ROHIT SINGH AND ORS.versusSTATE OF BIHAR (NOW STATE OF JHARKHAND) AND ORS.

A                             ROHIT SINGH AND ORS.
                                          v.
         STATE OF BIHAR (NOW STATE OF JHARKHAND) AND ORS.

                                 OCTOBER 17, 2006

B               [S.B. SINHA AND P.K. BALASUBRAMANY AN, JJ.)


          Code of Civil Procedure, 1908-0rder VI/I, Rule 6A:

          Counter-claim-Cannot be raised after issues are framed and evidence
C   is closed-Hence, on facts, the entertaining of so-called counter-claim of
    defendants 3 to 17 by the Trial Court, after framing of issues for trial, was
    illegal and without jurisdiction.

          Counter-claim against co-defendant-Maintainability of-Held:
D Counter-claim has to be necessarily directed against the plainliff. though
    incidentally or along with it, relief may also be claimed against the co-
    defendanls-Bul a coumer-claim directed solely against the co-defendants
    cannot be maintained-On facts, defendants 3 to 17 had no claim as against
    the plaintiff except that they were denying the right put forward by the
    plaintiff and the validity of the document relied on by the plaintiff-They
E   were asserting a right in themselves and their whole case was directed
    against defendants I and 2-Such a counter-claim should not have been
    entertained by the Trial Court.

          A suit was filed against the Divisional Forest Officer and the State or
    Bihar as defendants I and 2 for declaration or title/recovery or possession in
F   respect or property. Arter trial, judgment was reserved by the Court. At that
    stage, Appellants claiming possession over the suit property, filed application
    for intervention in the suit which was allowed and they were impleaded as
    defendants 3 to 17. Thereafter certain other persons who claimed to be lessees
    or portions of the suit property were impleaded as defendants 18 to 20. The
G   suit went for further trial and further evidence including that of the
    interveners, evidence was again closed and ev~n arguments on the side of the
    interveners concluded. However the suit was dismissed for default since on
    behalf of the plaintiff there was a failure to address arguments. But the suit
    was subsequently restored. Thereafter defendants 3 to 17 filed application
    for amending its written statement which was allowed. The Trial Court held
H                                        278
               ROlllT SINGH " STATE OFBlllAR (NOW STATE OF JHARKllAND)      279

that the plaintiff had failed to prove his possession or right of possession and    A
hence the suit was liable to be dismissed, but thereafter further held that after
amendment of the written statement by defendants 3 to 17, there came into
existence a counter-claim in terms of Order VIII, Rule 6A, CPC and since
the plaintiff, defendants I and 2 or defendants 18 to 20 had not filed any answer
to the counter-claim, that must be treated as a default under Order VIII, Rule      B
6E, CPC and defendants 3 to 17 should be granted a decree on the basis that
the counter-claim had not been denied. First Appellate Court modified the
decree of Trial Court by declaring the title and interest of defendants 3 to 17
and granting them a decree for permanent injunction against defendants 1
and 2 and defendants 18 to 20. High Court set aside the decree passed by the
Trial and First Appellate Court and remanded the suit to Trial Court for            C
decision afresh. Hence the present appeals by defendants 3 to 17.

      Dismissing the appeals filed by defendants 3 to 17 and upholding the
decision vacating the decree on the counter-claim, the Court

       HELD: 1. It is clear that after the evidence was closed, there was no        D
occasion for impleading the interveners. Even assuming that they were
properly impleaded, after they had filed their written statement, the suit had
gone for further trial and further evidence including that of the interveners
had been taken, the evidence again closed and even arguments on the side of
the interveners had been concluded. The suit itself was dismissed for default
only because on behalf of the plaintiff there was a failure to address arguments.   E
But the suit was subsequently restored. At that stage no counter-claim could
be entertained at the instance of the interveners. A counter-claim could be
filed even after the written statement is filed, but that does not mean that a
counter-claim can be raised after issues are framed and the evidence is closed.
Therefore, the entertaining of the so called counter-claim of defendants 3 to       F
17 by the trial court, after the framing of issues for trial, was clearly illegal
and without jurisdiction. On that short ground the counter-claim so called,
filed by defendants 3 to 17 has to be held to be not maintainable. 1289-D-FI
       2. What defendants 3 to 17 did, was to merely amend their written
statement by adding a sentence in the written statement they originally filed.      G
Originally it was only pleaded that those defendants were claiming to be in
peaceful possession of the suit lands ever since the time of their predecessors.
Defendants 3 to 17 wanted to add that they had claimed acquisition of title
based on long and uninterrupted possession and they crave leave to get their
title declared in the suit for which a declaratory court fee is paid. Not even a
prayer was sought to be added seeking a declaration of their title as is the        H
    280                       SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2006] SUPP. 7 S.C.R.

A normal practice. It is, therefore, clear that on going through the original
    written statement and the amendment introduced, that there was no counter-
    claim in terms of Order VIII Rule 6A of the Code in the case on hand, which
    justifies a trial of that counter-claim even assuming that such a counter-claim
    was maintainable even if no relief was claimed against the plaintiff in the suit
B   but it was directed only against the co-defendants in the suit. The counter-
    claim so called is liable to be rejected on that ground as well.
                                                              1289-G, H; 290-A, B]

        3.1. The Trial Court never formally treated the written statement as a
  counter-claim and give an opportunity to defendants 1 and 2 or defendants 18
C to 20 to file their pleas in :rnswer. Jt was not open to the trial court to proceed
  on the basis that no answer has been filed to the counter-claim and a decree
  thereon can be granted in terms of Order VIII Rule 6E of the Code. The Trial
  Court clearly found that there was no evidence on the side of defendants 3 to
  17 in support of their claim of possession but still granted a decree to
  defendants 3 to 17 only on the ground of the alleged default of defendants I
D and 2 and defendants 18 to 20 in filing an answer to the counter-claim made
  by defendants 3 to 17. Strangely, the court failed to keep in mind its earlier
  order that defendants 18 to 20, could not file a written statement and they
  could only watch the proceedings and participate in the trial. The whole
  procedure adopted was unsustainable and the decree granted on the so called
  failure of defendants I and 2 on the one hand and defendants 18 to 20 on the
E other, to file an answer to the counter-claim, is clearly unsustainable in law.
                                                                           1290-C, E)
           3.2. Normally, a counter-claim, though based on a different cause of
    action than the one put in suit by the plaintiff could be made. But, it appears
    that a counter-claim has necessarily to be directed against the plaintiff in the
F   suit, though incidentally or along with it, it may also claim relief against co-
    defendants in the suit. But a counter-claim directed solely against the co-
    defendants cannot be maintained. By filing a counter-claim the litigation cannot
    be converted into some sort of an inter-pleader suit. Here, defendants 3 to 17
    had no claim as against the plaintiff except that they were denying the right
G   put forward by the plaintiff and the validity of the document relied on by the
    plaintiff and were asserting a right in themselves. They had no case even that
    the plaintiff was trying to interfere with their claimed possession. Their whole
    case was directed against defendants 1 and 2 in the suit and they were trying
    to put forward a claim as against the State and were challenging the claim of
    the State that the land involved was a notified forest in the possession of the
H   State. Such a counter-claim should not have been entertained by the Trial
             ROHITSINGH 1·. STATE OF BIHAR(NOW STATE OF JHARKHAND)             281
Court.1290-F, H; 291-AI                                                                A

      Ramesh Chand Ardawatiyab v. Anil Panjwani, 120031 7 SCC 350,
distinguished.

      4. Also there was no prayer as such by way of counter-claim. A mere
plea that prescriptive title may be declared and payment of court fee for a            B
declaratory relief would not suffice. Even assuming that this could be treated
as a prayer for declaration of title by defendants 3 to 17, there was no warrant
for granting a decree to defendants 3 to 17 for recovery of possession as was
done by the trial court by way of counter-claim or a decree for permanent
injunction as was granted by the first appellate court. Even the requisite court       C
fees were not paid. Since the reliefs granted by those courts are not reliefs
prayed for, that part of the decree, in any event, could not be sustained.
                                                                       [291-E, Fl

       5. Since the counter-claim made by defendants 3 to 17 could not have
been entertained as a counter-claim in the case on hand, the High Court has            D
committed an error in remanding the suit to the trial court for proceeding
with it afresh. The suit filed by the plaintiff had been dismissed by the trial
court. The plaintiff had not appealed against the decree. The dismissal of the
suit has thus become final. Since the counter-claim sought to be made is found
to be not entertainable, obviously there is no question of the counter-claim
being tried as a counter-claim or being treated as a fresh plaint. It is, therefore,   E
necessary, though defendants I and 2 and defendants 18 to 20 have not appealed
to this Court against the decision of the High Court, to modify the decision of
the High Court by setting aside the order of remand made by that Court and
simply leaving it as a case where the suit would stand dismissed and in which
no counter-claim had been made. [292-B-CI
                                                                                       F
      6. In this view, even while dismissing the appeal filed by defendants 3 to
17, and upholding the decision vacating the decree on the counter-claim, this
Court _is setting aside the order of remand passed by the High Court and
passing a decree confirming the dismissal of the suit filed by the plaintiff
and holding that there was no valid or tenable counter-claim which could be            G
entertained in the present suit. [292-D-EI

      CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION : Civil Appeal No. 4517 of2006.

     From the Common Final Order and Judgment dated 1.7.2005 of the High
Court of Jharkhand at Ranchi in Second Appeal No. 50 of 2004.
                                                                                       H
    282                      SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2006] SUPP. 7 S.C.R.

A                                         WITH

          C.A. No. 4518 of2006.

         Mohit Chaudhary, Pooja Sharma, Jyoti Mendiratta and Subrath Dev for              ·'
    the Appellant.
B
        Shashi Shekhar Dvivedi, P.N. Mishra, Rajiv Shankar Dvivedi, Vishal
    Kumar Tiwary, Rajeev Ranjan Tiwary, Rajiv Singh, Mangal Sharma, S.B.
    Upadhyay and Anil K. Jha for the Respondent.

          The Judgment of the Court was delivered by
c         P.K. BALASUBRAMANY AN, J. 1. Leave granted.

           2. Respondent No. 6 herein as the Plaintiff filed a suit T.S. No. 9of1996
    for a declaration of his title to the suit property, for confinnation of his
    possession over it and if it were to be found that the plaintiff had been
D   dispossessed from the plaint schedule property during the pendency of the
    suit, for the grant of a decree for recovery of possession through the process
    of court, for a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from interfering
    with his peaceful possession of the plaint schedule property and for other
    incidental reliefs. The suit was filed against two defendants; the Divisional
    Forest Officer and the State of Bihar, who are respondents l and 2 herein.
E   Defendants 1 and 2 filed a written statement denying the claim of title and
    possession by the plaintiff. They pleaded that the property was vested forest
    having been notified as such under Section 29 of the Forest Act, 1927, which
    remained vested in the State; that the plaintiff had no cause of action and that
    the suit was not maintainable for want ofnotice under Section 80 of the Code
F   of Civil Procedure. The suit went to trial. Evidence was closed. Arguments
    concluded. Judgement was reserved.

           2. At that stage, certain third parties who are the appellants he~ein, filed
    an application under Order I Rule 10(2) of the Code of Civil Procedure claiming
    that they are in possession of properties including the suit property as
G   owners and that they have right, title, interest and khas possession over the
    suit land. They submitted that their presence before the court was necessary
    in order to enable the court to effectually and completely adjudicate upon and
    settle all the questions invoived in the suit. It is to be noted that there was
    no allegation that the plaintiff was attempting to interfere with their right or
H   possession. It was only stated that they had come to know that the plaintiff
  ROHITSINGH t'. STATEOFBIHAR(NOW STATE OF JHARKHAND) [BALASUBRAMANYAN, J] 283


had fileJ a suit based on some illegal and invalid documents and was                 A
proceeding with the suit speedily without impleading them. The said application
was allowed by the trial court. The impleaded parties were ranked as defendants
3 to 17 in the suit.

      3. A written statement was filed on behalf of defendants 3 to 12 disputing
the claim of the plaintiff and pleading that the suit properties were held by        B
them as descendants of one Tikait Maharaj ~ingh and they were in khas
possession of the land. They pleaded that they were in peaceful possession
of the plaint schedule property by inheritance that they and their ancestors
have acquired raiyati right over a large extent of land which took in the suit
land, both under law by adverse possession and under the provisions of the           C
Bihar Land Reforms Act. They reiterated that they were claiming to be in
peaceful possession of the suit lands ever since the time of their ancestors.
The land had not been demarcated by the forest authorities in the year 1964-
65.

       4. In the meantime, certain other persons claiming to be lessees of D
portions of the land filed applications for getting themselves impleaded in the
suit. They were ranked as defendants 18 to 20 by the court which, though
permitted their intervention, directed that they can only watch the proceedings
and participate in the trial but they would have no right to file any written
statement.
                                                                                     E
       5. Again, after some delay and after the suit had gone on, an application
was made on behalf of defendants 12 to 17 seeking an amendment of the
written statement earlier filed and adding a sentence at the end of paragraph
16 reiterating their claim of acquisition of title based on long and uninterrupted
possession. This amendment was allowed by the trial court. We think that it          F
will be useful to quote paragraph 16 of the written statement as amended.

        "16. That the statements made in paras 9 to 11 are incorrect and
        concocted and are denied. These defendants are in peaceful possession
        of the suit lands ever since the time of their ancestors. These defendants
        have claimed acquisition of title based on long and uninterrupted G
        possession so they crave leave to get their title declared in the suit
        for which a declaratory court fee is paid."

It is seen that the trial court permitted them to pay the court fee as proposed
by them. But, it has to be seen that no prayer for a decree was added in the
written statement by way of amendment, even for the declaration sought for, H
    284                      SUPREME COURT REPORTS (2006] SUPP. 7 S.C.R.

A for which court fee was paid.
           6. The manner in which the trial court went about trying the suit is
    baffling. Clearly, the relevant procedural and other aspects were ignored by
    the trial court or were not brought to its notice. Impleading third parties
    against whom the plaintiff was making no claim and that too after the issues
B   are framed, evidence is closed, arguments are concluded and judgment is
    reserved was not proper. Thereafter, after again closing the evidence permitting
    them to make a vague amendment to their written statement and permitting
    them to pay court fee on a relief which was not even claimed as a specific
    relief in the written statement and entertaining the vague claim not even
C   supported by the necessary pleadings can only be described as strange.

           7. Ultimately, the trial court held that the suit by the Plaintiff was not
    maintainable for want of notice under Section 80 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
    It further held that the plaintiff has not established his claim based on a
    Hukamnama allegedly granted by one F.F. Christian and that the plaintiff had
D   failed to prove his possession or right to possession. Thus the suit was
    found liable to be dismissed. Thereafter, the trial court proceeded, as if
    defendants 3 to 17 have made a counter-claim in the suit as against defendants
    I and 2, and defendants 18 to 20 and that it has to adjudicate on such a
    counter-claim. It recorded a clear finding:

E           "Of course, there is no tangible proof of act of possession on the day
            of vesting but I find that his case has not at all been denied by either
            plaintiff or defendants I and 2."

    Then, it proceeded to grant a decree to defendants 3 to 17 on the ground of
    non-traverse. This was on the basis that on the trial court allowing the
F   amendment of the written statement by defendants 12 to 17 and on their
    paying court fee, there has come into existence a counter-claim in terms of
    Order VIII Rule 6A of the Code and since the plaintiff, defendants 1 and 2
    or defendants 18 to 20 had not filed any answer to the counter-claim, that
    must be treated as a default under Order VIII Rule 6E of the Code and
G   defendants 3 to 17 should be granted a decree on the basis that the counter-
    claim had not been denied. It totally forgot its own order (the correctness of
    which itself is doubtful) that though added, defendants 18 to 20 were not
    entitled to file written statements and were merely to be observers. Nor did
    it bear in mind that the suit had never been posted for the pleadings of the
    plaintiff or of defendants I and 2 in answer to the alleged counter-claim. Thus,
H   on the basis of the alleged default in filing an answer to the counter-claim,
   ROH IT SINGH 1·. STATE OF BIHAR (NOW STA TE OF JHARKHAND) [BALASUBRAMANY AN, J.) 285


the trial court decreed the counter---claim of defendants 3 to 17. A decree was A
hence passed dismissing the suit and decreeing the counter---claim declaring
that defendants 3 to 17 are and have got absolute right, title and interest in
the suit property and they are entitled to recovery of possession of the same.
From whom, it was not clarified. It was not noticed that there was no prayer
for recovery of possession or for any relief consequential to the declaration B
sought for though not by way of a formal prayer.

        8. Defendants I and 2 challenged the decree of the trial court in T.A .
. No. 26 of 2000. Defendants 18 to 20 on their part challenged the decree of
 the trial court in T.A. No. 24 of 2000. In both these appeals though the plaintiff
  was impleaded as a respondent and he was served, he did not even appear.                C
  Of course, he did not also file an appeal against the dismissal of his suit. The
 dismissal of the suit thus became final.

       9. The learned Additional District Judge, who heard the appeals, rejected
 the initial prayer of defendants 18 to 20 that the suit be remanded to the trial
 court and they be given an opportunity to file a written statement in the suit D
 or an answer to the alleged counter-claim on the ground that they had not
 challenged the order of the trial court initially made, impleading them and
 ordering them only to watch the proceedings. Obviously, the court failed to
 see that such an interlocutory order could also be challenged in an appeal
 from the decree by invoking Section I 05(1) of the Code of Civil Procedure.
 Thereafter, disbelieving a notification issued on 8.12.1953 under Section 29 of E
the Indian Forest Act, I927 on the ground that issues of the vernacular
newspapers in which its translation was published had not been produced by
the State to show that the procedural requirements were complied with, the
court proceeded to dismiss the appeal of defendants 1 and 2 on the same
basis as adopted by the trial court, that defendants I and 2 had not filed an F
answer to the alleged counter-claim made by defendants 3 to 17. That court
did not properly consider the question whether there was in fact a counter-
claim in law, whether such a counter-claim was maintainable and whether a
counter-claim could be entertained after closure of evidence, that too at the
instance of some strangers who sought to get themselves impleaded so as
to assert their right, not against the plaintiff, but against the State, the G
defendant. It did not also investigate whether the title claimed by defendants
3 to 17 was established by them. It did not also scrutinise whether there was
adequate pleading as known to law in support of a case of prescriptive title,
whether such an inconsistent prescriptive title could be set up after claiming
proprietary title in the property and whether there was any acceptable evidence H
    286                      SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2006] SUPP. 7 S.C.R.

A to establish a title by adverse possession. The manner in which the Additional
    District Judge has disposed of the appeals and the questions arising therein
    is more disappointing than the manner in which the suit was tried and
    disposed of by the munsiff, who could at least be assumed to be inexperienced.
    One would have expected the Additional District Judge to show a little more
B   awareness of the procedural and substantive law and his obligation as a first
    appellate court. Thus, the first appellate court ended up by dismissing both
    the appeals but purported to modify the decree of the trial court by declaring
    the title and interest of defendants 3 to 17 and granting them a decree
    permanently restraining defendants I and 2 and defendants 18 to 20 from
    carrying on further mining operations. It did not even advert to the written
C   statement to see whether there was any prayer in the so called counter-claim
    justifying such a decree. It incidentally noted that the suit of the plaintiff was
     liable to be dismissed for want of notice under Section 80 of the Code.

           I0. Being dissatisfied with the decision of the first appellate court,
    defendants I and 2 filed S.A. No. 50 of 2004 in the High Court. Defendants
D   18 to 20 filed S.A. No. 32 of 2004. Both these appeals were admitted on the
    substantial questions of law that were formulated by that court at the time
    of admission. The questions related to the jurisdiction to entertain and decide
    the counter-claim of a set of defendants made against another set of
    defendants, whether the court had jurisdiction to decide the dispute inter se
E   between the defendants after dismissing the suit, whether the scope of a
    counter-claim in terms of Order VIII Rule 6A of the Code had not been totally
    misunderstood and whether on the pleadings and the evidence in the case,
    the courts below were justified in passing the decree on the counter-claim that
    was challenged in the Second Appeal. A learned judge of the High Court, on
    a consideration of the ·relevant aspects, held that the courts below without
F   adverting to the requirements of Order VIII Rule 6A and without following the
    correct procedure of law had treated the amendment petition as a counter-
    claim and had passed a decree in favour of defendants 3 to 17 which was
    unsustainable. It was held that the courts had totally ignored the correct
    procedure of law and the rules of evidence while deciding the issue raised.
G   The judgments, hence could not be sustained. Thereafter, the second appellate
    court allowed the Second Appeals and setting aside the decrees passed by
    the trial and the first appellate courts, remanded the suit to the trial court for
    rendering a fresh judgment in accordance with law on the basis of the
    evidence adduced by the parties. Challenging the decision in the two Second
    Appeals, the appeal has been filed by defendants 3 to 17 by filing two
H
   ROHITSINGH 1·. STATEOFBIHAR(NOW STATE OF JHARKHAND) [BALASUBRAMANYAN,J.] 287

separate petitions for special leave to appeal.                                      A
        11. Learned counsel for the appellants contended that a counter-claim
 was maintainable even if the cause of action put forward by the defendants
 in the suit did not arise out of the cause of action put in suit by the Plaintiff
 and that under such circumstances, the trial court and the first appellate court
 rightly considered the claim put forward by the appellants as a counter-claim B
 and were justified in adjudicating it in the manner in which it was done. It was
also contended that Order VIII Rule 6A of the Code did not preclude the filing
of a counter-claim by one defendant against a co-defendant even though no
relief was claimed as against the plaintiff. It was also contended that in the
absence of an answer to the counter-claim being filed by defendants I and C
2 or defendants 18 to 20, the trial court was justified in proceeding on the
terms of Order VIII Rule 6E of the Code and in allowing the counter-claim on
the basis that there was no resistance or answer to the claim made by way
of amendment in the written statement. It is therefore submitted that the High
Court was not justified in interfering with the decision of the first appellate
court. On the scope and content of Order VIII Rule 6A of the Code, he D
referred to various decisions including those of this court, culminating in the
one in Ramesh Chand Ardawatiyab v. Anil Panjwani, [2003] 7 SCC 350 and
contended that the conclusion answered by the High Court was not warranted.

       12. On behalf of defendants I and 2 in the suit, it is contended that there   E
was no counter-claim at all made by defendants 3 to 17 as known to law, that
 such a counter-claim as against defendants I and 2 was not maintainable; that
a counter-claim at the instance of persons who got themselves impleaded
after the evidence was closed and the trial was over, could not be entertained,
even if maintainable, that the High Court having found that the counter-claim
had been wrongly entertained by the trial court and the first appellate court        F
ought to have simply allowed the second appeals and dismissed the alleged
counter-claim of defendants 3 to 17 and the remand of the suit was not called
for especially when the suit filed by the plaintiff had been dismissed by the
trial court and he had not challenged the said dismissal. It was therefore
submitted that once the counter-claim was found to be not maintainable, all
that was required to be done, was to vacate the decree passed by the trial           G
court and the first appellate court on that counter-claim and to simply leave
the suit of the plaintiff as dismissed. On behalf of defendants 18 to 20 it was
submitted that the procedure adopted by the trial court and the first appellate
court was unknown to law and their interests could not be affected without
even permitting them to file written statements in the suit and the decree that      H
    288                      SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2006] SUPP. 7 S.C.R.

A was granted was even otherwise unsustainable, since there is no prayer by
    way of counter-claim that they had to answer and there is no discussion of
    the pleadings or the evidence by the trial court and the first appellate court
    before upholding the so called counter-claim of defendants 3 to 17. It is also
    pointed out that inconsistent cases have been set up by defendants 3 to 17
B   and even if it was permissible, there was no pleading as known to law in
    support of a case of adverse possession or prescriptive title set up in the
    written statement and under those circumstances there was absolutely no
    necessity for remanding the suit to the trial court. The plaintiffs suit having
    been dismissed and that dismissal having become final, the High Court should
    have simply vacated the decree on the counter-claim and closed the litigation.
c         13. In reply, it is reiterated that in view of the amendments to the Code
    brought about by Act I04 of 1976, the scope for entertaining a counter-claim
    was enlarged and the counter-claim made by the appellants falls well within
    the ambit of Order VJII Rule 6A of the Code.

D        14. We shall first consider whether there was a counter claim in the suit
  in terms of Order Vlll Rule 6A of the Code in this case. The suit was filed
  against the Divisional Forest Officer and the State of Bihar as defendants 1
  and 2 on 26.2.1996 by respondent No. 6 herein. After the written statement
  was filed by the defendants issues were framed and the suit went to trial. On
  3.6.1996 and 6.6.1996 the evidence on the side of the plaintiff was concluded.
E On 14.6.1996 the evidence on the side of the defendants was completed. On
  24.6.1996 arguments were concluded. Judgment was reserved. 25.6.1996 was
  fixed as the date for pronouncing the judgment. The judgment was not
  pronounced and it appears that the judge was subsequently transferred.
  Therefore, on 20.8.1996 arguments were again heard by the successor judge
F and judgment was reserved. 27.8.1996 was fixed as the date for judgment.
  Apparently, it was not pronounced. It is thereafter that defendants 3 to 17
  filed an application on 11.9.1996 for intervention in the suit. We have already
  referred to the allegations in that application for impleading filed. We only
  notice again that they Cliiimed to be in possession of the property and that
  their presence before the court was necessary in order to enable the court to
G effectually and completely adjudicate upon and settle all the questions involved
  in the suit. On 19.9.1996 the application for intervention was allowed. On
  30.9.1996 a written statement was filed by defendant Nos.3 to 12. We have
  already summarised the pleas raised therein.

          15. After this, the witnesses of the plaintiff were recalled and pem1itted
H
  ROHIT SINGH"· STATE OF BIHAR (NOW STATE OF JHARKHAND) [BALASUBRAMANY AN,J.l   289
  to be cross-examined by these defendants. That was on 5.10.1996. Again the A
  witnesses for defendants 1 and 2, were recalled and they were permitted to
  be cross-examined on behalf of these defendants. The evidence on the side
  of defendants 3 to 17 was let in. It commenced on 24.2.1997 and was closed
  on 30.1. _1997. Thereafter arguments were heard again and the arguments on
  the side of the defendants including that of defendants 3 to 17 were concluded B
  on 4.3.1997. The suit was adjourned for arguments on the side of the plaintiff.
  On 5.3.1997, the suit was dismissed for default of the plaintiff. It was then
  restored on 29.5.1998. It was thereafter on 5.6.1998, that defendants 3 to 17
  filed an application for amending the written statement. The amendment was
 allowed on 20. 7.1998. There was no order treating the amended written
 statement as a counter-claim or directing either the plaintiff or defendants I C
 and 2 to file a written statement or an answer thereto. Defendants 3 to 17 had
 questioned the pecuniary jurisdiction of the trial court in their written statement.
 That plea was permitted to be withdrawn on 4.2.1999. It is clear that after the
 evidence was closed, there was no occasion for impleading the interveners.
 Even assuming that they were properly impleaded, after they had filed their
 written statement, the suit had gone for further trial and further evidence D
 including that of the interveners had been taken, the evidence again closed
 and ·even arguments on the side of the interveners had been concluded. The
 suit itself was dismissed for default only because on behalf of the plaintiff
 there was a failure to address arguments. But the suit was subsequently ''
 restored. At that stage no counter-claim could be entertained at the instance E
of the interveners. A counter-claim, no doubt, could be filed even after the
written statement is filed, but that does not mean that a counter-claim can be
 raised after issues are framed and the evidence is closed. Therefore, the
entertaining of the so called counter-claim of defendants 3 to 17 by the trial
court, after the framing of issues for trial, was clearly illegal and without
jurisdiction. On that short ground the counter-claim so called, filed by F
defendants 3 to 17 has to be held to be not maintainable.

      16. As can be seen, what defendants 3 to I 7 did, was to merely amend
their written statement by adding a sentence to paragraph 16 of the written
statement they originally filed. In paragraph I6 it was only pleaded that those G
defendants were claiming to be in peaceful possession of the suit lands ever
since the time of their predecessors. They wanted to add that they had
claimed acquisition of title based on long and uninterrupted possession and
they crave leave to get their title declared in the suit for which a declaratory
court fee is paid. It may be noted that not even a prayer was sought to be
added seeking a declaration of their title as is the normal practice. It is, H
    290                       SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2006] SUPP. 7 S.C.R.

A therefore, clear that on going through the original written statement and the
    amendment introduced, that there was no counter-claim in tem1s of Order Vlll
    Rule 6A of the Code in the case on hand, which justifies a trial of that
    counter-claim even assuming that such a counter-claim was maintainable even
    if no relief was claimed against the plaintiff in the suit but it was directed only
B   against the co-defendants in the suit. The counter-claim so called is liable to
    be rejected on that ground as well.

          17. Thirdly, it is seen that the trial court never fonnally treated the
  written statement as a counter-claim and give an opportunity to defendants
   1 and 2 or defendants 18 to 20 to file their pleas in answer. It was not open
C to the trial court to proceed on the basis that no answer has been filed to
  the counter-claim and a decree thereon can be granted in terms of Order VIII
  Rule 6E of the Code. The trial court clearly found that there was no evidence
  on the side of defendants 3 to 17 in support of their claim of possession but
  still granted a decree to defendants 3 to 17 only on the ground of the alleged
                                                                                          ...
  default of defendants 1 and 2 and defendants 18 to 20 in filing an answer to
D the counter-claim made by defendants 3 to 17. Strangely, the court failed to
  keep in mind its earlier order that defendants 18 to 20, could not file a written
  statement and they could only watch the proceedings and participate in the
  trial. The whole procedure adopted was unsustainable and the decree granted
  on the so called failure of defendants I and 2 on the one hand and defendants
E 18 to 20 on the other, to file an answer to the counter-claim, is clearly
  unsustainable in law.

         18. Normally, a counter-claim, though based on a different cause of
  action than the one put in suit by the plaintiff could be made. But, it appears
  to us that a counter-claim has necessarily to be directed against the plaintiff
F in the suit, though incidentally or along with it, it may also claim relief against
  co-defendants in the suit. But a counter-claim directed solely against the co-
  defendants cannot be maintained. By filing a counter-claim the litigation
  cannot be converted into some sort of an inter-pleader suit. Here, defendants
  3 to 17 had no claim as against the plaintiff except that they were denying
  the right put forward by the plaintiff and the validity of the document relied
G on by the plaintiff and were asserting a right in themselves. They had no case
  even that the plaintiff was trying to interfere with their claimed possession.
  Their whole case was directed against defendants 1 and 2 in the suit and they
  were trying to put forward a claim as against the State and were challenging
  the claim of the State that the land involved was a notified forest in the
H possession of the State. Such a counter-claim, in our view, should not have
       ROHIT SINGH '" STATE OFBIHAR (NOW STATE OF JHARKHAND) [BALASUBRAMANYAN. J.J 29 J


     been entertained by the trial court.                                                 A
             19. The observations of this Court in Ramesh Chand Ardawatiya (supra)
     that:

              ··Looking to the scheme of Order 8 as amended by Act I04 of 1976,
              we are of the opinion, that there are three modes of pleading or setting B
              up a counter-claim in a civil suit. Firstly, the written statement filed
              under Rule I may itself contain a counter-claim which in the light of
              Rule I read with Rule 6-A would be a counter-claim against the claim
              of the plaintiff preferred in exercise of legal right conferred by Rule
              6-A. Secondly, a counter-claim may be preferred by way of amendment
              incorporated subject to the leave of the court in a written statement C
              already filed. Thirdly, a counter-claim may be filed by way of a

--            subsequent pleading under Rule 9."

     are of no avail to defendants 3 to 17 on the facts and in the circumstances
     of this case. In the reported decision, this Court did not have to consider
     whether a counter-claim can be filed after the trial is concluded and whether D
     it could be solely directed against a co-defendant. The Court was also not
     dealing with an inchoate counter-claim in that case.

           20. We also find that there was no prayer as such by way of counter-
     claim. A mere plea that prescriptive title may be declared and payment of court      E
     fee for a declaratcry relief would not suffice. Even assuming that this could
     be treated as a prayer for declaration of title by defendants 3 to 17, there was
     no warrant for granting a decree to defendants 3 to 17 for recovery of
     possession as was done by the trial court by way of counter-claim or a decree
     for permanent injunction as was granted by the first appellate court. Even the
     requisite court fees were not paid. Since the reliefs granted by those courts        F
     are not reliefs prayed for, that part of the decree, in any event, could not be
     sustained.

            21. As regards the finding that the notification under Section 29 of the
     Forest Act has not been proved, the same has also to be held to be
     unsustainable. The Gazette notification issued 32 years prior to the suit was G
     produced and marked in evidence and no circumstance proved, justified an
     inference that it might not have been published as enjoined by law. The
     regularity of issue of such a notification should have been presumed leaving
     it to defendants 3 to 17 to rebut that presumption. For the present, all that
     is required is to vacate the finding in that regard entered by the lower H
    292                      SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2006) SUPP. 7 S.C.R.

A appellate court.
         22. Having thus found that the counter-claim made by defendants 3 to
  17 could not have been entertained as a counter-claim in the case on hand,
  we find that the High Court has committed an error in remanding the suit to
  the trial court for proceeding with it afresh. The suit filed by the plaintiff had
B been dismissed by the trial court. The plaintiff had not appealed against the
  decree. The dismissal of the suit has thus become final. Since the counter-
  claim sought to be made is found to be not entertainable, obviously there is
  no question of the counter-claim being tried as a counter-claim or being
  treated as a fresh plaint. It is, therefore, necessary, though defendants I and
C 2 and defendants 18 to 20 have not appealed to this Court against the
  decision of the High Court, to modify the decision of the High Court by
  setting aside the order of remand made by that court and simply leaving it
  as a case where the suit would stand dismissed and in which no counter-claim           ...
  had been made.

D         23. In this view, even while dismissing the appeal filed by defendants
    3 to 17, and upholding the decision vacating the decree on the counter-claim,
    we set aside the order of remand passed by the High Court and pass a decree
    confinning the dismissal of the suit filed by the plaintiff and holding that there
    was no valid or tenable counter-claim which could be entertained in the
    present suit. Defendants l and 2 would be entitled to their costs in the courts
E   below from defendants 3 to 17 and the parties are left to bear their respective
    costs in this Court.

    8.8.8.                                                  Appeals disposed of.