Holding

An interlocutory order permitting amendment of pleadings is not subject to revision under Section 115 CPC unless it finally disposes of the suit or causes failure of justice or irreparable injury, which was not the case here.

Summary

The appellants, legal heirs of mortgagees, filed a suit for declaration of joint ownership of mortgaged land and an injunction against the respondent who had his name entered in revenue records. They later sought to amend the plaint under Order 6 Rule 17 CPC to include facts about a prior pre-emption suit and non‑payment of a stipulated amount, which they learned from a suit filed by the respondent. The trial court allowed the amendment, but the High Court set aside that order on the ground of limitation, invoking its revision powers under Section 115 CPC. The Supreme Court examined whether the High Court could revise an interlocutory order and held that such revision is permissible only if the order either finally disposes of the suit or would cause failure of justice or irreparable injury, neither of which applied to the amendment order. Consequently, the Court allowed the appeal, set aside the High Court’s order, and restored the trial court’s decision permitting the amendment.

Issues considered

Whether an interlocutory order allowing amendment of a plaint is revisable by the High Court under Section 115 CPC.
Whether the amendment order satisfies clause (a) – final disposal of the suit – or clause (b) – failure of justice or irreparable injury to the opposite party.

Legislation cited

Code of Civil Procedure, 1908s. 115

Subjects

revision jurisdictioninterlocutory orderamendment of plaintSection 115 CPCcivil procedurefailure of justiceirreparable injurylimitation

Judgment

PREM BAKSHI AND ORS. A

-
'
v.
DHARAM DEV AND ORS.

JANUARY 9, 2002

[K.T. THOMAS AND S.N. PHUKAN, JJ.] B

Code of Civil Procedure, 1908:

Section I I 5 and Order 6 Rule I 7-Revisionary Jurisdiction-Exercise
of-Suit for declaration and injunction-Amendment sought only to bring to C
the notice of the Court some subsequent facts-Trial Court allowed the
application but High Court set it aside-On appeal held, such amendment
to pleadings would not cause any failure ofjustice or irreparable injury to
any party-Hence High Court erred in allowing the revision.

The suit land was mortgaged to two persons and on the death of the D
mortgagor, respondent No. 1 got his name mutated in the revenue record.
Appellant and respondent Nos. 2 to S, the legal heirs of the mortgagee filed
suit for declaration of joint ownership of the land and permanent injunction
restraining respondent No. 1 from alienating the suit land. Subsequently,
appellant learnt from the suit filed by respondent No. I that the suit land was E
sold by the mortgagor to the mortgagee adjusting the mortgaged amount and
also that father of respondent No. 1 had filed a pre-emption suit which was
decreed in 1943 with a condition of payment of certain amount to the mortgagee
by the father of respondent No. I and in case of non-payment, the suit would
stand dismissed. Thereafter, appellant filed an application under Order 6 Rule
17 CPC for amendment in the suit that as the amount directed by the Court F
was not paid, there was no decree for pre-emption and the suit stood dismissed.
Trial Court allowed the amendment application. However, High Court
dismissed it. Hence the present appeal.

Allowing the appeal, the Court
G
HELD : 1.1 In the instant case amendment order being an interlocutory
order is revisable under Section 115 CPC, but for exercising powers under
this section by the High Court, the order must satisfy one of the conditions
mentioned in clause (a) i.e. the order made would have finally disposed of the
suit or other proceeding or (b) the said order would occasion a failure of justice
103
H
104 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2002] I S.C.R.

A or cause irreparable injury to the party against whom it is made, of the proviso
to sub-section (1) to Section 115. [107-B-q

1.2. If a trial court holds by an interlocutory order that it has no
jurisdiction to proceed the case or that suit is barred by limitation, it would
amount to finally deciding the case and such order would be revisable. The
B order in question by which the amendment was allowed could not be said to
have finally disposed of the case and, therefore, it would not come under clause
(a). (107-D-E]
;-
1.3. Mere amendments of pleadings cannot possibly cause failure of ....
justice or irreparable injury to any party. Perhaps refusal to permit the
c amendment sought for could in certain situations result in miscarriage of
justice. After all amendments of the pleadings would not amount to decisions
on the issue involved. They only would serve advance notice to the other side
as to the plea, which a party might take up. Hence a situation cannot be
i
envisaged where amendment, of pleadings whatever be the nature of such l
D amendment, would even remotely cause failure of justice or irrepara)Jle injury
to any party. [107-F-G)
...
,..
1.4. On facts by the amendment in the plaint, appellants only wanted to
bring to the notice of the Court the subsequent facts such that respondent
No. 1 would get opportunity to file written statement and he would be able to
E raise all his defence. It cannot be said that the proposed amendment if allowed
would cause irreparable injury or failure of justice as the remedy of the
respondent No. 1 is by way of an appeal. Therefore, the order allowing the (
amendment would not come under clause (b) and the High Court erred in law
in interfering with the order of the trial court allowing the prayer for r
amendment of the plaint. [107-H; 108-A-B]
F
Major S.S. Khanna v. Brig, F.J. Dillon, AIR (1964) SC 497 = [1964) 4
SCR 409, referred to.

CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Civil Appeal No. 104 of2002.

From the Judgment and Order dated 5.12.2000 of the Punjab and Haryana
G >--
High Court in C.R. No. 1284of1999.

Mala Goel and Rajinder Mathur for the Appellants.

S.D. Sharma, Balbir Singh Gupta and Rajeev Sharma for the Respondents.

H The Judgment of the Court was delivered by
PREM BAKSHI v. DHARAM DEV [PHUKAN, J.] 105
PHUKAN, J. This appeal by special leave is directed against the order A
of the High Court of Punjab & Haryana at Chandigarh. Shortly put, the facts
are as follows :

The suit land originally belonged to Durga Dass who mortgaged the
same to Sunder Dass and Udhey Ram. The appellants and respondent Nos. B
2 to 5 are the legal heirs of Sunder Dass and Udhey Ram. When it came to
the notice of the appellants that on the death of Durga Dass, defendant/
-· respondent No. I, Dharam Dev got his name mutated in the revenue record,
the present suit was filed for declaration of joint ownership of the land of the
appellants and respondent Nos. 2 to 5 on the ground that neither Durga Dass
nor his legal heirs could get the suit land redeemed within a statutory period C
and also for permanent injunction restraining respondent No. I from alienating
the suit land. In the said suit an application under Order 6 Rule 17 CPC for
amendment of the plaint was filed. It was pleaded that from a subsequent civil
suit filed by the respondent No. I against the appellants, it came to the
knowledge of the appellants that the suit land was sold by Durga Dass to D
Sunder Dass and Udhey Ram adjusting the mortgage amount and later on a
pre-emption suit filed by Amar Nath, son of Kamal Krishna and another,
which was decided in the year 1943 and it was decreed that the plaintiffs in
that suit on payment of certain amount, within the time specified by the Court,
to Sunder Dass and Udhey Ram, the suit would stand decreed and in case
of non payment, suit would stand dismissed. The present respondent No. I E
is the son of Amar Nath. It was stated in the said application that as the
amount directed by the Court was not paid, there was no decree for pre-
emption and the suit stood dismissed and accordingly, prayer was made for
amendment of the plaint. The trial court allowed the application which was
set aside by the High Court by the impugned order on the ground that the F
appellants want to attack a decree passed in 1943 in the present suit which
was filed in the year 1999 and, therefore, it is barred by limitation.

The short question for determination is whether the impugned order
was revisable by the High Court by exercising powers under Section 115 CPC. G
The said section runs as follows:-

"115. Revision (I) The High Court may call for the record of any case
which has been decided by any Court subordinate to such High Court
and in which no appeal lies thereto, and if such subordinate Court
appears- H
106 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2002] I S.C.R.

A (a) to have exercised a jurisdiction not vested in it by law, or

(b) to have failed to exercise a jurisdiction so vested, or

(c) to have acted in the exercise of its jurisdiction illegally or with
material irregularity,

B the High Court may make such order in the case as it thinks fit:

Provided that the High Court shall not, under this section, vary or
reverse any order made, or any order deciding an issue, in the course •-
of a suit or other proceeding, except where .,,

C (a) the order, if it had been made in favour of the party applying for
revision, would have finally disposed of the suit or other
proceeding, or

(b) the order, if allowed to stand, would occasion a failure of justice
or cause irreparable injury to the party against whom it was
D made.

(2) The High Court shall not, under this section, vary or reverse any
decree or order against which an appeal lies either to the High Court
or to any Court subordinate thereto.

E Explanation. In this section, the expression "any case which has
been decided" includes any order made, or any order deciding an
issue, in the course of a suit or other proceeding."

The proviso to sub-sections (I) and (2) with explanation was added by
the amending Act of 1976. By this amendment the power of the High Court
F was curtailed; the intention of the legislature being that High Court should
not interfere with each and every interlocutory order passed by the trial court
so that the trial of a suit could proceed speedily and that only the interlocutory
order coming under clause (a) or (b) of the proviso would be entertained by

-
the High Court.

G
In Major S.S. Khanna v. Brig. F.J. Dillon, AIR (1964) SC 497 = [1964]
4 SCR 409 this Court considered the expression "any case which has been
decided' in sub-section (I) of Section 115 CPC and held that the expression
'case' is a word of comprehensive import and includes civil proceedings other
than suits and is not restricted by anything contained in the said section to
H the entirety of the proceeding in a civil court and to interpret the expression
I(_

PREM BAKSHI v. DHARAM DEV [PHUKAN, J.) 107
'case' as an entire proceeding only and not a part of the proceeding would A
impose an unwarranted restriction on the exercise of powers of
superintendence by the High Court. This view of the High Court has now
been legislatively adopted by the Parliament by introducing the explanation
to sub-section ( 1) of Section 115 CPC and, therefore, an interlocutory order
would be revisable. There is no doubt that present order being an interlocutory B
order is revisable under Section 115, but for exercising powers under this
section by the High Court, the order must satisfy one of the conditions
mentioned in clause (a) and (b) of the proviso.

, The proviso to sub-section (I) of Section 115 puts a restriction on the
powers of the High Court inasmuch as the High Court shall not, under this C
section vary or reverse any order made or any order deciding a issue, in
course of a suit or other proceedings except where (i) the order made would
have finally dispose of the suit or other proceedings or, (ii) the said order
would occasion a failure of justice or cause irreparable injury to the party
against whom it is made. Under clause (a), the High Court would be justified
in interfering with an order of a subordinate court if the said order finally D
disposes of the suit or other proceeding. By way of illustration we may say
that if a trial court holds by an interlocutory order that it has no jurisdiction
to proceed the case or that suit is barred by limitation, it would amount to
finally deciding the case and such order would be revisable. The order in
question by which the amendment was allowed could not be said to have E
finally disposed of the case and, therefore, it would not come under clause
(a).

Now the question is whether the order in question has caused failure
of justice or irreparable injury to respondent No. I. It is almost inconceivable
how mere amendments of pleadings could possibly cause failure of justice or F
irreparable injury to any party. Perhaps the converse is possible i.e. refusal
to permit the amendment sought for could in certain situations result in
miscarriage of justice. After all amendments of the pleadings would not
amount to decisions on the issue involved. They only would serve advance
notice to the other side as to the plea, which a party might take up. Hence G
we cannot envisage a situation where amendment of pleadings, whatever be
the nature of such amendment, would even remotely cause failure of justice
or irreparable injury to any party.

From the facts extracted above it would show that appellants only
wanted to bring to the notice of the court the subsequent facts and after H
_,,..\

108 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2002] I S.C.R.

A amendment of the plaint, respondent No. I would get opportunity to file
written statement and he would be able to raise all his defence. Ultimately if
the suit is decided against the respondent No.I, he would have a chance to
take up these points before the appellate court. It cannot be conceived of a
situation that the proposed amendment if allowed would cause irreparable
B injury or failure of justice as the remedy of the respondent No. I, as stated
above, is by way of an appeal. We are, therefore, of the view that the order
allowing the amendment would not come under clause (b).

Accordingly, we hold that the High Court erred in law in interfering with
the order of the trial court allowing the prayer for amendment of the plaint.
c In the result, we find merit in the present appeal and accordingly it is
allowed by setting aside the impugned order and restoring the order of the
trial court. Considering the facts and the circumstances of the case, we allow
the parties to bear their own costs.

NJ. Appeal allowed. .•

(