Effect of discontinuance of suit
Full Text
If in any case in which the defendant sets up a counterclaim, the suit of the plaintiff is stayed, discontinued or dismissed, the counter-claim may nevertheless be proceeded with.
Plain English Summary
Declares the absolute autonomous survival of a counter-claim, ensuring that the stay, abandonment, withdrawal, or dismissal of the plaintiff's main suit does not terminate the defendant's cross-suit.
Key Legal Elements
- Autonomous Cross-Suit: Counter-claim survives independently of the main suit's fate.
- Immunized against Withdrawal: Plaintiff cannot kill defendant's claim by strategically withdrawing under Order XXIII Rule 1.
- Decree on Counter-Claim: Court proceeds to adjudicate and decree the counter-claim on merits.
Practical Note
Strategic Protection for Defendants: 1. Immunity from Plaintiff's Gamesmanship: If plaintiff realizes his suit is weak and attempts to withdraw under Order XXIII Rule 1, the defendant's counter-claim remains alive. In Jag Mohan Chawla v. Dera Radha Swami Satsang (1996) 4 SCC 699, the Supreme Court reaffirmed that dismissal of the suit does not affect the maintainability or continuance of the counter-claim.
हिंदी पाठ
यदि किसी ऐसे मामले में जिसमें प्रतिवादी प्रतिदावा उठाता है, वादी का वाद रोक दिया जाता है, बंद कर दिया जाता है अथवा खारिज (Dismissed) कर दिया जाता है, तो भी प्रतिदावे की कार्यवाही चालू रखी जा सकेगी।