Procedure in case of death of one of several defendants or of sole defendant
Full Text
(1) Where one of two or more defendants dies and the right to sue does not survive against the surviving defendant or defendants alone or a sole defendant or sole surviving defendant dies and the right to sue survives, the Court, on an application made in that behalf, shall cause the legal representative of the deceased defendant to be made a party and shall proceed with the suit.
(2) Any person so made a party may make any defence appropriate to his character as legal representative of the deceased defendant.
(3) Where within the time limited by law no application is made under sub-rule (1), the suit shall abate as against the deceased defendant.
(4) The Court whenever it thinks fit, may exempt the plaintiff from the necessity of substituting the legal representatives of any such defendant who has failed to file a written statement or who, having filed it, has failed to appear and contest the suit at the hearing; and judgment may, in such case, be pronounced against the said defendant notwithstanding the death of such defendant and shall have the same force and effect as if it had been pronounced before death took place.
(5) Where—
(a) the plaintiff was ignorant of the death of a defendant, and could not, for that reason, make an application for the substitution of the legal representative of the defendant under this rule within the period specified in the Limitation Act, 1963 (36 of 1963), and the suit has, in consequence, abated, and
(b) the plaintiff applies after the expiry of the period specified therefor in the Limitation Act, 1963 (36 of 1963), for setting aside the abatement and also for the admission of that application under section 5 of that Act on the ground that he had, by reason of such ignorance, sufficient cause for not making the application within the period specified in the said Act,
the Court shall, in considering the application under the said section 5, have due regard to the fact of such ignorance, if proved.
Plain English Summary
Prescribes the mechanism for substituting the legal representatives of a deceased defendant within 90 days, vests the court with discretion under Sub-rule (4) to exempt the plaintiff from substituting non-contesting/defaulting defendants, and provides statutory relief under Sub-rule (5) for ignorance of death.
Key Legal Elements
- Substitution Duty on Plaintiff: Plaintiff must trace and bring LRs of deceased defendant on record.
- Appropriate Defense by LR (Sub-rule 2): LRs can raise defenses open to deceased and personal defenses as LRs.
- Abatement Against Deceased Defendant (Sub-rule 3): 90 days limitation under Article 120 of the Limitation Act.
- Total Abatement vs. Partial Abatement: If decree is indivisible (joint tortfeasors/co-owners), abatement against one abates entire suit.
- Exemption Power (Sub-rule 4): Dispensing with LRs of ex parte or non-contesting defendants.
- Statutory Ignorance of Death Defense (Sub-rule 5): Proving lack of knowledge automatically satisfies Section 5 Limitation Act.
Practical Note
Mastering Order XXII Rule 4 Defense & Strategy: 1. Total vs. Partial Abatement - Sardar Amarjit Singh Kalra v. Pramod Gupta (2003) 3 SCC 272 (Constitution Bench) & Budh Ram v. Bansi (2010) 11 SCC 476: If a deceased defendant was a necessary party and the decree to be passed is joint and indivisible (e.g., in a suit for partition or declaration of joint easement), the abatement of the suit against that one defendant causes the ENTIRE suit to abate against all defendants, to prevent conflicting decrees! 2. Strategic Use of Sub-rule (4) Exemption: In T. Gnanavel v. T.S. Kanagaraj (2009) 14 SCC 294, the Supreme Court held that the plaintiff must seek exemption under Rule 4(4) *before* the judgment is pronounced. An exemption cannot be granted retrospectively after a decree is passed against a dead person.
हिंदी पाठ
(1) जहां दो या अधिक प्रतिवादियों में से किसी एक की मृत्यु हो जाती है और वाद चलाने का अधिकार अकेले जीवित प्रतिवादियों के विरुद्ध नहीं बचता है, अथवा एकमात्र प्रतिवादी की मृत्यु हो जाती है और वाद चलाने का अधिकार बचा रहता है, वहां न्यायालय इस निमित्त किए गए आवेदन पर मृत प्रतिवादी के विधिक प्रतिनिधि को पक्षकार बनाएगा और वाद में आगे बढ़ेगा।
(2) इस प्रकार पक्षकार बनाया गया कोई भी व्यक्ति मृत प्रतिवादी के विधिक प्रतिनिधि के रूप में अपने स्वरूप के अनुसार कोई भी समुचित प्रतिरक्षा (Defence) कर सकेगा।
(3) जहां विधि द्वारा परिसीमित समय (90 दिन) के भीतर कोई आवेदन नहीं किया जाता है, वहां वाद मृत प्रतिवादी के विरुद्ध उपशमित हो जाएगा।
(4) न्यायालय की छूट देने की शक्ति— न्यायालय जब कभी उचित समझे, वादी को ऐसे किसी प्रतिवादी के विधिक प्रतिनिधियों को प्रतिस्थापित करने की आवश्यकता से छूट (Exempt) दे सकेगा जिसने लिखित कथन (WS) दाखिल करने में चूक की है अथवा जिसने दाखिल करने के बाद सुनवाई पर उपसंजात होने और वाद का मुकाबला करने में चूक की है; और ऐसे प्रतिवादी की मृत्यु के बावजूद निर्णय सुनाया जा सकेगा।
(5) मृत्यु की अनभिज्ञता का बचाव— जहां वादी प्रतिवादी की मृत्यु से अनभिज्ञ था और उस कारण 90 दिन में अर्जी नहीं दे सका, वहां मियाद अधिनियम की धारा 5 के अधीन विचार करते समय न्यायालय ऐसी अनभिज्ञता के तथ्य का सम्यक ध्यान रखेगा।