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Ground for complaint in recovery matter does not vanish merely on defendant making payment during pendency of suit

In ICICI Bank Ltd. v. Vikas Kumar Thakur, RFA No. 901 of 2018, decided on 01-11-2018, appeal was filed before the Delhi High Court against the order of the trial court rejecting on the grounds that firstly, though the respondent/defendant during the pendency of the suit has made various payments, yet the appellant/plaintiff is not bringing the respondent/defendant to the Court and secondly, since the suit amount as claimed in the suit has vanished as by subsequent payment, cause of action as pleaded in the plaint has hence vanished.

The Delhi High Court has decided that the trial court has completely erred in rejecting the plaint under Order VII Rule 11 CPC because a defendant in the suit always during pendency of the suit can keep on making payments towards the amounts claimed in the suit, however, that does not mean that cause of action in the suit will vanish, but in such circumstances the Court under Order VII Rule 7 CPC will take notice of the subsequent events of repayments and the court will amend the suit amount and only pass a judgment and decree decreeing the suit for a lesser amount after giving adjustment to the respondent/defendant for the amounts which are paid during the pendency of  the suit by the respondent/defendant, and as reflected from the account and other evidence filed by the appellant/plaintiff.

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