𝗪𝗜𝗟𝗟 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗖𝗘𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗦 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗧 𝗗𝗘-𝗡𝗢𝗩𝗢 𝗢𝗥 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗨𝗘 𝗜𝗡 𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗥𝗘𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗡 𝗢𝗙 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗜𝗡𝗧 𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝟳 𝗖𝗣𝗖?

Order 7 rule 10, Return of Plaint is one of the fundamental objections taken by Defense Counsel in Civil Litigation. In case of return of Plaint from a Court lacking inherent Jurisdiction to the court of appropriate Jurisdiction , a moot question arises for consideration is whether the proceedings shall start “De-Novo”(fresh) or it will be a continuance of the earlier proceedings ?

There has been a difference of opinion even in Supreme Court and therefore the matter was referred to a larger bench. The Issue is now settled in the matter of 𝗘𝗫𝗟 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗩𝘀. 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗻 𝗔𝘃𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 decided on 05-08-2020 as follows :-

(1) 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙖𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙝 (𝘿𝙀-𝙉𝙊𝙑𝙊) 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙉𝙊 𝙘𝙤𝙜𝙣𝙞𝙯𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙤𝙧 𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙.

(2) 𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙧𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙛 𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙙𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙙 𝙙𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙪𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙣𝙤 𝙟𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣

(3) 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙛 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙤 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙠 𝙖𝙙𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙩 𝙛𝙚𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙩.