NEHA ARUN JUGADAR & ANRversusKUMARI PALAK DIWAN JI
- Citation
- 2011 INSC 121
- Decided
- 14 February 2011
- Disposal
- Dismissed
Holding
A transfer order can be made only when both the transferor and transferee courts have jurisdiction; if the pending court lacks jurisdiction, the correct remedy is a petition for dismissal, not transfer.
Summary
The petitioners filed a transfer petition under Section 25 of the Code of Civil Procedure seeking to move a motor accident claim (MACT No. 138 of 2009) from the MACT Court in Gautam Budh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh to a competent court in Pune, Maharashtra, alleging that the Uttar Pradesh court lacked jurisdiction. The Supreme Court examined whether a transfer order can be granted when the court where the suit is pending does not have jurisdiction. It held that transfer is permissible only when both the transferor and transferee courts have jurisdiction and the transfer is sought for convenience of parties or witnesses. When jurisdiction is absent, the appropriate remedy is to apply to the pending court for dismissal on that ground, not to seek transfer. Consequently, the petitioners were directed to approach the MACT Court for dismissal, and the transfer petition was dismissed.
Issues considered
- Can a transfer petition under Section 25 CPC be entertained when the court where the suit is pending lacks jurisdiction?
- Does the transferee court need to have jurisdiction for a transfer order to be valid?
- What is the appropriate remedy when the original court is deemed to have no jurisdiction?
Legislation cited
Subjects
Judgment
[2011] 2 S.C.R. 907
NEHA ARUN JUGADAR & ANR. A
v.
KUMARI PALAK DIWAN JI
(Transfer Petition (Civil.) No(s). 182 of 2011 .
FEBRUARY 14, 2011
B
[MARKANDEY KATJU AND GYAN SUDHA MISRA, JJ.]
Code of Civil Procedure, 1908:
Transfer petition - Plea for transfer of motor accident c
claim case pending before MACT Court, UP to competent
court at Pune on the ground that the U.P. Court has no
jurisdiction in the matter- Held: An order of transfer of a case-::__
can be passed where both the courts, namely, the transferor
court as well as the transferee court, have jurisdiction to hear
0
the case and the\party seeking transfer of the case alleges
that the transferee court would be more ·convenient because
the witnesses are available there or for some other reason it
will be convenient for the parties to have the case heard by
the transferee court - In a case where a party alleges that the
court where the case is pending has no jurisdiction, he should E
apply to that court for dismissing it on this ground - There is
no questien of transfer of such a case - Therefore, the
petitioners may apply to the MACT Court, U.P. for dismissal
of the case pending before it on the ground that there is no
jurisdiction in the court to hear the case, and if they do so, F
the court concerned to decide the application as a preliminary
ground before proceeding to hear the case on merits -
Jurisdiction.
CIVIL ORIGINAL JURISDICTION : Transfer Petition (Civil) G
. No. 182 of 2011.
Under Section 25 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908.
Vishwajit Singh, Vijay Kumar, Maheshwari, Pankay Singh
907 H
908 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2011] 2 S.C.R.
A Bisht for the petitioners.
The following order of the Court was delivered
ORDER
B Heard learned counsel for the petitioners.
This Transfer Petition has been filed to transfer case being
MACT No. 138 of 2009 pending at the District Judge (MACT
Court, Gautam Budh Nagar, U.P.) to the competent Court at
Pune, Maharashtra. The petitioners allege in the petition that
C the MACT Court, Gautam Budh Nagar, U.P. has no jurisdiction
in the matter.
An order of transfer of a case can be passed where both
the courts, namely, the transferor court as well as the transferee
D court, have jurisdiction to hear the case and the party seeking
transfer of the case alleges that the transferee court would be
more convenient because the witnesses are available there or
for some other reason it will be convenient for the parties to
have the case heard by the transferee court. There is no
E question of transfer of a case which has been filed in a court\
which has no jurisdiction at all to hear it. ...
In a case where a party alleges that the court where the
case is pending has no jurisdiction, he should apply to that
court for dismissing it on this ground. There is no question of
F transfer of such a case.
Hence, the petitioners herein may apply to the District
Judge (MACT Court, Gautam Budh Nagar, U.P.) for dismissal
of the case pending before it on the ground that there is no
G jurisdiction in the Court to hear the case, and if they do so, the
Court concerned will decide the application as a preliminary
ground before proceeding to hear the case on merits.
With these observations, the transfer petition is dismissed.
H D.G. Transfer petiton dismissed.
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