In the first judgment cited on the part of the petitioner,
since the defendants 1 to 3 were called absent, the trial Court had decreed
the suit as prayed for and thereafter the defendants had filed an Application
under Order 9 Rule 13 of the CPC before the trial Court to set aside the said
judgment and decree and on the said petition having been allowed by the trial
Court, a revision had been filed before the High Court by the plaintiff and
the same also having been dismissed, he had filed the Civil Appeal before the
Honourable Apex Court. The Honourable Apex Court giving expression to Order
XVII Rules 2 and 3 of C.P.C. and extracting the said Rules, would remark that
the case was having imprints of an ex-parte adjudication and not of a decision
on merits and there was not even any indication as to what evidence was
evaluated and/or whether the merits were tested and had ultimately decided in
the following terms:
8. Per contra, Mr.G.Mariappan, the learned counsel for the
respondent would contend that if the Explanation to Rule 2 of Order 17 is taken
into account, then on the evidence of DW.1 in chief available on record the
court has a discretion to dispose of the suit as contemplated under Order 17
Rule 3(a) of CPC. He would place reliance on the decision of this court
rendered in the case of Arumuga Gounder and others Vs. Palaniammal and others
[2001-1-MLJ-15].
1. She also marked 18 documents. The question of passing an ex parte
decree does not arise at all and the learned counsel for the respondent
would rely upon a judgment of this Court reported in 2001 1 LW 167 in
the case of Arumugha Gounder and another Vs. Palaniammal and
others, and filed a synopsis indicating the dates and events. By pointing
out the dates and events, he would submit that the plaintiff's side
evidence was closed on 17.07.2017 and on 30.08.2017 revision petitioner
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https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis
C.R.P(MD)No.1713 of 2023
filed I.A.No.690 and 691 of 2017 to recall and re-examine the plaintiff.
Those IAs were dismissed and later posted for defendant side evidence.
On 31.08.2018, defendant side evidence was closed. Later on
application, D.W.1, was examined. Later it was posted for cross
examination. she failed to appear inspite of repeated adjournment and
finally it was closed on 27.08.2019. On 05.09.2019, plaintiff side
arguments was heard and there was no argument on the side of the
defendant. Judgment was pronounced on 10.09.2019. The only remedy
available to the petitioner is to file only an appeal against the judgment,
since the judgment is rendered under Order 17 Rule 3 of C.P.C., and not
under Order 17 Rule 2 of C.P.C.