High Court Kerala High Court

Hyder Ali vs Thankamony on 15 July, 2008

Kerala High Court
Hyder Ali vs Thankamony on 15 July, 2008
       

  

  

 
 
  IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM

RSA.No. 1091 of 2007()


1. HYDER ALI, S/O. MEERA SAHIB,
                      ...  Petitioner
2. LAILA BEEVI, W/O. HYDER ALI,

                        Vs



1. THANKAMONY, D/O. PARUKUTTY,
                       ...       Respondent

2. RAJEELA BEEVI, D/O. SULAIKA UMMAL,

                For Petitioner  :SRI.S.ARUN RAJ

                For Respondent  :SRI.M.RAJAGOPALAN NAIR

The Hon'ble MR. Justice K.P.BALACHANDRAN

 Dated :15/07/2008

 O R D E R
              K.P.BALACHANDRAN, J.
          ------------------------------------------------
           C. M. Application No.821 of 2007 &
                  R. S. A. No.1091 of 2007
          ------------------------------------------------
           Dated this the 15th day of July, 2008

                         JUDGMENT

This is an application seeking for

condonation of delay of 79 days in filing the

appeal. The judgment under appeal was

delivered on 31/07/06. Copy thereof was

applied for on 01/08/06. Stamp papers called

for on 19/02/07 were produced on 20/02/07 and

judgment was taken delivery of on 08/03/07

though date fixed to appear to receive copy

was on 07/03/07. However, appeal is filed only

on 24/08/07 after more than five and a half

months. The appeal is one filed by the

defendants against the concurrent decree

passed by the courts below in favour of the

plaintiffs.

2. In the affidavit filed by the first

appellant in support of the application for

condonation of delay he has stated that the

appeal ought to have been presented on or

R. S. A. No.1091 of 2007 -2-

before 05/06/07, but the appeal could not be

filed in time as he could not contact his

counsel as he was suffering from acute fever

from 26/05/07 to 10/06/07 and he was advised

to take rest for three weeks due to heavy body

pain and he could contact the counsel only on

01/08/07 and the counsel required some

documents for preparation of appeal and the

same was collected and handed over to him only

on 12/08/07 and thereafter only the appeal was

prepared and filed on 24/08/07 and thus there

is delay of 79 days in filing the R.S.A and

the delay is neither deliberate nor wilful and

has therefore, to be condoned.

3. Even assuming and taking the aforesaid

grounds as true the averments made by the

first appellant in the affidavit that he was

suffering from fever from 26/05/07 to 10/06/07

only and advice to take rest was also only for

three weeks, but he contacted his lawyer only

as late as on 01/08/07. There is no

explanation for this much delay. As regards

R. S. A. No.1091 of 2007 -3-

the further averment that the counsel required

some document for preparation of the appeal,

also there is no explanation as to what were

the documents which were not supplied to the

lawyer to enable him to file appeal. In the

circumstances, I am not prepared to accept the

reasons assigned for condonation of delay as

just and sufficient cause. I am not of the

view that the rights which have accrued to the

successful party can be disturbed on such bald

averments made by the aggrieved party,

condoning the delay taking a lenient view in

that matter as there should be a finality to

the judgment. Hence, for reason of absence of

any just and sufficient cause to condone the

delay of as much as 79 days in filing the

appeal, I dismiss the C.M. Application.

Consequently, the R.S.A also stands dismissed.

K.P.BALACHANDRAN,
JUDGE
kns/-