Full Order Text
Final Order 1 · 20 Jul 2018 · CNR MHCC010029452018
Order Details: Notice of Motion Pdf Text: N/M 840/18 in Su 2193/16 1/3 Date : 20.07.2018 IN THE BOMBAY CITY CIVIL COURT, AT MUMBAI CNR No.MHCC010088652016 NOTICE OF MOTION NO.840/2018 IN SUIT NO.2193/2016 Shri Ayodhya Sarju Shahu ]... Plaintiff V/s. 1. Shri Nanji Mavji Chheda @ Shah & Ors. ]… Defendants Adv. Karan Chouhan for plaintiff. Adv. Ms. Neela Shah for defendants no.1, 4 & 5. CORAM : HHJ Shri G. R. Agrawal C. R. No.03 DATE : 20.07.2018 ORDER (Dictated in open court) By this motion, the defendants no.1, 4 & 5 are praying for recall of order dated 10.11.2017 whereby, suit is ordered to proceed without written statement of defendants no.1, 4 & 5. They have further prayed to condone the delay of 479 days in filing written statement and for permission to file the written statement on record. The plaintiff has filed reply to the motion. 2. Heard Ld. Counsel for the parties and perused the record. 3. It is urged by the Ld. Counsel for the applicants that the defendant no.1 has filed his affidavit in support of the motion and he has explained the reasons for the delay in the said affidavit. He submitted that the delay is not intentional and therefore the applicants be given one more opportunity to defend the suit on merits. -- 1 of 3 -- N/M 840/18 in Su 2193/16 2/3 Date : 20.07.2018 4. The Ld. Counsel for plaintiff has opposed the prayer on the ground that the applicants were totally negligent in prosecuting the matter and there is no explanation whatsoever for condoning the inordinate delay of about 500 days. 5. As per paragraph no.3 of affidavit filed in support of the motion, the defendant no.1 has stated that the suit summons were served on them on 30.9.2016. Then they approached the Advocate and the Advocate filed vakalatnama on 27.7.2017 in this suit. There is no whisper as to what transpired during the period 30.9.2016 to 27.7.2017 i.e. period of about 10 months. There is no explanation whatsoever as to what the defendants no.1, 4 & 5 were doing during the said period and why vakalatnama was filed 10 months after service of writ of summons. 6. The applicants have also made a statement in the affidavit that “on 10.11.2017 the Advocate for defendants no.1, 4 & 5 was in the Mahabaleshwar Court, therefore, the Junior/trainee of the Advocate for defendants no.1, 4 & 5 prayed for some time to file the written statement. However, this Hon'ble Court was pleased to pass “no written statement order against defendants no.1, 4 & 5...”. A perusal of Roznama dated 10.11.2017 shows that none of the parties or their advocates appeared on said date. The record and proceedings of this Court are sacrosanct and a party cannot come after delay of one and half years and state that it was represented by Advocate, though the Roznama does not reflect so. This Court cannot go beyond Roznama. It is clear that a false statement has been made in the affidavit. This reason is sufficient to reject the present motion. 7. It is no doubt true that the expression “sufficient cause” has to be -- 2 of 3 -- N/M 840/18 in Su 2193/16 3/3 Date : 20.07.2018 construed liberally. However, it is well settled that a party has to make out a bonafide cause to condone the delay. In the instant case, there is no cause, much less sufficient cause, to condone the delay of about 500 days in filing this motion. The affidavit is totally silent as to why no steps were taken from 30.9.2016 to 27.7.2017. In fact, when the Advocate for defendants no.1, 4 & 5 filed her vakalatnama on 27.7.2017, the time to file written statement had expired long back. Hence, the averments made in the affidavit are misleading and dis entitle the defendants no.1, 4 & 5 from being given opportunity to defend the suit on merits. Hence, following order. ORDER Notice of motion no.840/2018 is rejected. (G. R. Agrawal) Judge City Civil Court, Date : 20.7.2018 Gr. Bombay. Dictated on : 20.7.2018 Typed on : 24.7.2018 Signed on : 24.7.2018 “CERTIFIED TOBE TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF THE ORIGINAL SIGNED JUDGMENT/ORDER” 24.7.2018 at 3.30 pm (Mrs. S. W. Tuscano) UPLOAD DATE AND TIME NAME OF STENOGRAPHER Name of the Judge (with Court room no.) HHJ Shri G. R. Agrawal, C.R. No.3 Date of Pronouncement of JUDGMENT/ORDER 20.7.2018 JUDGMENT/ORDER signed by P.O. on 24.7.2018 JUDGMENT/ORDER uploaded on 24.7.2018 -- 3 of 3 --
