The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ruled that litigants cannot blame lawyers for negligence to escape responsibility. Justice Nidhi Gupta dismissed a regular second appeal in a 26-year-old land dispute, observing that the appellants had pursued their case “with utmost casualness.” She noted that restoring the matter at this stage would cause “grave injustice to the respondents.”
The case began in 2010 when the appellants filed a civil suit challenging a General Power of Attorney (1999), a sale deed (2000), and a mutation (2008). They also sought possession and a permanent injunction. However, the suit was dismissed in 2016 due to default. Applications for restoration in 2016 and 2017 were also dismissed. Appeals before the Civil Judge, the Additional District Judge, and even the High Court in 2024 met the same fate.
In the latest proceedings, the appellants argued that their counsel failed to inform them, leading to repeated dismissals. Justice Gupta rejected this reasoning, stressing that it is the duty of litigants to pursue cases diligently. She ruled that no sufficient cause was shown to revive the matter and dismissed the appeal with all pending applications.
