Duty of person to whom summons is delivered or sent for service
Full Text
(1) Where a summons is delivered or sent to any person for service under rule 24, rule 27 or rule 28, such person shall be bound to serve it if possible, and to return it under his signature, with the written acknowledgment of the defendant, and such signature shall be deemed to be evidence of service.
(2) Where from any cause service is impossible, the summons shall be returned to the Court with a full statement of such cause and of the steps taken to procure service, and such statement shall be deemed to be evidence of non-service.
Plain English Summary
Imposes a statutory duty on institutional heads (Jail Superintendents, Department Heads, Commanding Officers) to effectuate service, obtain defendant's acknowledgment, and submit an authoritative return of service or non-service.
Key Legal Elements
- Statutory Obligation: Institutional recipient is legally bound to serve process.
- Signature Deemed Evidence: Signature of the officer and defendant constitutes presumptive proof of service.
- Detailed Non-Service Statement: If service is impossible (e.g., soldier deployed in combat, employee retired), detailed reasons must be certified to court.
Practical Note
Enforcement against Reluctant Officials: 1. Evidentiary Weight: The return statement under Rule 29 is a public record carrying strong statutory presumption under Section 114 Indian Evidence Act / BSA.
हिंदी पाठ
(1) जहां नियम 24, नियम 27 या नियम 28 के अधीन तामील के लिए समन किसी व्यक्ति (जेल अधीक्षक, विभागाध्यक्ष, कमांडिंग ऑफिसर) को परिदत्त किया जाता है या भेजा जाता है, वहां वह व्यक्ति यदि संभव हो तो उसकी तामील करने तथा प्रतिवादी की लिखित पावती सहित अपने हस्ताक्षर के अधीन उसे वापस करने के लिए आबद्ध होगा, और ऐसा हस्ताक्षर तामील का साक्ष्य समझा जाएगा।
(2) जहां किसी कारणवश तामील असंभव हो वहां समन ऐसे कारण के तथा तामील कराने के लिए उठाए गए कदमों के पूरे विवरण सहित न्यायालय को वापस किया जाएगा, और ऐसा विवरण तामील न होने का साक्ष्य समझा जाएगा।