Bombay High Court
PEOPLE INTERACTIVE (INDIA) PRIVATE LIMITEDversusNIBHA SINGH
- Decided
- Disposal
- DISPOSED OFF
Holding
The court held that substituted service by newspaper advertisement is permissible and granted the application.
Summary
The plaintiff, People Interactive (India) Pvt. Ltd., filed an interim application seeking substituted service of summons on Defendants 1 and 2 after three unsuccessful attempts at personal service. The court observed that the defendants appeared to be evading service. Relying on the provisions governing substituted service, the judge permitted service by publishing a notice in a newspaper circulating in the locality where the defendants were last known to conduct business. The order specifically directed that the writ of summons be served by newspaper advertisement. The interim application was therefore allowed and disposed of in accordance with the prayer clause.
Issues considered
- Whether substituted service by newspaper advertisement is permissible when personal service attempts have failed.
Subjects
- substituted service
- service of summons
- civil procedure
- interim application
- newspaper advertisement
Judgment
1/2 902-IA-6090-2025.DOC
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
Digitally
signed by
MOHAMMAD
MOHAMMAD AREEB
ORDINARY ORIGINAL CIVIL JURISDICTION
AREEB MOHD
MOHD AKBAR
AKBAR Date:
2026.09.19
12:00:06
+0530 INTERIM APPLICATION NO. 6090 OF 2025
IN
SUIT NO. 18 OF 2025
People Interactive (India) Pvt. Ltd. ...Applicant
In the matter between:
People Interactive (India) Pvt. Ltd. ...Plaintiff
Versus
Nibha Singh & Ors. ...Defendants
_______
Ms. Letishiya Chaturvedi i/b Veritas Legal for the Applicant/Plaintiff.
Mr. Abhishek Mookherjee i/b Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas for Defendant
No.3.
Mr. Alankar Kirpekar a/w Mr. Ayush Tiwari i/b Mr. Shekhar S Bhagat & Ms.
Neelaja Kirpekar for Defendant No.4.
_______
CORAM : ARIF S. DOCTOR, J.
DATE : 18th SEPTEMBER, 2026
P.C.
1. This is an Application for substituted service.
2. Having due regard to what has been set out in the Interim Application
and having noted the three previous attempts made by the Applicant to serve
Defendant Nos. 1 and 2, I am satisfied that the said Defendants appear to be
evading service. I am, therefore, inclined to allow this Application for substituted
service.
3. The Interim Application is accordingly allowed in terms of prayer clause
Areeb
2/2 902-IA-6090-2025.DOC
‘a’, which reads thus:
“a. Pass an order permitting substituted service of the writ of summons to
Defendant Nos. 1 and 2 by an advertisement in a newspaper circulating in
the locality in which Defendant Nos. 1 and 2 were last known to have
actually and voluntarily carried on business and worked for gain;”
4. The Interim Application is accordingly disposed of.
[ARIF S. DOCTOR, J.]
Areeb
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