TaxTMI 
TaxTMI 
2021 (6) TMI 1162
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....bail applications moved by the petitioner before the learned SDJM, Koraput as well as the learned Additional Sessions Judge, Koraput stood rejected mainly on the ground that some cash has been recovered from some of the co-accused and some of the co-accused are still at large. The learned Judge is of the view that if the petitioner is enlarged on bail, it would hamper the investigation. Aggrieved by the above order, the petitioner has approached this Court. 4. Strangely, we find that the affidavit accompanying the petition has been filed by one Tophan Pradhan who is the advocate's clerk-in-charge. Curiously enough, the advocate's clerk has sworn that he is looking after the case on behalf of the petitioner. This Court fails to understand as to how an advocate's clerk can swear an affidavit claiming to be "looking after" a case before this Court in gross violation of the Orissa High Court Rules. 5. An affidavit is an affirmation of truth. It is a willing declaration made in writing, signed by a deponent and accompanied by an oath to prove the veracity of its contents. In India, the law on affidavits is governed by Order XIX of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908. Further....
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....idavits in a perfunctory manner for petitions/applications on behalf of a party before the court, especially those which include facts beyond his personal knowledge or where he cannot completely explain how he derived knowledge of the facts he has affirmed. The Courts have always come down heavily on the practice by initiating contempt proceedings where they have discovered that an advocate's clerk has falsely signed an affidavit. The most recent instance of the same being the order passed by a coordinate bench of this Court, wherein a show cause contempt notice was served on an advocate's clerk who had sworn an affidavit in a bail application of an accused on the basis of forged medical certificates. 7. The relevance of Affidavit is ingrained in both the procedural codes in India. The word "Affidavit" has its roots from a Latin word which literally means to "pledge one's faith." It is a written statement from an individual which is sworn to be true and the contents of an affidavit reflect the personal knowledge of the individual making the statement. The Civil Procedure Code deals with the issue in the following terms: Civil Procedure Code, 1908-Order XIX-Affidavit....
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.... laid out in Order XIX Rule 3 of the Civil Procedure Code, 1908 has been discussed as far back as in 2010 in Padmabati Dasi v. Rasik Lal Dhar (1910) ILR 37 Cal 259, wherein the Hon'ble High Court of Calcutta held as under: We desire to impress on those who propose to rely on affidavits that, in future, the provisions of Order XIX, Rule 3, must be strictly observed, and every affidavit should clearly express how much is a statement of the deponent's knowledge and how much is a statement of his belief, and the grounds of belief must be stated with sufficient particularity to enable the Court to judge whether it would be sage to act on the deponent's belief...." The Hon'ble Supreme Court of India confirmed the aforesaid position in State of Bombay v. Purushottam Jog Naik AIR 1952 SC 317, wherein a Constitution Bench, while considering the importance of verification of an affidavit, among others, held as under: "....We wish, however, to observe that the verification of the affidavits produced here is defective. The body of the affidavit discloses that certain matters were known to the Secretary who made the affidavit personally. The verification however states that....
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.... and 13 of the Supreme Court Rules. The purpose underlying Rules 5 and 13 of Order XI of the Supreme Court Rules is to enable the Court to find out as to whether it would be safe to act on such evidence and to enable the court to know as to what facts are based in the affidavit on the basis of personal knowledge, information and belief as this is relevant for the purpose of appreciating the evidence placed before the Court, in the form of affidavit...If the statement of facts is based on information the source of information must be disclosed in the affidavit." 5. The matter does not rest here. The affidavit filed on behalf of the accused in reply to the contempt petition is shocking. The office clerk of the advocate for the accused has filed affidavit on behalf of the accused in reply to the contempt petition. The deponent of the counter-affidavit has verified the affidavit saying that the statements of the case of the accused are true and correct which are based on the records maintained in the office of the advocate and based on the instructions received from the clients. Such an affidavit is wholly improper and inadmissible in evidence and liable to be rejected. What reliance....
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.... inspire full confidence in the mind of the Court about the correctness of the averments made in the petition." It would be apposite to note the following observations made by the High Court of Madras in Tamizhaga Panchalai Thozhilalar Sangam v. The Presiding Officer and Ors ., : "23. Though under the Vakalat, an Advocate is authorised to appear and defend the proceeding, has the duty to represent the proceedings, a Party to the lis cannot fix responsibility on the clerk. The brief is not in held in trust, by the advocate's clerk. Neither the Civil Rules of Practice nor the rules framed by the High Court to regulate the registration of recognized clerk and communicated to the lower courts, enable the pleader's clerk to file an affidavit on behalf of the litigant. Where the Advocate's clerk, has committed a bona fide or inadvertent mistake or there is an accidental omission, or typographical error in a pleading by the typist engaged by the pleader in his office, it is the litigant or the pleader, to file an affidavit, explaining the reasons for the said mistake, on the basis of his personal knowledge, or information, as to the facts pleaded. There cannot be any extens....
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....itional new information or put forth any original fact. That is the only extent to which such an exception may be made. Since the Rules made by different High Courts have to be in conformity with Order XIX of the CPC, which broadly deals with affidavits, this exception envisaged in the Orissa High Court Rules is restricted in its use. In all cases arising out of the original jurisdiction of the Court, including any other matter which does not fall under the categories expressly provided for in the proviso to Rule 4(iii), the question of an affidavit being filed by an advocate's clerk is impermissible and perverse. When a rule provides for an exception, it has to be strictly construed and cannot be diluted. 12. Furthermore, a perusal of Rule 14 and Rule 15 of the Orissa High Court Rules which lays down how an affidavit is to be framed by the declarant, the Court while accepting the affidavit of a declarant casts a strict responsibility on them to make certain disclosures to ensure that the facts, statements, etc. contained in the affidavit are based on personal knowledge or on belief which can be traced back to its sources. Even then, the affidavit will be subject to Rule 26. G....