S.T.M.R. Murugappa Chettiar and Another vs Ponnuswami Pillai

Following the Full Bench decision in Rustomji Dorabji v. Nurse and Anr. ILR (1921) Mad. 76 we hold the appeal abates; and is dismissed with

costs.

In this case the plaintiff preferred an appeal from a decree in his favour in a suit for malicious prosecution on the groun d that the damages

awarded were insufficient, and the defendant who had not appealed from the decree, filed a memorandum of objections contesting the decree. The

plaintiff having died subsequently his appeal abated, as we have just held, on the authority of the Full Bench decision in Rustomji Dorebji Vs. W.H.

Nurse and Parthasarathy Naidu, and Josiam Tiruvcngadachariav v. Swami Iyengar ILR (1911) Mad. 76.

The question then argued before us was whether the respondent in the appeal is none the less entitled to have his memorandum of objections

heard and determined. Order 41, Rule 22(4) C.P.C. gives him such a right when after the filing of his memorandum of objections the appeal has

been withdrawn or dismissed for default, but not when it has abated, if the legislature had intended that he should have such a right in cases of

abatement also, it would have said so. Rule 22(1) entitled a respondent though he may not have appealed from any part of the decree, not only to

support the decree on any of the grounds decided against him in the court below, but, also, to lake any cross objection to the decree which he

could have taken by way of appeal. The intention of the rule is not to give a respondent who has allowed his own right of appeal to become barred

a fresh substantive right of appeal, but only to allow him to take cross objections on the appeal filed by the other side, and if that appeal goes the

right to take cross, objections goes with it. As however it would be a hardship to allow an appellant to prevent the memorandum of objections

from being heard by withdrawing the appeal or allowing it to be dismissed for default, the legislature has thought fit to provide that in such cases the

memorandum of objections may "" nevertheless be heard and determined. Thfe use of the word "" nevertheless "" is significant, especially when read

with the words ""cross objections"" which has been substituted for objection which occurred in Section 561 of the Old Code. This language shows

that the legislature did not intend to alter the law by which the entertainment of objection was made contingent dnd dependent upon the hearing of

the appeal. Whatever may be the reasons for the omission in Rule 22(1) of the words ""upon the hearing "" which occurred in Section 561, the Rule

is sufficiently pLaln as it stands as held by the Full Bench in Alagappa Chettiar v. Chockalingam Chettiar ILR (1918) Mad. 907 in which it was

ruled that where an appeal is dismissed as barred by limitation the memorandum of objections cannot be heard.

The memorandum of objections is dismissed with costs.