Counter-claim by defendant
Full Text
(1) A defendant in a suit may, in addition to his right of pleading a set-off under rule 6, set up, by way of counter-claim against the claim of the plaintiff, any right or claim in respect of a cause of action accruing to the defendant against the plaintiff either before or after the filing of the suit but before the defendant has delivered his defence or before the time limited for delivering his defence has expired, whether such counter-claim is in the nature of a claim for damages or not:
Provided that such counter-claim shall not exceed the pecuniary limits of the jurisdiction of the court.
(2) Such counter-claim shall have the same effect as a cross-suit so as to enable the Court to pronounce a final judgment in the same suit, both on the original claim and on the counter-claim.
(3) The plaintiff shall be at liberty to file a written statement in answer to the counter-claim of the defendant within such period as may be fixed by the court.
(4) The counter-claim shall be treated as a plaint and governed by the rules applicable to plaints.
Plain English Summary
Authorizes the defendant to institute an independent counter-claim against the plaintiff for any actionable cause of action accruing prior to filing the defense, conferring the full legal status of an autonomous cross-suit.
Key Legal Elements
- Independent Cross-Suit: Not limited to money claims; can claim declaration, injunction, possession, or damages.
- Accrual Timeline: Cause of action must have accrued to defendant before delivering defense or before defense time limit expired.
- Pecuniary Jurisdiction Cap: Claim value cannot exceed the financial competence of the trial court.
- Status of Plaint: Treated as a plaint; governed by Orders VI & VII; requires full ad valorem court fees.
- Plaintiff's Right of Reply: Plaintiff is entitled to file a written statement in answer to the counter-claim.
Practical Note
The Master Guide to Counter-Claims (Supreme Court Jurisprudence): 1. Cut-off Date for Filing Counter-Claim - Ashok Kumar Kalra v. Wing Cdr. Surendra Agnihotri (2020) 2 SCC 394 (3-Judge Bench): The Supreme Court authoritatively resolved that while a counter-claim can be filed after filing the Written Statement, it CANNOT be permitted after the framing of issues and commencement of trial. The court has discretion to permit it before issues, balancing delay and prejudice. 2. Scope beyond Money Claims: Unlike set-off (Rule 6), a counter-claim can seek ANY civil relief—declaration of title, possession, specific performance, or permanent injunction against the plaintiff. 3. Exclusion Motion: If the counter-claim is unrelated and would unduly complicate the trial, plaintiff can move under Rule 6C for exclusion.
हिंदी पाठ
(1) वाद में प्रतिवादी नियम 6 के अधीन मुजराई का अभिवचन करने के अपने अधिकार के अतिरिक्त, वादी के दावे के विरुद्ध प्रतिदावे (Counter-claim) के रूप में, किसी ऐसे वाद-हेतुक के संबंध में कोई अधिकार या दावा उठा सकेगा जो वाद दायर करने से पूर्व अथवा पश्चात किंतु प्रतिवादी द्वारा अपनी प्रतिरक्षा प्रस्तुत करने से पूर्व या प्रतिरक्षा प्रस्तुत करने के लिए परिसीमित समय समाप्त होने से पूर्व प्रतिवादी को वादी के विरुद्ध प्रोद्भूत हुआ हो, चाहे ऐसा प्रतिदावा नुकसानी के दावे के स्वरूप का हो या नहीं:
परन्तु ऐसा प्रतिदावा न्यायालय की अधिकारिता की धन संबंधी सीमाओं से अधिक नहीं होगा।
(2) ऐसे प्रतिदावे का प्रभाव प्रति-वाद (Cross-suit) के समान होगा जिससे न्यायालय एक ही वाद में मूल दावे और प्रतिदावे दोनों पर अंतिम निर्णय सुनाने में समर्थ हो सके।
(3) वादी न्यायालय द्वारा नियत अवधि के भीतर प्रतिवादी के प्रतिदावे के उत्तर में लिखित कथन दाखिल करने के लिए स्वतंत्र होगा।
(4) प्रतिदावे को एक वादपत्र (Plaint) माना जाएगा और वह वादपत्रों को लागू होने वाले नियमों द्वारा शासित होगा।