Holding

Dismissal of an appeal for default or limitation is a decision on the appeal, so the explanation to Order IX Rule 13 CPC applies and bars the petition for setting aside the ex‑parte decree.

Summary

The plaintiff obtained an ex‑parte decree in a title suit. The defendant filed a petition under Order IX Rule 13 of the CPC, together with an application under Section 5 of the Limitation Act, to set aside the decree, and subsequently filed an appeal against the decree with a condonation application. Both the petition and the appeal were dismissed for default/limitation. The trial court held that, because an appeal existed, the explanation to Order IX Rule 13 barred the petition. The Supreme Court examined whether a dismissal of an appeal for default or limitation constitutes a decision on the appeal. Relying on earlier decisions, the Court held that such a dismissal is indeed a decision in the appeal; therefore the explanation applies and the petition cannot be entertained. Consequently, the appeal was dismissed, affirming the High Court’s order.

Issues considered

Whether an appeal filed with an application for condonation of delay, and dismissed for default or as time‑barred, is deemed an appeal within the meaning of the explanation to Order IX Rule 13 CPC.
Whether the explanation to Order IX Rule 13 CPC bars a petition for setting aside an ex‑parte decree when the appeal has been dismissed for default/limitation.
Whether dismissal of an appeal for default is equivalent to withdrawal of the appeal for the purposes of the explanation.

Legislation cited

Code of Civil Procedure, 1908s. Order IX Rule 13, s. Order XLIII Rule I, s. Order XLI Rule 3A
Code of Civil Procedure (Amendment) Act, 1976
Limitation Act, 1963s. Section 3, s. Section 5

Subjects

ex‑parte decreeOrder IX Rule 13appeal dismissalcondonation of delayLimitation ActCivil Procedureexplanation to Order IX Rule 13merger doctrine

Judgment

SHYAM SUNDAR SARMA A
v.
PANNALAL JAISWAL AND ORS.

NOVEMBER 4, 2004

[R.C. LAHOTI, CJ., G.P. MATHUR AND B
P.K. BALASUBRAMANYAN, JJ.]

Code of Civil Procedure, 1908; Order IX Rule 13 and Explanation
thereunder/Limitation Act; Section 5:
c
Title Suit-Decreed ex-parte by trial Court-Filing of appeal and also
petition for setting aside ex-parte decree along with applications for
condonation of delay-Appellate C9urt dismissed the application for
condonation of delay and the appeal for default-Petition dismissed by the
Trial Court as appeal was not withdrawn-Affirmed by High Court-On appeal, D
Held: Decision of the Appellate Court in dismissing the application for
condonation of delay and consequently dismissing the appeal for default
amounts to a decision on the appeal-Dismissal of the appeal could not be
treated on par with withdrawal ofan appeal-Explanation appended to Order
IX Rule 13 CPC attracted-Hence, High Court rightly held that the petition
for setting aside ex-parte decree would not lie in terms of the explanation E
because of filing of appeal against the same Order.

Respondent No.I filed a title suit for declaration of his title as a Thika
tenant in respect of the scheduled property and for other consequential
reliefs. The suit was decreed ex-parte by the Trial Court. Aggrieved, F
appellant filed a petition under Order IX Rule 13 CPC for setting aside
ex parte decree along with an application for condonation of delay under
Section 5 of the Limitation Act. Later, he also filed an appeal against the
order of the Trial Court along with an application for condonation of
delay. Appellate Court dismissed the application as well as the appeal for
default and Trial Court dismissed the petition as appeal filed against the G
order of the Trial Court was not withdrawn. Challenging the decision of
the trial Court, appellant filed a petition under Article 227 of the
Constitution of India which was dismissed by High Court. Hence the
present appeal.

931 H
,-

932 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2004] SUPP. 5 S.C.R.

A Appellant contended that on the day of trial, the appeal against the
ex-parte order was not in existence as it was dismissed for default earlier;
and that the dismissal of appeal for non-prosecution amounts to
withdrawal of the appeal, thus Order IX Rule 13 CPC was not attracted.

Dismissing the appeal, the Court
B
HELD: 1.1. An appeal field along with an application for condoning
the delay in filing that appeal when dismissed on the refusal to condone
the delay is nevertheless a decision in the appeal. 1936-FJ

C Nagendra Nath Dey v. Suresh Chandra Dey, (59 Indian Appeals 283);
Raja Kulkarni and Ors. v. The State ofBombay, 11954) SCR 384; Messrs Mela
Ram and Sons v. The Commissioner of Income Tax, Punjab, 11956) SCR 166;
Sheodan Singh v. Daryao Kunwar, AIR (1966) SC 1332 and Board of
Revenue v. Mis. Raj Brothers Agencies etc., 119731 3 SCR 492, relied on.

D K.K. Porbunderwalla v. Commissioner of Income Tax, (1952) 21 ITR
63 and Thambi v. Mathew, (1987) 2 KLT 848, referred to.

1.2. On the day, the Trial Court was called upon to consider and
dispose of the petition under Order IX Rule 13 of the Code, an appeal,
E though belated, had been filed against the decree by the appellant and the
same had been dismissed as barred by limitation and had not been
withdrawn. It is not possible to accept the argument that the application
of the explanation should be confined to cases where an appeal had already
been filed against the ex-parte decree and it should be held not to apply to
cases where an appeal is subsequently filed. The acceptance of such an
F argument would tend to defeat the legislative scheme as noticed in the case
of Rani Choudhury. In the light of the object sought to be achieved by the
introduction of the explan~tion to Order IX Rule 13 CPC, such an
argument cannot be accepted. (941-C-E]

Rani Choudhury v. Lt,-Col. Suraj Jit Choudhury, [1982] 2 SCC 596 and
G P. Kiran Kumar v. A.S. Khadar and Ors., [~002] 5 SCC 161, relied on.

Ratanslngh v. Vijaysingh and Ors., 12001 I 1 SCC 469, distinguished.

2. The Trial Court, the appellate Court and the High Court have
H rightly held that the petition under Order IX Rule 13 CPC would not lie
SHYAM SUNDAR SARMA v. PANNALAL JAISWAL [BALASUBRAMANYAN, J.] 933

in view of the filing of an appeal against the decree by the appella'1t and A
the dismissal of the appeal though for default, since a dismissal for default
or on the ground of it being barred by limitation cannot be equated with
withdrawal of the appeal. Hence, the decision of the High Court is
affirmed. [942-A-B]

Rani Choudhury v. Lt.-Col. Sura} Jit Choudhury, [1982) 2 SCC 596, B
relied on.

CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION : Civil Appeal No. 5550 of
2004.

From the Judgment and Order dated 30. l 0.2003 of the Calcutta High C
Court in C.O. No.1606 of 2003.

Ranjit Kumar, Manoj K. Mishra, Sanjay Visen, Shukanta Banerjee and
N.S. Bisht with him for the Appellant.

M.N. Krishnamani, Rajeev Sharma, Ms. Neelam Sharma, Ajay Sharma, D
tarun Sharma and Tara Chand Sharma for the Respondents.

The Judgment of the Court was delivered by

P.K. BALASUBRAMANYAN, J. Respondent No. I herein filed Title
Suit No.89 of I992 on the file of the Munsifs Court at Howrah against the E
appellant and others for a declaration of his title as a Thika Tenant in respect
of the plaint A schedule property and for other consequential reliefs. The
appellant herein - defendant No. I in the suit, entered appearance and contested
the suit and the application for interim injunction filed by the plaintiff. The
application for interim injunction was heard and the same was dismissed by F
the trial court. The plaintiff filed an appeal against that order under Order
XLIII Rule I of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (for short "the Code") and
that appeal was also dismissed by the DistrictJudge on 16.3.1994.

2. The suit itself stood posted to 8. I 0.1996. The appellant - the first
defendant, did not appear. The evidence of the plaintiff was recorded. On G
9.10.1996 the plaintiff filed two applications - one for an amendment of the
plaint and the other for certain corrections in the plaint. Those applications
were allowed the same day in the absence of any opposition. In view of his
absence, the first i:lefendant, the appellant, was set ex parte and on 11. l 0.1996,
the suit was decreed ex parte.
H
934 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2004] SUPP. 5 S.C.R.

A 3. On 16.11.1996, the first defendant, the appellant, filed a petition
under Order IX Rule 13 of the Code accompanied by an application under
Section 5 of the Limitation Act for condoning the delay in filing the petition
for setting aside the ex parte decree. Both the applications were opposed by
the plaintiff. On 21.11.1996, the first defendant - the appellant, also filed an
appeal, Title Appeal No.157 of 1996, against the ex parte decree along with
..
-

B an application for condoning the delay in filing that appeal as enjoined by
Order XU Rule 3A of the Code and invoking Section 5 of the Limitation
Act. On 17.9.1998, the trial court allowed the application filed by the first
defendant under Section 5 of the Limitation Act and condoned the delay in
filing the petition under Order IX Rule 13 of the Code. The plaintiff challenged
C that order in the District Court in revision, but the revision was dismissed on
11.8.2000. There was a further revision to the High Court which was dismissed
on 14.9.2000.
-
4. On 21.1.2000, since the first defendant the appellant, did not appear
to prosecute his application under Section 5 of the Limitation Act in Title
D Appeal No. 157 of 1996, his appeal against the ex parte decree, the District
Court dismissed that application for non taking of steps, resulting in default.
On 6.3.2000, in view -of the non appearance of the first defendant - the
appellant, Title Appeal No.157 of 1996 against the ex parte decree itself was
dismissed for default. In other words, both the application under Section 5
E of the Act for condoning the delay in filing that appeal and the appeal against
the ex parte decree filed by the first defendant stood dismissed for default.

5. In the trial court, the petition for setting aside the ex parte decree
filed under Order IX Rule 13 of the Code came up for hearing. On behalf
of the plaintiff, an objection was raised that in view of the filing of Title
F Appeal No. 157 of 1996 by the first defendant against the ex parte decree
and in view of the explanation to Order IX Rule 13 of the Code, the application
under Order IX Rule 13 of the Code could not be entertained by the court
which had passed the ex parte decree. On behalf of the first defendant the
appellant, it was contended that since the appeal filed by the appellant against
the ex parte decree was dismissed for default 11:s a consequence of the dismissal
G of the application for condoning the delay in filing that appeal being dismissed
for default, the explanation created no bar to the entertaining of the petition
under Order IX Rule 13 of the Code, especially in the context of the fact that
the delay in filing that petition had already been condoned by the trial court
and affirmed up to the High Court. But, the trial court took the view that
H since the appeal against the ex parte decree filed by the first defendant was
SHYAM SUNDAR SARMA v. PANNALAL JAISWAL [BALASUBRAMANYAN, J.] 935

not withdrawn, the petition under Order IX Rule 13 of the Code could not A
be entertained or relief granted to the first defendant in view of the explanation
to Order IX Rule 13 of the Code. Thus, the petition for setting aside the ex
parte decree was dismissed. The first defendant challenged that decision in
an appeal under Order XLIII Rule l of the Code. The lower appellate court
agreed with t'le conclusion of the trial court that the explanation to Order IX B
Rule 13 of the Code precluded the court from exercising its power to set
aside the ex parte decree. Thus, the appeal was dismissed. The first defendant
challenged the same in a proceeding before the High Court under Article 227
--f
of the Constitution oflndia. The High Court held that the question posed for
decision was covered by decisions of this Court referred to by it in its order
and in the light of those decisions the order of the trial court as affirmed by C
the District Court, could not be interfered with. The High Court, thus,
dismissed the petition filed by the first defendant under Article 227 of the
Constitution of India. The first defendant has challenged this order of the
High Court in this appeal.

6. On the facts, it is thus clear, that the first defendant filed a petition D
for setting aside the ex parte decree under Order IX Rule 13 of the Code
accompanied by an application for condoning the delay in filing that petition,
and subsequently he also filed a:i. appeal against that ex parte decree, again
accompani_ed by an application for condoning the delay in filing that appeaL
That application for condoning the delay in filing the appeal against the ex E
parte decree and the appeal against ex parte decree were both dismissed for
default. The petition for setting aside the ex parte decree under Order IX
Rule 13 of the Code was filed first and the appeal was filed while that
petition was pending. But before the petition under Order IX Rule 13 of the
Code could be disposed of, the appeal had been dismissed for default. Thus,
on the day the petition under Order IX Rule 13 of the Code was taken up for F
disposal, no appeal against the decree was pending.

7. The explanation to Order IX Rule 13 of the Code added by the Code
of Civil Procedure (Amendment) Act, (Act No. I 04 of 1976), which came
into force w ;th effect from l.2.1977, reacts !!!Hmder:
G
"Explanation-Where there has been an appeal against a decree passed
ex parte under this rule, and the appeal has been disposed of on any
ground other than the ground that the appellant has withdrawn the
appeal, no application shall lie under this rule for setting aside the ex
parte decree."
H
936 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2004) SUPP. 5 S.C.R.

A It is argued on behalf of the appellant that on the day the petition under
Order IX Rule 13 ·of the Code was filed, no appeal against the decree had
been filed or was in existence and consequently, the bar created by the
explanation did not apply since it only provided that a petition under Order
IX Rule 13 of the Code could not be entertained only in a case where the ex
parte decree was already subjected to an appeal. To add emphasis to this
B argument, he also submitted that on the day the trial court took up the petition
under'Order IX Rule 13 of the Code for consideration, the appeal against the-
decree itself had been dismissed for default and hence no appeal was in
existence. There was no decision on merits in the appeal so as to bring about
a merger of the decree of the trial court in that of the appellate court. It was
C further submitted that since the appeal itself could not be entertained in view
of the dismissal of the application for condoning the delay in filing the appeal
filed in terms of Order XLI Rule 3A of the Code read with Section 5 of the
Limitation Act, it had to be taken that there came into existence no appeal
in the eye of law and consequently, the bar created by the explanation did not
apply. He ultimately submitted that the dismissal of an appeal for non
D prosecution amounts to a withdrawal of the appeal by the appellant and
consequently it cannot stand in the way of the petition filed under Order IX
Rule 13 of the Code being heard and disposed of on merits. On behalf of
the plaintiff-respondent it is submitted that the arguments raised could not be
accepted in the light of the decisions of this Court referred to and followed
E by the High Court and there was also no occasion for reconsidering the
correctness of those decisions since the law has been correctly laid down in
those decisi('ns. It is submitted that the dismissal of an appeal for default or
on the ground that it was barred by limitation cannot be considered as a
withdrawal of the appeal excluding the operation of the explanation to Order
IX Rule 13 of the Code. Nor can it be contended that an appeal filed with
F a petition for condoning the delay in filing that appeal is not an appeal and
the dismissal of the application for condoning the delay and the consequent
dismissal of the appeal, is not a dismissal of the appeal as contemplated by•
the Code.

8. The first question to be considered is whether an appeal accompanied
G by an application for condoning the delay in filing the appeal is an appeal in
the eye of law, when ttie application for condoning the delay in filing the
appeal is dismissed and consequently the appeal is dismissed as being time
barred by limitation in view of Section 3 of the Limitation Act. There was
conflict of views on this question before the High Courts. But the Privy
H Council in Nagendra Nath Dey v. Suresh Chandra Dey, 59 Indian Appe,als
SINAM SUNDAR SARMA ''· PANNALAL JAISWAL [BALASUBRAMANYAN, J.] 937

283 held, A
"there is no definition of appeal in the Civil Procedure Code, but
their Lordships have no doubt that any application by a party to an
appellate Court, asking it to set aside or revise a decision of a
subordinate court, is an appeal within the ordinary acceptation of the
term and that it is no less an appeal because it is irregular or B
incompetent."

These observations were referred to with approval by this Court in Raja
Kulkarni and Ors v. The State of Bombay, [1954] SCR 384.

9. The specific question involved, came to be considered by this Court C
in Messrs Mela Ram and Sons v. The Commissioner of Income Tax, Punjab,
[ 1956] SCR 166 . This Court held that an appeal presented out of time is an
appeal and an order dismissing it as time barred is one passed in an appeal.
This Court referred to and followed the view taken by the Privy Council and
by this Court in the two respective decisions above referred to. This Court D
quoted with approval the observations ofChagla C.J. in KK Porbunderwalla
v. Commissioner of Income Tax, ( 1952 ) 21 ITR 63 to the following effect:

" .......... although the Appellate Assistant Commissioner did not hear

- the appeal on merits and held that the appeal was barred by limitation
his order was under Section 31 and the effect of that order was to
confirm the assessment which had been made by the Income-tax
Officer."
E

... In Sheodan Singh v. Daryao Kunwar, AIR (1966) SC 1332 rendered by
four learned Judges of this Court, one of the questions that arose was whether
the dismissal of an appeal from a decree on the ground that the appeal was F
barred by' limitation was a decision in the appeal. This Court held:

"We are therefore of opinion that where a decision is given on the
merits by the trial court and the matter is taken in appeal and the
appeal is dismissd on some preliminary ground like limitation or
default in printing, it must be held that such dismissal when it confirms G
the decision of the trial court on the merits, itself amounts to the
appeal being heard and finally decided on the merits whatever may
be the ground for dismissal of the appeal."

In Board of Revenue v. Mis Raj Brothers Agencies Etc. [1973] 3 SCR
492 , this Court approved the decision of the Madras High Court which had H
938 SUPREME COURT REPORTS (2004) SUPP. 5 S.C.R.

A applied the principle stated in Messrs Mela Ram and Sons (supra) ..
10. The question was considered in extenso by a Full Bench of the
Kerala High Court in Thambi v. Mathew (1987) 2 KL T 848. Therein, after
referring to the relevant decisions on the question it was held that an appeal
presented out of time was nevertheless an appeal in the eye of law for all
B purposes and an order dismissin~ the appeal was a decree that could be the
subject of a second appeal. It was also held that Rule 3A of Order XLI
introduced by Amendment Act I 04 of 1976 to the Code, did not in any way
affect that principle. An appeal registered, under Rule 9 of Order XLI of the
Code had to· be disposed of according to law and a dismissal of an appeal for
C the reason of delay in its presentation, after the dismissal of an application
for condoning the delay, is in substance a~d effect a confirmation of the
decree appealed against. Thus, the position that emerges on a survey of the
authorities is that an appeal filed along with an application for condoning the
delay in filing that appeal when dismissed on the refusal to condone the delay
is nevertheless a decision in the appeal.
D
11. Learned counsel for the appellant relied on the Full Bench decision
of the Calcutta High Court in Mamuda Khateen and Ors. v. Beniyan Bibi and
Ors., AIR (1976) Calcutta 415 to contend that an order rejecting a time
barred memorandum of appeal consequent upon refusal to condone the delay
in filing that appeal was neither a decree nor an appellable order. On going
E through the said decision it is seen that though the Full Bench referred to the
divergent views on that question in the Calcutta High Court prior to the
rendering of the decision of this Court in Messrs. Mela Ram and Sons (supra)

F
had not considered the decisions of this Court in Raja Kulkarni (supra) and
in Messrs Mela Ram and Sons (supra), in coming to that conclusion. In' fact
it is seen that there was no discussion on that aspect as such, though there
was a reference to the conflict of views in the decisions earlier rendered by
-
the Calcutta High Court. Since the ratio of that decision runs counter to the
principle laid down by this Court in Messrs. Mela Ram and Sons (supra),
obviously the same could not be accepted as laying down a correct law.

G 12. Learned counsel placed reliance on the decision in Ratansingh v.
Vijaysingh and Ors., [2001] I SCC 469 rendered by two learned Judges of
this Court and pointed out that it was held therein that dismissal of an
appiioation for condonation of delay would not amount to a decree and,
therefore, dismissal of an appeal as time barred was also not a decree. That
H decision was rendered in the context of Article 136 of the Limitation Act,
SHYAM SUNDAR SARMA v. PANNALAL JAISWAL [BALASUBRAMANYAN, J.) 939

1963 and in the light of the departure made from the previous position A
obtaining under Article 182 of the Limitation Act, 1908. But we must point
out with respect that the decisions of this Court in Messrs. Mela Ram and
Sons and Sheodan Singh (supra) were not brought to the notice of their
Lordships. The principle laid down by a three Judge Bench of this Court in
Mis Mela Ram and Sons (supra) and that stated in Sheodan Singh (supra) B
was, thus, not noticed and the view expressed by the two Judge Bench,
cannot be accepted as laying down the correct law on the question. Of
course, their Lordships have stated that they were aware that some dei;:isions
of the High Courts have taken the view that even rejecting an appeal on the
ground that it was presented out of time is a decree within the definition of
a decree obtaining in the Code. Thereafter noticing the decision of the C
Calcutta High Court above referred to, their Lordships in conclusion apparently
agree with the decision of the Calcutta High Court. Though the decision of
the Privy Council in Nagendra Nath Dey v. Suresh Chandra Dey (supra) was
referred to, it was not applied on the ground that it was based on Article 182
of the Limitation Act, 1908, and there was a departure in the legal position
in view of Article 136 of the Limitation Act, 1963. But with respect, we D
must point out that the decision really conflicts with the ratio of the decision
in Messrs. Mela Ram and Sons and Sheodan Singh (supra) and another decision
of this Court rendered by two learned Judges in Rani Choudhury v. Lt.-Col.
Suraj Jit Choudhury, [1982] 2 SCC 596. In Essar Constructions v. N.P.
Rama Krishna Reddy, [2000] 6 SCC 94 brought to our notice two other E
learned Judges of this Court, left open the question. Hence, reliance placed
on that decision is of no avail to the appellant.

13. In the context of the explanation to Order IX Rule 13 of the Code,
the question was squarely considered by this Court in Rani Choudhury 's case
(supra). The High Court, in our view, has rightly held that the decision of F
this case is directly covered by that decision. Therein, the plaintiff, the wife,
obtained an ex parte decree for divorce against the husband, the defendant.
The husband preferred an appeal in the High Court against the decree and
also made an application under Section 5 of the Limitation Act for condoning
the delay in filing that appeal. The High Court dismissed the appeal as being G
time barred. The husband, the defendant, then filed a petition under Order IX
Rule 13 of the Code for setting aside the ex parte decree along with an
application under Section 5 of the Limitation Act. The trial court dismissed
the application holding that no sufficient cause was made out for condoning
the delay in filing the petition under Order IX Rule 13 of the Code. The
husband filed a Civil Miscellaneous Appeal in the High Court challenging H
940 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2004] SUPP. 5 S.C.R.

A the said order of the trial court. The High Court took the view that the
explanation to Order IX Rule 13 of the Code did not create a bar to the
maintainability of the petition under that Rule as the appeal against the ex
parte decree had been dismissed not on merits but on the ground of limitation
by not accepting the application for condonation of delay which meant that
no appeal was preferred in the eye of law. This view of the High Court was
B challenged in appeal before this Court. It was argued that the High Court has
misunderstood the scope and ambit of the explanation to Order IX Rule 13
of the Code and that in the circumstances, the High Court should have held
that the petition under Order IX Rule 13 of the Code would not lie. This
Court accepted that contention. This Court held that where there has been
C an appeal against an ex parte decree and the appeal has not been withdrawn
by the appellant and had been disposed of on any ground, the application
under Order IX Rule 13 of the Code would not lie and should not be
ertertained. Hence, even though the appeal against the ex parte decree was
disposed of on the ground of limitation and not on merits, the explanation to
Order IX Rule 13 of the Code was attracted and hence no petition under
D Order IX Rule 13 of the Code would lie. On the scope of the explanation,
i\ was stated that the disposal of the appeal as contemplated in the explanation
was not intended to mean or imply a disposal on merits resulting in the
merger of the decree of the trial court with a decree, if any, of the appellate
court on the disposal of the appeal. The disposal of the appeal may be on
E any ground and though the withdrawal of an appeal by an appellant is also
to be considered a disposal of the appeal, the same has been expressly
exempted by the explanation. It was also observed that the legislative intent
incorporated in the explanation to Order IX Rule · 13 of the Code was to
confine the defendant to a single course of action and to discourage the
prolonging of the litigation on the ex parte decree, namely, by preferring an
F application to the trial court under Order lX Rule 13 of the Code for setting
a
aside the decree and by filing an appeal to superior court against it. If he
did not withdraw the appeal filed by him or allowed the appeal to be disposed
of on any other ground, he was denied the right to apply under Order IX Rule
13 of the Code. The Court also clarified that by the introduction of the
G explanation, the area of operation of the doctrine of merger was enormously
extended. By virtue of the explanation, the disposal of the appeal on any
ground whatever, apart from its withdrawal, constituted sufficient reason for
bringing the ban into operation. In the light of this, it was held that though
. in that case the appeal filed by the husband against the ex parte decree was
dismissed on the ground of it being barred by limitation, it was a disposal of
H the appeal and the petition under Order IX Rule 13 of the Code was hit by
SHYAM SUNDAR SARMA v. PANNALAL JAISWAL [BALASUBRAMANYAN, J.) 941

the explanation. In P. Kiran Kumar v. A.S. Khadar and Ors., [2002] 5 SCC A
161 this Court followed the decision in Rani Choudhury (supra) and held that
the dismissal of the appeal against an ex parte decree as barred by limitation,
prevented the trial court which passed the ex parte decree, from exercising
its power under Order IX Rule 13 of the Code in view of the explanation.

14. It was sought to be argued on behalf of the appellant that the above B
decisions were distinguishable in view of the fact that in those cases, the
appeals against the decrees were filed first, followed by the petitions under
Order IX Rule 13 of the Code, whereas in the present case the petition ander
Order IX Rule 13 of the Code was filed first and only during its pendency,
an appeal against the decree was filed, with an application for condoning the C
delay in filing it. In our view, this would not make any difference to the
principle enunciated by this Court in Rani Choudhury 's case (supra).
Moreover, on the day the. trial court was called upon to consider and dispose
of the petition under Order IX Rule 13 of the Code, an appeal, though
belated, had been filed against the decree by the appellant and the same had
been dismissed as barred by limitation and had not been withdrawn. It is not D
possible to accept the argument that the application of the explanation should
be confined to cases where an appeal had already been filed against the ex
parte decree and it should be held not to apply to cases where an appeal is
subsequently filed. The acceptance of such an argument, in our view, would
tend to defeat the legislative scheme as noticed in Rani Choudhury 's case E
(supra). In the light of the object sought to be achieved by the introduction
of the explanation to Order IX Rule 13, such an argument cannot also be
accepted.

15. We are not impressed by the argument of learned counsel for the
appellant that the decision in Rani Choudhury's case (supra) requires F
reconsideration. On going through the said decision in the light of the objects.
and reasons for the introduction of the explanation to Order IX Rule 13 and
the concept of an appeal as indicated by the Privy Council and this Court in
the decisions already cited, the argument that an appeal which is dismissed
for default or as barred by limitation because of the dismissal of the application
for condoning the delay in filing the same, should be treated on a par with G
the non-filing of an appeal or the withdrawal of an appeal, cannot be accepted.
The argument that since there is no merger of the decree of the trial court in
that of the appellate court in a case of this nature and consequently the

- explanation should not be applied, cannot also be accepted in the context of
what this Court has earlier stated and what we have noticed above.
H
942 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2004] SUPP. 5 S.C.R.

A 16. Thus, in the case on hand we find that the trial court, the appellate
court and the High Court have rightly held that the petition under Order IX
Rule 13 of the Code would not lie in view of the filing of an appeal against
the decree by the appellant and the dismissal of the appeal though for default,
since a dismissal for default or on the ground of it being barred by limitation
cannot be equated with a withdrawal of the appeal. Consequently, the decision
B of the High Court is affinned and this appeal is dismissed. In the circumstances
of the case we make no order as to costs.

S.K.S. Appeal dismissed.

-