Territorial jurisdiction under CPC requires the suit to be filed where the cause of action arises or the defendant resides or carries on business.

Territorial jurisdiction under Section 20 CPC depends on where the cause of action arises or where the defendant resides or carries on business. Here, the cause of action arose at Calcutta, where the goods were imported and unloaded and the delivery liability arose, while no part arose at Bharatpur and the appellant's office was also at Calcutta. On those facts, the suit was maintainable only in the competent court at Calcutta; a decree passed by the District Court at Bharatpur without territorial jurisdiction is void.

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Issues: Whether the District Court at Bharatpur had territorial jurisdiction under Section 20 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 to entertain the suit.

Analysis: The cause of action arose at Calcutta, where the goods were imported, unloaded, and the delivery liability arose. No part of the cause of action arose at Bharatpur, and the appellant's office was also at Calcutta. On these facts, the suit could be instituted only in the competent court at Calcutta. The decree passed by the District Court, Bharatpur was therefore without jurisdiction and void.

Conclusion: The District Court at Bharatpur lacked territorial jurisdiction, and the order passed by it was void.

Ratio Decidendi: A suit must be instituted in the court within whose territorial jurisdiction the cause of action arises or the defendant resides or carries on business, and an order passed by a court lacking such jurisdiction is void.

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