Uma Kapoor through Lrs and Another v. Sharad Kapoor and Others
Case brief
What is this about?
Punjab & Haryana High Court, 121 CR-1439-2025 (O&M), decided 30.04.2025 (Nidhi Gupta, J.): revision under Article 227 against dismissal of an Order 6 Rule 17 r/w Section 151 CPC application to amend a plaint in a 2014 suit challenging a family Will; amendment sought to incorporate registered will dated 29.03.2016 of deceased plaintiff No.1 Uma Kapoor in favour of plaintiff No.2 Vinay Kapoor (one-half share as co-owner). Refused: post-commencement-of-trial amendment barred absent due-diligence proviso; unexplained delay of ~6 years since death on 05.10.2018 rendered application time barred; earlier allowed amendment application had omitted these facts; filing deemed intended to delay trial. Revision dismissed; pending applications disposed of. No precedents cited.
What did the court decide?
Amendment of a plaint cannot be permitted after commencement of trial; as per the proviso to the provision (Order 6 Rule 17 CPC), the only situation in which amendment after commencement of trial is envisaged is where, in spite of due diligence, the party could not have raised the matter before commencement of trial.