M/S. INDIA HOUSEversusKISHAN N. LALWANI

A                               MIS. INDIA HOUSE
                                           v.
                              KISHAN N. LALWANI

                               DECEMBER 18, 2002

B                  [R.C. LAHOTI AND BRIJESH KUMAR, JJ.]


          Tamil Nadu Building (lease & Rent) Control Act, 1960; Section 25(2)
    Proviso:

c         Period of limitation-Extension of-Held, Discretionary power of the
    Court could be exercised to condone delay in filing petition 1fnder Section
    5 limitation Act, 1963 when such delay does not exceed one month over and
    above the period liable to be excluded as time requisite for obtaining certified
    copy of order appealed against.
D         limitation Act, 1963; Sections 12(2) & 29(2):

          Exclusion of time lost in obtaining copy of the order/judgment-Benefit
    under Section 12(2), limitation Act-Applicability of-Held. it is statutory
    obligation of the Court to extend such benefits to exclude lime lost in
E   obtaining copy of the order/judgment impugned-Such benefit is also
    applicable while counting period of limitation prescribed under any special
    law/local law-Time lost in obtaining copy liable to be excluded though
    application for copy was not made within prescribed period of limitation.

          Respondent filed two revision petitions against appellate order of the
F   High Court on 25.9.2001. Respondent applied for certified copy belatedly on
    9.11.2001 after expiry of limitation period for filing revision petition as per
    provision of Law under the Tamil Nadu Buildings (Lease and Rent) Control
    Act and the same was received on 24.12.2001. High Court under its
    discretionary power u/s 29 of the Act condoned the delay in. filing revision
    petition on sufficient cause shown by the respondent and also considered
G   exclusion of time lost in obtaining copy of the order by extending benefits of
    Section 12(2) of the Limitation Act. Hence these appeals.

          Dismissing the appeals, the Court

          HELD: I.I. It is well-settled that by virtue ofsub-section (2) of Section
H
                                         522
                  INDIA HOUSE v. KISHANN. LALWANI                           523
29 of the Limitation Act the provisions of Section 12 are applicable for            A
computing the period of limitation prescribed by any special or local law. The
period of limitation statutorily prescribed has to be strictly adhered to and
cannot he relaxed or departed from for equitable considerations. At the same
time full effect should also be given to those provisions which permit extension
or relaxation in computing period of limitation as contained in Section 12 of       B
the Act. The underlying purpose of these provisions is to enable a litigant
seeking enforcement of his right to any remedy to do so effectively and harsh
prescription of time-bar not unduly interfering with the exercise of statutory
rights and remedies and Section I 2 has always been liberally interpreted.
                                                                      1526-C-E(
                                                                                    c
      D.P. Mishra v. Kamal Narayan Sharma and Anr., 11970( 2 SCC 369 and
Malojirao Narsinghrao v. The State of Madhya Pradesh, 119691 2 SCC 723,
relied on.

       1.2. The time requisite for obtaining a copy of the impugned decree,
sentence or order has been held liable to be excluded from computing the            D
period of limitation although such copy may not necessarily be required to he
filed along with appeal, application or memo of representation or review. Yet
to make up one's mind for pursuing the next remedy, for obtaining legal
opinion and for appropriately drafting the petition by finding out the grounds
therefor the litigant must be armed with such copy. Without the authentic           E
copy being available the remedy in the higher forum or subsequent jurisdiction
may be rendered a farce. No distinc_tion is drawn between decrees or orders
pronounced on the original side or the appellate or revisional side. No
application is required to be made seeking the benefit of Section 12 of
Limitation Act; it is the statutory obligation of the Court to extend the benefit
where available. The language of sub-section (2) of Section 12 is couched in        F
a form mandating the time requisite for obtaining the copy being excluded
from computing the period of limitation. 1526-E, 527-A, 526-F', GI

      1.3. Depending on the facts and circumstances ofa given case, the Court
may be called upon to exercise its discretionary power to condone the delay         G
occasioned by the time lost either before applying for certified copy or after
the delivery thereof. There is no rider or an additional qualification in the
language of sub-section (2) of Section 12 which the Legislature itself has
chosen not to provide and thereby scuttle the operation of Section 12(2).
                                                               1527-E; 528-FJ
                                                                                    H
      Murlidhar Shrinivas v. Motilal Ramcoomar, AIR (1937) Bombay 162,
    524                     SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2002) SUPP. 5 S.C.R.

A reliedon.
          A.D. Partha Sarthy v. State of Andhra Pradesh. AIR (1966) SC 38,
    distinguished.

           2. So far as the applicability of Section 5 of th~ Limitation Act is
B   concerned the power of the Court to extend the prescribed period of limitation
    on the ground of availability of sufficient cause for not preferring the appeal
    within the prescribed period, within the meaning of Section 5 of the Limitation
    Act, stands circumscribed by the limitation imposed on the power of the High
    Court by the proviso to sub-section (2) of Section 25 of the Tamil Nadu
C   Building (Lease and Rent) Control Act. The discretionary power to condone
    the delay in filing the revision can be exercised for condoning any delay which
    does not exceed one month over and above the period liable to be excluded
    from computing the period of limitation by reference to Sections 4 to 24 of
    the Limitation Act. As the total time, excluding the time requisite for obtaining
    the copy, does not exceed 60 days, High Court has rightly condoned the delay
D   in filing the revision petitions.1528-H; 529-A-CI

            CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Civil Appeal Nos. 8548-8549 of
    2002.

         From the Judgment and Order dated 19.4.2002 of the Madras High Court
E   in CMP Nos. of3067 and 3068 of2002 in C.R.P.S.R. Nos. 8 and 12 of2002.

            V. Prabhakar and M.K.D. Namboodiri for the Appellant.

            P.S. Narasimha, Ananga Bhattacharya and Sridhar P., for the Respondent

F           The Judgment of the Court was delivered by

            R.C. LAHOTI, J. Leave granted.

          These appeals by special leave lay challenge to an order of the High
    Court whereby two civil revisions filed by the respondent herein under Section
G   25 of the Tamil Nadu Buildings (Lease and Rent) Control Act, 1960 (hereinafter,
    the Tamil Nadu Act,' for short) feeling aggrieved by a common order disposing
    of two appeals, have been held to have been filed within the period of
    limitation. The High Court has condoned the delay in filing the revision
    petitions subject to payment of Rs. 750 by way of costs by the petitioner to
H   the respondent before it. The respondent in the High Court has filed these
    two appeals by special leave.
        INDIA HOUSE v. KISHAN N. LALWANI (R.C. LAHOTI, J.)                  525
       The facts in brief. The appellate order, which is the subject matter of     A
revisio.n in the High Court, was passed on 25.9.2001. Application for obtaining
certified copy of the order was made on 9.11.2001. Certified copy was delivered
on 24.12.2001. The civil revisions were filed in the High Courton 2.12002. The
High Court has held that there was a sufficient cause for the application for
certified copy having been made belatedly on 9.11.2001 when the limitation         B
for filing the revision petition had already expired. The High Court has also
held that the time lost between 9.11.2001 and 24.12.2001 (both days inclusive)
was liable to be excluded from computing the period of limitation in accordance
with sub-Section (2) of Section 12 of the Limitation Act. 1963.

      The period of limitation for filing revision in the High Court is 30 days C
from the date of the order impugned. It is not disputed that on 9.11.2001 when
the application for obtaining certified copy was filed, the period of 30 days
had already expired. It is also not disputed that ifthe period between 9.11.2001
and 24.12.2001 (both days inclusive) is excluded from computing the period
of limitation, the revisions were filed within a period of 60 days.
                                                                                   D
      Sub-Section (2) of Section 25 of the Tamil Nadu Act provides that every
application to the High Court for the exercise of its revisional power shall be
preferred within one month from the date on which the impugned order is
communicated to the applicant "provided that the High Court may, in its
discretion, allow further time not exceeding one month for the filing of any
such application, if it is satisfied that the applicant had sufficient cause for   E
not preferring the application within the time specified". i.e. one month.

     Sub-Section (2) of Section 12 and su~-Section (2) of Section 29 of the
Limitation Act 1963 are relevant which are reproduced hereunder:-

       "12. Exclusion of time in legal proceedings.                                F
                          xxx                  xxx
             (2) In computing the period of limitation for an appeal or an
       application for leave to appeal or for revision or for review of a
       judgment, the day on which the judgment complained of was                   G
       pronounced and the time requisite for obtaining a copy of the decree,
       sentence or order appealed from or sought to be revised or reviewed
       shall be excluded."
       "29. Savings.
       xxx              xxx                    xxx                                 H
    526                     SUPREME COURT REPORTS (2002] SUPP. 5 S.C.R.

A                 (2) Where any special or local law prescribes for any suit, appeal
            or application a period of limitation different from the period prescribed
            by the Schedule, the provisions of sect.ion 3 shall apply as if such
            period were the period prescribed by the Schedule and for the purpose
            of determining any period of limitation prescribed for any suit, appeal
            or application by any special or local law, the provisions contained in
B           sections 4 to 24 (inclusive) shall apply only in so far as, and to the
            extent to which, they are not expressly excluded by such special or
            local law."

          It is well-settled that by virtue of sub-Section (2) of Section 29 of the
C Limitation Act the provisions of Section 12 are applicable for computing the
    period of limitation prescribed by any special or local law See D.P. Mishra v.
    Kamal Narayan Sharma and Anr., [ 1970] 2 SCC 369 and Malojirao
    Narsinghrao v. The State of Madhya Pradesh [1969] 2 SCC 723. The period
    of limitation statutorily prescribed has to be strictly adhered to and cannot
D   be relaxed or departed from for equitable consideration. At the same time full
    effect should also be given to .those provisions which permit extension or
    relaxation in computing period of limitation such as those contained in Section
    12 of the Limitation Act. The underlying purpose of these provisions is to
    enable a litigant seeking enforcement of his right to any remedy to do so
    effectively an.d harsh prescription of time-bar not unduly interfering with the
E   exercise of statutory rights and remedies. That is why Section 12 has always
    been liberally interpreted. To wit, the time requisite for obtaining a copy of
    the impugned decree, sentence or order has been held liable to be excluded
    from computing the period of limitation although such copy may not necessarily
    be required to be filed along with appeal, application or memo of representation
F   or review. No distinction is drawn between decrees or orders pronounced on
    the original side or the appellate or revisional side. No application is required
    to be made seeking the benefit of Section 12 of Limitation Act; it is the
    statutory obligation of the Court to extend the benefit where available.
    Although the language of sub-Section (2) of Section 12 is couched in a form
    mandating the time requisite for obtaining the copy being excluded from
G   computing the period of limitation, the easier way of expressing the rule and
    applying it in practice is to find out the period of limitation prescribed and
    then add to it the time re~uisite for obtaining the copy-the date of application
    for copy, and the date of d~livery, thereof both included-and treat the result
    of addition as the period of limitation. The underlying principle is that such
H   copy may or may not be required to accompany the petition in the jurisdiction
    sought to be invoked yet to make up one's mind for pursuing the next remedy,
        INDIA HOUSE v. KISHANN. LALWANI [R.C. LAHOTI, J.]                  527

for obtaining legal opinion and for appropriately drafting the petition by A
finding out the grounds therefor the litigant must be armed with such copy.
Without the authentic copy being available the remedy in the higher forum
or subsequent jurisdiction niay be rendered a farce. All that sub-Section (2)
of Section 12 of the Limitation Act says is the time requisite for obtaining the
copy being excluded from computing the period of limitation, or, in other B
words, as we have put it hereinabove, the time requisite for obtaining the
copy being added to the prescribed period of limitation and treating the result
of addition as the period prescribed. In adopting this methodology it does not
make any difference whether the application for certified copy was made .
within the prescribed period of limitation or beyond it. Neither it is so provided
in sub-Section (2) of Section 12 of the Limitation Act nor in principle we find C
any reason or logic for taking such a view.

      If we were to accept the submission of the learned counsel for the
appellant yet another consequence would follow. Section 5 of the Limitation
Act or the power to condone delay by reference to proviso appended to              D
Section 25(2) of the Act shall be exercisable for a period subsequent to the
obtaining of the certified copy of the impugned order but not to the period
before it. Such is not the prohibition contained in ariy of the said provisions.
Depending on the facts and circumstances of a given case, the Court may be
called upon to exercise its discretionary power to condone the delay occasioned
by the time lost either before applying for certified copy or after the delivery   E
thereof.

      In Murlidh<ir Shrinivas v. Motilal Ramcoomar, AIR (1937) Bombay 162,
the Full Bench, speaking through Beaumont, CJ, held that the Court cannot
 impose upon statutory right of an appellant a restriction not warranted by the    F
Act and a rule providing that no time shall be allowed for obtaining a copy
of the decree unless such copy be applied for within specified days from the
date of the decree would be ultra vires. In computing the time for appeal from
a decree it is legitimate (in a proper case) to exclude the period requi~te for
obtaining a copy of the decree even when no application for such copy, was
made till after the expiration of the time for appeal. A Full Bench of Madras      G
High Court presiding over by Srinivasan, J. (later a Judge of the Supreme
Court) held that though the application for certified copies of judgment and
decree was made after prescribed period of limitation the period was liable to
be excluded in all cases depending on whether sufficient cause was shown
or not. We find ourselves in respectful agreement with the view so taken by        H
the Full Benches of Bombay and Madras High Courts.
    528                    SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2002] SUPP. 5 S.C.R.

A          The learned counsel for the appellant relied on a decision of this Court
    in A.D. Partha Sarthy v. State of Andhra Pradesh, AIR (1966] SC 38. The
    facts of the case show that an application for obtaining certified copy of the
    relevant orderwas made even before the order was pronounced. The question
    arisjng for decision before the Court was whether the time between the date
B   of the application and the date of pronouncement of the impugned order
    could be treated as the time requisite within the meaning of Section 12(2) of
    Limitation Act. The Court ruled against the exclusion of such time. The time
    running between the date of application and the date of pronouncement of
    order when the litigant chooses to make an advance application in anticipation
    of the pronouncement of the decision of the Court cannot by any stretch of
C   imagination be called the time requisite for obtaining the copy. However, it is
    in that context that the Court observed that the object of the Legislature was
    to enable the party to exclude the time requisite for obtaining a copy of the
    order after the period of limitation has commenced. While drafting the
    reasoning in support of the view taken by it t~e Court went on to observe-
    "if the time taken for obtaining the copy of the order before the commencement
D   of the period of limitation could be excluded, on the parity of reasoning, time
    taken for obtaining a copy of the order after the period of limitation also
    could be excluded. This would lead to an anomalous position: a party can
    keep quite till the period of limitation has run out and thereafter apply for a
    certified copy of the order and claim to exclude the time taken for obtaining
E   the certified copy of the order from the period of limitation. That could not
    have been the intention of the Legislature." Suffice it to say that such an
    observation was uncalled for to decide the issue arising for decision before
      \
    the Court and therefore has !O be treated as a mere observation having no
     precedential value and at the most an obiter. We cannot read a rider or an
    additional qualification in the language of sub-Section (2) of Section 12 which
F   the Legislature itself has chosen not to provide and thereby scuttle the
     operation of Section 12(2) abovesaid. We are clearly of the opinion that while
     computing the period of limitation the time requisite for obtaining the copy
     has to be excluded without regard to the fact whether the copy was applied
     for before the expiry of period of limitation or not.
G       So far as the applicability of Section 5 of the Limitation Act is concerned
  the power of the Court to extend the prescribed period of limitation on the
  ground of availability of sufficient cause for not preferring the appeal within
  the prescribed period, within the meaning of Section 5 of the Limitation Act,
  stands circumscribed by the limitation imposed on the power of the High
H Court by the proviso to sub-Section (2) of Section 25 of the Act. The
           INDIA HOUSE v. KISHAN N. LALWANI (R.C. LAHOTI, J.)               529
discretionary power to condone the delay in filing the revision can be exercised   A
for condoning any delay which does not exceed one month over and above
the period liable to be excluded from computing the period of limitation by
reference to Sections 4 to 24 of the Limitation Act.

      Computing the time within which the revisions were filed in the High
Court, consistently with the law as stated hereinabove, the revisions by the       B
respondent were filed within a period of 53 days. As the total time, excluding
the time requisite for obtaining the copy, does not exceed 60 days, the High
Court had power to condone the delay in filing the revision petitions. No fault
can be found with the discretionary jurisdiction so exercised by the High
Court.
                                                                                   c
         The appeals are held devoid of any merit and are dismissed. Costs easy.

S.K.S.                                                      Appeals dismissed.