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Issue of Summons
1. Summons.—(1) When a suit has been duly instituted, a summons may be issued to
the defendant to appear and answer the claim and to file the written statement of his
defence, if any, within thirty days from the date of service of summons on that defendant
:
Provided that no such summons shall be issued when a defendant has appeared at the
presentation of plaint and admitted the plaintiffs claim:
Provided further that where the defendant fails to file the written statement within the
said period of thirty days, he shall be allowed to file the same on such other day as may
be specified by the Court, for reasons to be recorded in writing, but which shall not be
later than ninety days from the date of service of summons.
Provided further that where the defendant fails to file the written statement within the
said period of thirty days, he shall be allowed to file the written statement on such other
day, as may be specified by the Court, for reasons to be recorded in writing and on
payment of such costs as the Court deems fit, but which shall not be later than one
hundred twenty days from the date of service of summons and on expiry of one hundred
twenty days from the date of service of summons, the defendant shall forfeit the right to
file the written statement and the Court shall not allow the written statement to be taken
on record.
(2) A defendant to whom a summons has been issued under sub-rule (1) may appear—
(a) in person, or
(b) by a pleader duly instructed and able to answer all material questions relating to the
suit, or (c) by a pleader accompained by some person able to answer all such
questions.
(3) Every such summons shall be signed by the Judge or such officer as he appoints,
and shall be sealed with the seal of the Court.
2. Copy of plaint annexed to summons.—Every summon shall be accompained by a
copy of the plaint.
3. Court may order defendant or plaintiff to appear in person.—(1) Where the court
sees reason to require the personal appearance of the defendant, the summons shall
order him to appear in person in Court on the day therein specified.
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(2) Where the Court sees reason to require the personal appearance of the plaintiff on
the same day, it shall make an order for such appearance.
4. No party to be ordered to appear in person unless resident within certain
limits.—No party shall be ordered to appear in person unless he resides—
(a) within the local limits of the Court’s ordinary original jurisdiction, or
(b) without such limits but at place less than fifty or (where there is railway or steamer
communication or other established public conveyance for five-sixths of the distance
between the place where he resides and the place where the Court is situate) less than
two hundred miles distance from the court-house.
5. Summons to be either to settle issues or for final disposal.—The Court shall
determine, at the time of issuing the summons, whether it shall be for the settlement of
issues only, or for the final disposal of the suit; and the summons shall contain a
direction accordingly:
Provided that, in every suit heard by a Court of Small Causes, the summons shall be for
the final disposal of the suit.
6. Fixing day for appearance of defendant.—The day under sub-rule (1) of rule 1
shall be fixed with reference to the current business of the Court, the place of residence
of the defendant and the time necessary for the service of the summons; and the day
shall be so fixed as to allow the defendant sufficient time to enable him to appear and
answer on such day.
7. Summons to order defendant to produce documents relied on by him.—The
summons to appear and answer shall order the defendant to produce all documents or
copies thereof specified in rule IA of Order VIII in his possession or power upon which
he intends to rely in support of his case.
8. On issue of summons for final disposal, defendant to be directed to produce
his witnesses.—Where the summons is for the final disposal of the suit, it shall also
direct the defendant to produce, on the day fixed for his appearance, all witnesses upon
whose evidence he intends to rely in support of his case.
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Service of Summons
9. Delivery of summons by Court.—(1) Where the defendant resides within the
jurisdiction of the Court in which the suit is instituted, or has an agent resident within
that jurisdiction who is empowered to accept the service of the summons, the summons
shall, unless the Court otherwise directs, be delivered or sent either to the proper officer
to be served by him or one of his subordinates or to such courier services as are
approved by the Court.
(2) The proper officer may be an officer of a Court other than that in which the suit is
instituted, and, where he is such an officer, the summons may be sent to him in such
manner as the Court may direct.
(3) The services of summons may be made by delivering or transmitting a copy thereof
by registered post acknowledgment due, addressed to the defendant or his agent
empowered to accept the service or by speed post or by such courier services as are
approved by the High Court or by the Court referred to in sub-rule (1) or by any other
means of transmission of documents (including fax message or electronic mail service)
provided by the rules made by the High Court:
Provided that the service of summons under this sub-rule shall be made at the
expenses of the plaintiff.
(4) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-rule (1), where a defendant resides
outside the jurisdiction of the Court in which the suit is instituted, and the Court directs
that the service of summons on that defendant may be made by such mode of service
of summons as is referred to in sub-rule (3) (except by registered post acknowledgment
due), the provisions of rule 21 shall not apply.
(5) When an acknowledgment or any other receipt purporting to be signed by the
defendant or his agent is received by the Court or postal article containing the summons
is received back by the Court with an endorsement purporting to have been made by a
postal employee or by any person authorised by the courier service to the effect that the
defendant or his agent had refused to take delivery of the postal article containing the
summons or had refused to accept the summons by any other means specified in
sub-rule (3) when tendered or transmitted to him, the Court issuing the summons shall
declare that the summons had been duly served on the defendant :
Provided that where the summons was properly addressed, pre-paid and duly sent by
registered post acknowledgment due, the declaration referred to in this sub-rule shall be
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made notwithstanding the fact that the acknowledgment having been lost or mislaid, or
for any other reason, has not been received by the Court within thirty days from the date
of issue of summons.
(6) The High Court or the District Judge, as the case may be, shall prepare a panel of
courier agencies for the purposes of sub-rule (1).
9A. Summons given to the plaintiff for service.—(1) The Court may, in addition to the
service of summons under rule 9, on the application of the plaintiff for the issue of a
summons for the appearance of the defendant, permit such plaintiff to effect service of
such summons on such defendant and shall, in such a case, deliver the summons to
such plaintiff for service.
(2) The service of such summons shall be effected by or on behalf of such plaintiff by
delivering or tendering to the defendant personally a copy thereof signed by the Judge
or such officer of the Court as he may appoint in this behalf and sealed with the seal of
the Court or by such mode of service as is referred to in sub- rule (3) of rule 9.
(3) The provisions of rules 16 and 18 shall apply to a summons personally served under
this rule as if the person effecting service were a serving officer.
(4) If such summons, when tendered, is refused or if the person served refuses to sign
an acknowledgment of service or for any reason such summons cannot be served
personally, the Court shall, on the application of the party, re-issue such summons to be
served by the Court in the same manner as a summons to a defendant.
10. Mode of service.—Service of the summons shall be made by delivering or
tendering a copy thereof signed by the Judge or such officer as he appoints in this
behalf, and sealed with the seal of the Court.
11. Service on several defendants.—Save as otherwise prescribed, where there are
more defendants than one, service of the summons shall be made on each defendant.
12. Service to be on defendant in person when practicable, or on his agent.
—Wherever it is practicable, service shall be made on the defendant in person, unless
he has an agent empowered to accept service, in which case service on such agent
shall be sufficient.
13. Service on agent by whom defendant carries on business.—(1) In a suit relating
to any business or work against a person who does not reside within the local limits of
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the jurisdiction of the Court from which the summons is issued, service on any manager
or agent, who, at the time of service, personally carries on such business or work for
such person within such limits, shall be deemed good service.
(2) For the purpose of this rule the master of a ship shall be deemed to be the agent of
the owner or charterer.
14. Service on agent in charge in suits for immovable property.— Where in a suit to
obtain relief respecting, or compensation for wrong to, immovable property, service
cannot be made on the defendant in person, and the defendant has no agent
empowered to accept the service, it may be made on any agent of the defendant in
charge of the property.
15. Where service may be on an adult member of defendant’s family.— Where in
any suit the defendant is absent from his residence at the time when the service of
summons is sought to be effected on his at his residence and there is no likelihood of
his being found at the residence within a reasonable time and he has no agent
empowered to accept service of the summons on his behalf, service may be made on
any adult member of the family, whether male or female, who is residing with him.
Explanation.—A servant is not a member of the family within the meaning of this rule.
16. Person served to sign acknowledgement.—Where the serving officer delivers or
tenders a copy of the summons to the defendant personally, or to an agent or other
person on his behalf, he shall require the signature of the person to whom the copy is
so delivered or tendered to an acknowledgment of service endorsed on the original
summons.
17. Procedure when defendant refuses to accept service, or cannot be
found.—Where the defendant or his agent or such other person as aforesaid refuses to
sign the acknowledgment, or where the serving officer, after using all due and
reasonable diligence, cannot find the defendant, who is absent from his residence at the
time when service is sought to be effected on him at his residence and there is no
likelihood of his being found at the residence within a reasonable time and there is no
agent empowered to accept service of the summons on his behalf, nor any other person
on whom service can be made, the serving officer shall affix a copy of the summons on
the outer door or some other conspicuous part of the house in which the defendant
ordinarily resides or carries on business or personally works for gain, and shall then
return the original to the Court from which it was issued, with a report endorsed thereon
or annexed thereto stating that he has so affixed the copy, the circumstances under
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which he did so, and the name and address of the person (if any) by whom the house
was identified and in whose presence the copy was affixed.
18. Endorsement of time and manner of service.—The serving officer shall, in all
cases in which the summons has been served under rule 16, endorse or annex, or
cause to be endorsed or annexed, on or to the original summons, a return stating the
time when and the manner in which the summons was served, and the name and
address of the person (if any) identifying the person served and witnessing the delivery
or tender of the summons.
19. Examination of serving officer.—Where a summons is returned under rule 17, the
Court shall, if the return under that rule has not been verified by the affidavit of the
serving officer, and may, if it has been so verified, examine the serving officer on oath,
or cause him to be so examined by another Court, touching his
proceedings, and may make such further enquiry in the matter as it thinks fit; and shall
either declare that the summons has been duly served or order such service as it thinks
fit.
20. Substituted service.—(1) Where the Court is satisfied that there is reason to
believe that the defendant is keeping out of the way for the purpose of avoiding service,
or that for any other reason the summons cannot be served in the ordinary way, the
Court shall order the summons to be served by affixing a copy thereof in some
conspicuous place in the Court-house, and also upon some conspicuous part of the
house (if any) in which the defendant is known to have last resided or carried on
business or personally worked for gain, or in such other manner as the Court thinks fit.
(1A) Where the Court acting under sub-rule (1) orders service by an advertisement in a
newspaper, the newspaper shall be a daily newspaper circulating in the locality in which
the defendant is last known to have actually and voluntarily resided, carried on business
or personally worked for gain.
(2) Effect of substituted service.—Service substituted by order of the Court shall be
as effectual as if it had been made on the defendant personally.
(3) Where service substituted, time for appearance to be fixed.—Where service is
substituted by order of the Court, the Court shall fix such time for the appearance of the
defendant as the case may require.
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20A. Rep. by the Code of Civil Procedure (Amendment) Act, 1976 (104 of 1976), s. 55
(w.e.f. 1-2-1977)].
21. Service of summons where defendant resides within jurisdiction of another
Court.—A summons may be sent by the Court by which it is issued, whether within or
without the State, either by one of its officers or by post or by such courier service as
may be approved by the High Court, by fax message or by Electronic Mail service or by
any other means as may be provided by the rules made by the High Court. to any Court
(not being the High Court) having jurisdiction in the place where the defendant resides.
22. Service within presidency towns of summons issued by Courts
outside.—Where a summons issued by any Court established beyond the limits of the
towns of Calcutta, Madras and Bombay is to be served within any such limits, it shall be
sent to the Court of Small Causes within whose jurisdiction it is to be served.
23. Duty of Court to which summons is sent.—The Court to which a summons is
sent under rule 21 or rule 22 shall, upon receipt thereof, proceed as if it had been
issued by such Court and shall then return the summons to the Court of issue, together
with the record (if any) of its proceedings with regard thereto.
24. Service on defendant in prison.—Where the defendant is confined in a prison, the
summons shall be delivered or sent or by post or by such courier service as may be
approved by the High Court, by fax message or by Electronic Mail service or by any
other means as may be provided by the rules made by the High Court to the officer in
charge of the prison for service on the defendant.
25. Service where defendant resides out of India and has no agent.—Where the
defendant resides out of India and has no agent in India empowered to accept service,
the summons shall be addressed to the defendant at the place where he is residing and
sent to him or by post or by such courier service as may be approved by the High Court,
by fax message or by Electronic Mail service or by any other means as may be provided
by the rules made by the High Court, if there is postal communication between such
place and the place where the Court is situate :
Provided that where any such defendant resides in Bangladesh or Pakistan, the
summons, together with a copy thereof, may be sent for service on the defendant, to
any Court in that country (not being the High Court) having jurisdiction in the place
where the defendant resides :
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Provided further that where any such defendant is a public officer in Bangladesh or
Pakistan (not belonging to the Bangladesh or, as the case may be, Pakistan military,
naval or air forces) or is a servant of a railway company or local authority in that country,
the summons, together with a copy thereof, may be sent for service on the defendant, to
such officer or authority in that country as the Central Government may, by notification
in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf.
26. Service in foreign territory through Political Agent or Court.—Where—
(a) in the exercise of any foreign jurisdiction vested in the Central Government, a
Political Agent has been appointed, or a Court has been established or continued, with
power to serve a summons, issued by a Court under this Code, in any foreign territory in
which the defendant actually and voluntarily resides, carries on business or personally
works for gain, or
(b) the Central Government has, by notification in the Official Gazette, declared in
respect of any Court situate in any such territory and not established or continued in the
exercise of any such jurisdiction as aforesaid, that service by such Court of any
summons issued by a Court under this Code shall be deemed to be valid service,
the summons may be sent to such Political Agent or Court, by post, or otherwise, or if
so directed by the Central Government, through the Ministry of that Government dealing
with foreign affairs, or in such other manner as may be specified by the Central
Government for the purpose of being served upon the defendant; and, if the Political
Agent or Court returns the summons with an endorsement purporting to have been
made by such Political Agent or by the Judge or other officer of the Court to the effect
that the summons has been served on the defendant in the manner hereinbefore
directed, such endorsement shall be deemed to be evidence of service.
26A. Summonses to be sent to officers to foreign countries.—Where the Central
Government has, by notification in the Official Gazette, declared in respect of any
foreign territory that summonses to be served on defendants actually and voluntarily
residing or carrying on business or personally working for gain in that foreign territory
may be sent to an officer of the Government of the foreign territory specified by the
Central Government, the summonses may be sent to such officer, through the Ministry
of the Government of India dealing with foreign affairs or in such other manner as may
be specified by the Central Government; and if such officer returns any such summons
with an endorsement purporting to have been made by him that the summons has been
served on the defendant, such endorsement shall be deemed to be evidence of service.
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27. Service on civil public officer or on servant of railway company or local
authority.—Where the defendant is a public officer (not beloging to the the Indians
military naval or air forces, or is the servant of a railway company or local authority, the
Court may, if it appears to it that the summons may be most conveniently so served.
send it for service on the defendant to the head of the office in which he is employed,
together with a copy to be retained by the defendant.
28. Service on soldiers, sailors or airmen.—Where the defendant is a soldier, sailor
or airman, the Court shall send the summons for service to his commanding officer
together with a copy to be retained by the defendant.
29. Duty of person to whom summons is delivered or sent for service.—(1) Where
a summons is delivered or sent to any person for service under rule 24, rule 27 or rule
28, such person shall be bound to serve it if possible, and to return it under his
signature, with the written acknowledgement of the defendant, and such signature shall
be deemed to be evidence of service.
(2) Where from any cause service is impossible, the summons shall be returned to the
Court with a full statement of such cause and of the steps taken to procure service, and
such statement shall be deemed to be evidence of non-service.
30. Substitution of letter for summons. — (1) The Court may, notwithstanding
anything hereinbefore contained, substitute for a summons a letter signed by the Judge
or such officer as he may appoint in this behalf, where the defendant is, in the opinion of
the Court, of a rank entitling him to such mark of consideration.
(2) A letter substituted under sub-rule (1) shall contain all the particulars required to be
stated in a summons, and, subject to the provisions of sub-rule (3), shall be treated in all
respects as a summons.
(3) A letter so substituted may be sent to the defendent by post or by a special
messenger selected by the Court, or in any other manner which the Court thinks fit; and,
where the defendant has an agent empowered to accept service, the letter may be
delivered or sent to such agent.
