee contended that execution was im…

Jaipal Singh, an IAS officer, applied for voluntary retirement on 13 March 2002 and requested a waiver of the three‑month notice period required under the All India Services (Death‑cum‑Retirement Benefits) Rules, 1958. He filed nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha election from Haryana, but the Returning Officer rejec…

The Union of India entered into supply contracts with respondents and, after disputes, arbitrators were appointed by the Calcutta High Court. The arbitrators filed their award in the Calcutta High Court, and the court made the award a rule of court despite the Union’s claim that it should have been filed in the Asansol…

The appellant claimed that lands granted to his ancestor as remuneration for patelship were service inam and not liable to resumption under the Gujarat Patel Watans Abolition Act, 1961 or the Resumption Rules, 1908. The Collector, invoking Rule 4 of the Resumption Rules, classified part of the lands as service inam and…

The respondent’s ancestor was an Assamidar who held a parcel of land in Srinagar until the Maharaja’s Durbar resumed it in 1894, recording it as "Khalsa" state land and paying only rent, with no compensation. Sixty years later the respondent sought compensation, prompting the State to initiate a fresh land‑acquisition …

The respondents filed a consumer complaint alleging that the sole proprietor developer failed to complete construction and pay dues under a 1996 Development Agreement. The developer died during the pendency of the case, and the legal representatives were directed by the NCDRC to both pay monetary amounts and to perform…

The dispute concerned a 5,082‑square‑yard land in Mulund, where the original suit (No. 1335/1988) was settled by two consent decrees dated 16‑Feb‑2005 and 03‑Oct‑2005 between the Vaity family, the housing society and other parties. M/S Chitralekha Builders and its partners were impleaded only later and were not signato…

The case involved two civil appeals (Nos. 2432 and 2433) arising from special leave petitions (SLPs) filed by Khoday Distilleries Ltd. after a High Court decree in a money suit. Both SLPs were dismissed by the Supreme Court in limine without reasons. The appellants then sought review of the High Court's judgment, raisi…

The appellant, a director of Siddharth Garments Pvt. Ltd., filed a suit for recovery of Rs. 25,00,000 as an individual, although the loan was advanced by the company. The plaint mistakenly named the plaintiff as "Varun Pahwa through Director of Siddharth Garments Pvt. Ltd." instead of "Siddharth Garments Pvt. Ltd. thro…

Oil & Natural Gas Corp. Ltd. (ONGC) appealed to the Supreme Court against the order of the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity which denied its claim for a refund. The appeal was filed more than 71 days after the 60‑day period prescribed under Section 125 of the Electricity Act, 2003, and beyond the additional 60‑day co…

Tej Prakash Jarath filed a suit in 1992 against his relatives. The defendants filed written statements on 11 November 1992 and, after issues were framed in October 1993, filed a counter‑claim on 17 June 1996. The trial court allowed the counter‑claim, but the Uttarakhand High Court set it aside, relying on Rohit Singh …

The Supreme Court examined appeals by Mahalaxmi Co‑operative Housing Society Ltd. against a High Court order that set aside trial‑court orders allowing the society to record a pursis (settlement) under Order XXIII Rule 3 of the CPC in two civil suits concerning land ownership. The Court held that the pursis was valid b…

The case involved a head‑on collision between a car and a bus in which the car driver, Raj Kumar Dugar, died. His parents claimed compensation from the Motor Accidents Claims Tribunal (MACT), which awarded a sum based on his present earnings, applied a multiplier, and held both drivers equally liable, directing the ins…

The Union of India acquired land for the Hissar Cantonment extension and the Collector awarded compensation, which was enhanced by a reference under Section 18 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. The Reference Court and later the High Court further increased the compensation, but the Supreme Court reduced it in 1997. Wh…

Future Coupons Private Ltd (FCPL) and Future Retail Ltd (FRL) challenged orders of the Delhi High Court Single Judge that enforced an emergency arbitrator’s interim award in a dispute over FRL’s sale of retail assets to Reliance. The appellants alleged that the judge denied them a fair opportunity to present their defe…

The case concerned a Will dated 15 April 1968 in which Tulsi Ram bequeathed half of his self‑acquired property to his second wife, Ram Devi, as a limited life interest, with the remainder to pass to his son, Jogi Ram, after her death. The question was whether Ram Devi’s interest became an absolute ownership under Secti…

G. Ratna Raj filed a civil suit for redemption of mortgage and injunction against Sri Muthukumarasamy Fund Ltd. The plaintiff presented his evidence and closed his case, after which the suit was called for recording the defendants' evidence. The defendants failed to appear and had not led any evidence, prompting the tr…

The original appellant, owner of land subject to the Urban Land (Ceiling and Regulation) Act, 1976, claimed that ceiling proceedings became void after the Act was repealed in 1999 and filed a writ petition in 2002. The Allahabad High Court dismissed the writ on 14 March 2008, finding the appellant could not prove posse…

Gautam Mazumdar died in a road accident in 2007, and his widow and minor daughter filed a compensation claim before the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal (MACT). MACT dismissed the claim for lack of territorial jurisdiction and the review petition was also dismissed. The appellants then filed a petition under Article 227 …

The respondent, E.I.D. Parry (India) Ltd., sued the Union of India for recovery of demurrage charged by the Railways for failing to unload ten box wagons within the free time. The trial court decreed a partial refund and the High Court upheld that decree but, on its own motion, struck down Part 1A of the Southern Railw…

The appellants challenged a sale deed dated 29 September 1959, alleging that it was obtained by fraud, misrepresentation and without consideration. The trial court dismissed the suit, finding the deed valid; the first appellate court reversed that finding, holding that adequate consideration had been paid and no fraud …