CRA/119/2008 1/4 JUDGMENT IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD CIVIL REVISION APPLICATION No. 119 of 2008 For Approval and Signature: HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE M.R. SHAH ========================================= = 1 Whether Reporters of Local Papers may be allowed to see the judgment ? 2 To be referred to the Reporter or not ? 3 Whether their Lordships wish to see the fair copy of the judgment ? 4 Whether this case involves a substantial question of law as to the interpretation of the constitution of India, 1950 or any order made thereunder ? 5 Whether it is to be circulated to the civil judge ? ========================================= = KADARKHAN SHAKURKHAN PATHAN - Applicant(s) Versus LEELABEN SHIRISHCHANDRA PATEL & 1 - Opponent(s) ========================================= = Appearance : MR MM SAIYED for Applicant(s) : 1, MR VK JOSHI for Opponent(s) : 1, MR VIREN G DAVE for Opponent(s) : 2, ========================================= = CORAM : HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE M.R. SHAH Date : 14/08/2008 ORAL JUDGMENT 1. By way of this Civil Revision Application, the applicant-original CRA/119/2008 2/4 JUDGMENT plaintiff of Regular Civil Suit No. 32/2002 has prayed for an appropriate order quashing and setting aside the order passed by the learned Principal Civil Judge, Valia dated 29/02/2008 in Delay Condonation Application No. 9/2007 in not condoning the delay of 86/55 days in submitting an application for restoration of Regular Civil Suit No. 32/2002, which came to be dismissed for non prosecution in absence of the applicant-original plaintiff and/or his advocate. 2. The applicant-original plaintiff instituted Regular Civil Suit No. 32/2002 for permanent injunction against opponent no. 1 herein- original defendant no. 1. It appears that the aforesaid suit came to be dismissed for non prosecution as neither the applicant-original plaintiff nor his advocate remained present. The learned advocate for the applicant-original plaintiff did not even submit an application for adjournment. Thereafter, the learned advocate appearing on behalf of the applicant-original plaintiff submitted an application for restoration of the aforesaid suit. However, there was a delay of 55 days in preferring the restoration application. The applicant-original plaintiff preferred Delay Condonation Application No. 9/2007 requesting to condone the delay by submitting that the father of the applicant-original plaintiff was sick, and, therefore, at the time when the suit was called out, the applicant-original plaintiff could not remain present and unfortunately the learned advocate appearing on behalf of the applicant-original plaintiff also did not submit an application for adjournment. The said application was opposed by the opponents herein, and ultimately, the learned trial Court by its impugned order dismissed the application submitted by the applicant-original plaintiff by not condoning the delay of 86/55 days in preferring the restoration application. 3. Being aggrieved and dissatisfied with the impugned order passed below Delay Condonation Application No. 9/2007 dated 29/02/2008, the applicant-original plaintiff has preferred the present Civil Revision Application. CRA/119/2008 3/4 JUDGMENT 4. Shri M.M. Saiyed, learned advocate appearing on behalf of the applicant-original plaintiff has vehemently submitted that the learned trial Court ought to have taken liberal approach for condoning the delay caused in filing the application for restoration. It is submitted that the learned trial Court ought to have given an opportunity to the applicant-original plaintiff to submit the medical certificate of his father. It is submitted that the impugned order of the learned trial Court is against the law laid down by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in catena of decisions, more particularly, in the case of MAHENDRA RATHOD Vs. OMKARSING reported in AIR 2002 SC 505 and in the case of GANGADEEP PRATISTHAN PVT. LTD Vs. MECHANO reported in AIR 2005 SC 1958. It is submitted that as held by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in catena of decisions, sufficient cause should be construed liberally so as to advance substantial justice rather than taking technical view. By making the above submissions, it is requested to allow the present Civil Revision Application. 5. The petition is opposed by Shri V.K. Joshi, learned advocate appearing on behalf of opponent no.1 and Shri Viren Dave, learned advocate appearing on behalf of opponent no. 2. It is submitted that in the facts and circumstances of the case when no sufficient cause was shown in preferring the application for restoration belatedly, the learned trial Court has rightly dismissed the Delay Condonation Application. It is submitted that even on merits also the learned trial Cort was justified in dismissing the suit as nobody remained present on behalf of the applicant-original plaintiff and even an application for adjournment was also not submitted. Therefore, it is requested to dismiss the present Civil Revision Application. The learned advocates appearing on behalf of the respective opponents have submitted affidavit-in replies and has relied upon the averments in the said affidavit-in reply. 6. Heard the learned advocates appearing on behalf of the respective parties. It is to be noted that there was delay of 86/55 CRA/119/2008 4/4 JUDGMENT days in preferring the restoration application requesting to restore the suit, which was dismissed for non prosecution in absence of the applicant and/or his advocate. It is to be noted that as such there are no allegations that deliberately and with a malafide intention, the applicant-original plaintiff has submitted an application for restoration belatedly. As such, there was no reason for the applicant-original plaintiff to submit an application for restoration belatedly. By not submitting the application for restoration within the stipulated time, the applicant-original plaintiff was not going to be benefited. It appears that the learned trial Court has taken too technical view in dismissing the application for condonation of delay in submitting the application for restoration of the suit. As held by the Hon'ble Supreme Court as well as this Court in catena of decisions, sufficient cause should be construed liberally so as to advance substantial justice rather than non suiting the litigant on technical ground of delay. If the delay would have been condoned, no prejudice would have been caused to the opponents as the restoration application would be heard on merits. Under the circumstances, the impugned order passed by the learned trial Court in dismissing the Delay Condonation Application and not condoning the delay in preferring the restoration application requires to be quashed and set aside. 7. For the reasons stated hereinabove, the Civil Revision Application succeeds. The impugned order passed by the learned trial Court in Delay Condonation Application No. 9/2007 dated 29/02/2008 is hereby quashed and set aside and the delay caused in submitting the restoration application to restore Regular Civil Suit No. 32/2002 is hereby condoned. Rule is made absolute accordingly. There shall be no order as to costs (M.R. SHAH, J.) siji