The importance of a properly drafted pleadings can rarely be ignored. As important is to have the knowledge about the legal provisions, equally important is to have proper pleadings in the matter. Hon’ble Apex Court has in many cases emphasized about the same and this snapshot beings out certain key observations on its impact on the decision, submission of evidence, framing of issues and making arguments in a case.
S.No | Case | Held |
1 | Sri Mahant Govind Rao Vs. Sita Ram Kesho & Ors. - (1898) 25 Indian Appeals 195 (PC), | Relief not founded on the pleadings should not be granted. |
2 | Kalyan Singh Chouhan v. C.P. Joshi, AIR 2011 SC 1127 | Pleadings and particulars are necessary to enable the court to decide the rights of the parties in the trial. Therefore, the pleadings are more of help to the court in narrowing the controversy involved and to inform the parties concerned to the question in issue, so that the parties may adduce appropriate evidence on the said issue. It is a settled legal proposition that "as a rule relief not founded on the pleadings should not be granted". A decision of a case cannot be based on grounds outside the pleadings of the parties. The pleadings and issues are to ascertain the real dispute between the parties to narrow the area of conflict and to see just where the two sides differ |
3 | M/s. Trojan & Co. v. RM N.N. Nagappa Chettiar, AIR 1953 SC 235 | It is well settled that the decision of a case cannot be based on grounds outside the pleadings of the parties and it is the case pleaded that has to be found. |
4 | Ram Sarup Gupta (dead) by L.Rs. v. Bishun Narain Inter College & Ors., AIR 1987 SC 1242 | It is well settled that in the absence of pleading, evidence, if any, produced by the parties cannot be considered. It is also equally settled that no party should be permitted to travel beyond its pleading and that all necessary and material facts should be pleaded by the party in support of the case set up by it. The object and purpose of pleading is to enable the adversary party to know the case it has to meet........ In such a case it is the duty of the court to ascertain the substance of the pleadings to determine the question. |
5 | Bachhaj Nahar v. Nilima Mandal & Ors. , AIR 2009 SC 1103 | The object and purpose of pleadings and issues is to ensure that the litigants come to trial with all issues clearly defined and to prevent cases being expanded or grounds being shifted during trial. Its object is also to ensure that each side is fully alive to the questions that are likely to be raised or considered so that they may have an opportunity of placing the relevant evidence appropriate to the issues before the court for its consideration. The object of issues is to identify from the pleadings the questions or points required to be decided by the courts so as to enable parties to let in evidence thereon. When the facts necessary to make out a particular claim, or to seek a particular relief, are not found in the plaint, the court cannot focus the attention of the parties, or its own attention on that claim or relief, by framing an appropriate issue........ Thus, it is said that no amount of evidence, on a plea that is not put forward in the pleadings, can be looked into to grant any relief. The jurisdiction to grant relief in a civil suit necessarily depends on the pleadings, prayer, court fee paid, evidence let in, etc." |
6 | In J.K. Iron & Steel Co. Ltd, Kanpur v. The Iron and Steel Mazdoor Union, Kanpur, AIR 1956 SC 231, | It is not open to the Tribunals to fly off at a tangent and, disregarding the pleadings, to reach any conclusions that they think are just and proper. |
7 | Raja Bommadevara Venkata Narasimha Naidu & Anr. v. Raja Bommadevara Bhashya Karlu Naidu & Ors., (1902) 29 Ind. App. 76 (PC | Therefore, it is neither desirable nor required for the court to frame an issue not arising on the pleadings. The Court should not decide a suit on a matter/point on which no issue has been framed. |
8 | Kashi Nath (Dead) through L.Rs. v. Jaganath, (2003) 8 SCC 740 | Where the evidence is not in line of the pleadings and is at variance with it, the said evidence cannot be looked into or relied upon. |
9 | Syed and Company & Ors. v. State of Jammu & Kashmir & Ors., 1995 Supp (4) SCC 422, | Without specific pleadings in that regard, evidence could not be led in since it is settled principle of law that no amount of evidence can be looked unless there is a pleading. Therefore, without amendment of the pleadings merely trying to lead evidence is not permissible |
10 | Chinta Lingam & Ors. v. The Govt. of India & Ors., AIR 1971 SC 474, | Unless factual foundation has been laid in the pleadings no argument is permissible to be raised on that particular point. |
11 | J. Jermons v. Aliammal & Ors, (1999) 7 SCC 382 | “..there is a fundamental difference between a case of raising additional grounds based on the pleadings and the material available on record and a case of taking a new plea not borne out of the pleadings. In the former case no amendment of pleading is required, whereas in the latter it is necessary to amend the pleadings...The respondents cannot be permitted to make out a new case by seeking permission to raise additional grounds in revision." |
12 | National Textile Corpn. Ltd. v. Naresh kumar Badrikumar Jagad, (2011) 12 SCC 695 | the law on the issue stands crystallised to the effect that a party has to take proper pleadings and prove the same by adducing sufficient evidence. No evidence can be permitted to be adduced on an issue unless factual foundation has been laid down in respect of the same. |