IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH. C.R. No. 6463 of 2010 Date of decision: 26.4.2011 Bohar Singh … Petitioner versus Sharma Singh and another … Respondents CORAM: HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE ARVIND KUMAR Present: Mr. N.K.Manchanda, Advocate, for the petitioner Mr. Padam Kant Dwivedi, Advocate, for the respondents ... ARVIND KUMAR, J: This shall dispose of Civil Revisions No. 6463, 6464 and 6465 of 2010 as the same are directed against an identicial order, though petitioners are different, whereby cross-examination of respondent,namely, Sharma Singh has been treated as Nil in all the three cases. The present petitioner filed an election petition before the Election Tribunal, Ferozepur. He is aggrieved with order dated 3.9.2010 passed by the Presiding Officer, Election Tribunal, Ferozepur, by dint of which cross-examination of the respondent, namely, Sharma Singh has been treated as Nil on the ground that so many opportunities have been granted for the said purpose. Heard. The zimni orders placed on record indicate that the affidavit of Sharma Singh had been tendered in evidence on 20.8.2010 and on that date, the Court itself adjourned the case for 3.9.2010 for his cross- examination. It has thus, been wrongly construed by the Tribunal that so many opportunities for cross-examination have been granted; rather it was the first opportunity. If one opportunity is not granted to the plaintiff-petitioner for cross-examination of defendant Sharma Singh, he C.R. No. 6463 of 2010 -2- would suffer an irreparable loss which cannot be compensated in any manner. Therefore, this Court is of the opinion that it will be in the interest of justice to grant one effective opportunity to the petitioner in all the three cases to conduct cross-examination upon Sharma Singh. Rules and procedure are hand-maid of justice and are meant for enhancing the same and not to scuttle it. Accordingly, the revision petition is allowed and the order under challenge is set aside to the extent of treating cross- examination of the afore-said defendant as Nil. The trial Court is directed to afford one effective opportunity to the petitioner in each case for conducting cross-examination of Sharma Singh, defendant, on a date to be fixed by it. The order passed is, however, subject to payment of Rs.2000/- as costs in each case, which shall be paid by each petitioner to the respondents in the trial Court before conducting the cross-examination of the afore-stated witness. Consequently, all the three revision petitions, Civil Revision Nos. 6463, 6464 and 6465 of 2010, stand disposed of accordingly. April 26, 2011 ( ARVIND KUMAR ) JS JUDGE