Bombay High Court
RANJAN BHAUSAHEB DOMBEversusMAHESH DEVIDAS SATHE AND ORS.
- Disposal
- Disposed Off
Holding
The court held that the limitation issue shall be framed and decided on merits together with other issues, not as a preliminary issue.
Summary
The applicant, originally Defendant No.1, filed a revision challenging the trial court's dismissal of his request to frame a limitation issue as a preliminary matter in Civil Suit No. 61 of 2021. The applicant subsequently withdrew the request for a preliminary determination, seeking instead that the limitation question be framed as a regular issue to be decided on merits after evidence is recorded. The plaintiff (Respondent No.1) objected only to the preliminary treatment, not to the framing itself. Both parties consented to frame the issue: ‘Whether the suit filed by the Plaintiff is within the period of limitation?’ The High Court ordered that this issue be tried along with all other issues on merits and disposed of the revision application without any order as to costs.
Issues considered
- Whether the suit filed by the Plaintiff is within the period of limitation?
- Whether the issue of limitation can be framed as a regular issue rather than a preliminary issue
Subjects
- limitation
- civil procedure
- revision
- framing of issue
- preliminary issue
- evidence
- costs
Judgment
47-CRA-429-2025 (C).docx
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
CIRCUIT BENCH AT KOLHAPUR
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION
CIVIL REVISION APPLICATION NO. 429 OF 2025
Ranjan Bhausaheb Dombe … Applicant
Versus.
Mahesh Devidas Sathe & Ors. … Respondents
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Mr. Anant Vadgaonkar for the Applicant.
Mr. S.B. Talekar a/w. Mr. Saurabh Veer i/b. Talekar & Associates for the
Respondent No.1.
Dr. A.A. Takalkar, A.G.P. for the Respondent Nos.2 to 10-State.
-------
Coram : ASHWIN D. BHOBE, J.
Date : 3rd September 2026.
Oral Order :
1. Heard Mr. Anant Vadgaonkar, learned Advocate for the Applicant, Mr.
Talekar, learned Advocate for the Respondent No.1 and Dr. Takalkar, learned
A.G.P. for the Respondent Nos.2 to 10-State.
2. At the outset, Mr. Anant Vadgaonkar, learned Advocate for the
Applicant and Mr. S. B. Talekar, learned Advocate for Respondent No.1, state
that the contest in this Revision Application is between the Applicant
(original Defendant No.1) and Respondent No.1 (original Plaintiff). They
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submit that the other Respondents are formal parties and are not affected by
the outcome of this Revision Application. On the request of Mr. Anant
Vadgaonkar, learned Advocate for the Applicant and Mr. S. B. Talekar, learned
Advocate for Respondent No.1, this Application is taken up for final disposal.
3. By this Revision Application, the Applicant has assailed the Order dated
14th July 2025 passed by the Joint Civil Judge Senior Division, Pandharpur
(“Trial Court”), by which the Application at Exhibit – 126 filed by the
Applicant in Regular Civil Suit No. 61 of 2021 is dismissed (“impugned
order”).
4. The core of the issue is that the Applicant (Defendant No.1), by the
Application at Exhibit – 126 in Regular Civil Suit No. 61 of 2021, has sought
the framing of an issue pertaining to limitation as a preliminary issue and a
decision on the same. The Trial Court, for the reasons recorded in the
impugned order, has rejected the Application at Exhibit – 126.
5. Mr. Anant Vadgaonkar, learned Advocate for the Applicant, on
instructions from the Applicant, states that the Applicant's limited request is
to frame the issue of limitation in Regular Civil Suit No. 61 of 2021. On
specific instructions, he states that the said issue be framed and decided on
merits after recording of evidence, along with all the other issues that may
arise in Regular Civil Suit No. 61 of 2021. To clarify, he states that though the
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Applicant had requested that the issue of limitation be decided as a
preliminary issue, the Applicant is withdrawing that request for a preliminary
issue.
6. Mr. S. B. Talekar, learned Advocate for the Respondent No. 1 (Plaintiff),
states that he has no objection to the framing of the issue of limitation. He
submits that his objection is to treating the issue of limitation as a
“preliminary issue”. He states that since Mr. Anant Vadgaonkar, learned
Advocate for the Applicant, has now withdrawn the request for a
“preliminary issue”, the issue of limitation can be framed and decided on
merits after recording evidence, along with all the other issues that would
arise for consideration in Regular Civil Suit No. 61 of 2021.
7. In view of the above, Mr. Anant Vadgaonkar, learned Advocate for the
Applicant and Mr. S. B. Talekar, learned Advocate for Respondent No. 1,
consent to framing the following as one of the issues in Regular Civil Suit No.
61 of 2021:-
Issue :- “Whether the suit filed by the Plaintiff is within the
period of limitation ?”
8. At the request of Mr. Talekar, learned Advocate for Respondent No. 1
(Plaintiff), it is clarified that the afore said this issue shall be tried and
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decided along with the other issues that the Trial Court would frame in
Regular Civil Suit No. 61 of 2021 on merits, i.e. after recording the evidence
of the parties.
9. Civil Revision Application No. 429 of 2025 is disposed. No orders as to
costs.
[ ASHWIN D. BHOBE, J. ]
Digitally signed
by OMKAR
SHIVAHAR
OMKAR KUMBHAKARN
SHIVAHAR
KUMBHAKARN Date:
2026.09.04
10:55:32
+0530
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