🔹Order 9 – Appearance of Parties (CPC, 1908)
🔹Short Note (Hindi):
Order 9 batata hai ki case ke first hearing par dono parties — plaintiff aur defendant — court me kaise present hoti hain, aur agar koi party present na ho to court kya action le sakti hai.
Yani ye order “absence aur non-appearance” ke rules clear karta hai.
🔹Full Description (English + Hindi):
🔹 What is ‘Appearance’?
Appearance means presenting yourself or your lawyer in court on the date of hearing after summons has been issued.
If a party (plaintiff or defendant) fails to appear, the court takes appropriate action under Order 9 rules.
🔹 Purpose of Order 9:
- To ensure that both parties appear before the court.
- To avoid unnecessary delay in proceedings.
- To lay down consequences for non-appearance.
- To provide a mechanism for restoring dismissed suits or setting aside ex-parte decrees.
🔹 Important Rules under Order 9:
Rule 1 – Parties to appear on day fixed in summons:
Both plaintiff and defendant must appear in court on the date mentioned in the summons.
Rule 2 – Dismissal of suit where summons not served due to plaintiff’s fault:
If summons cannot be served because of the plaintiff’s mistake, court may dismiss the suit.
Rule 3 – Both parties absent:
Agar dono hi parties court me nahi aati, to case dismiss kar diya jata hai.
Rule 4 – Plaintiff may bring fresh suit or apply for restoration:
Agar suit dismiss hua hai, plaintiff new suit file kar sakta hai ya restoration ke liye apply kar sakta hai (valid reason ke saath).
Rule 5 – Defendant only present:
Agar defendant aata hai par plaintiff nahi aata, to court suit dismiss kar sakti hai ya judgment for defendant de sakti hai.
Rule 6 – Plaintiff only present:
Agar plaintiff aata hai par defendant nahi aata, to court ex parte decree pass kar sakti hai (one-sided decision).
Rule 7 – Setting aside ex-parte decree:
Agar defendant later proof kare ki wo kisi valid reason se nahi aa paya, to wo ex parte decree set aside karne ke liye application de sakta hai.
Rule 8 – Multiple defendants:
Agar ek ya kuch defendants nahi aate par others aate hain, to case un logon ke against ex parte continue ho sakta hai.
Rule 9 – Restoration of suit dismissed for non-appearance:
Agar plaintiff ka suit non-appearance ke wajah se dismiss hua hai, to wo 30 days ke andar application dekar case restore karwa sakta hai.
🔹 Consequences of Non-Appearance:
| Situation | Effect |
|---|---|
| Plaintiff absent, Defendant present | Suit dismissed |
| Defendant absent, Plaintiff present | Ex-parte decree |
| Both absent | Suit dismissed |
| Summons not served due to plaintiff fault | Dismissal of suit |
🔹 Example:
Ravi ne Mohit ke khilaf paisa vasooli ka case file kiya.
Summons milne ke baad Mohit court nahi aaya. Court ne ex-parte decree pass kar di.
Mohit ne baad me bataya ki us din wo hospital me admit tha. Court ne reason valid maan kar ex-parte decree set aside kar di.
🔹 Important Case Laws:
- G.P. Srivastava v. R.K. Raizada (2000) – Ex-parte decree can be set aside if defendant shows sufficient cause for absence.
- Arjun Singh v. Mohindra Kumar (1964) – Once hearing begins, no fresh application for setting aside ex-parte order.
- Bhagwan Swaroop v. Mool Chand (1983) – Restoration of dismissed suit allowed on valid grounds.
🔹Summary Table:
| Particulars | Details |
|---|---|
| Order | Order 9 CPC |
| Subject | Appearance of Parties |
| Key Focus | Absence & consequences |
| Ex-parte Decree | When defendant absent |
| Dismissal | When plaintiff absent |
| Restoration | Rule 9 |
| Time Limit for Restoration | 30 days |
🔹Nyay Neeti Advice:
- Court me summons date par zarur appear ho ya apne vakil ko bhejo.
- Agar kisi reason se nahi aa sakte, to advance me court ko inform karo.
- Ex-parte decree mil jaye to 30 days me application for set-aside do.
- Case restore karne ke liye valid reason aur proof attach karo.
