CPC Section 20: Other suits to be instituted where defendants reside or cause of action arises
Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 · Part 1: Suits in General
20. Other suits to be instituted where defendants reside or cause of action arises.—Subject to the limitations aforesaid, every suit shall be instituted in a Court within the local limits of whose jurisdiction—
(a) the defendant, or each of the defendants where there are more than one, at the time of the commencement of the suit, actually and voluntarily resides, or carries on business, or personally works for gain; or
(b) any of the defendants, where there are more than one, at the time of the commencement of the suit, actually and voluntarily resides, or carries on business, or personally works for gain, provided that in such case either the leave of the Court is given, or the defendants who do not reside, or carry on business, or personally works for gain, as aforesaid, acquiesce in such institution; or
(c) The cause of action, wholly or in part, arises. * * * * * [Explanation].—A corporation shall be deemed to carry on business at its sole or principal office in [India] or, in respect of any cause of action arising at any place where it has also a subordinate office, at such place. Illustrations
(a) A is a tradesman in Calcutta, B carries on business in Delhi. B, by his agent in Calcutta, buys goods of A and requests A to deliver them to the East Indian Railway Company. A delivers the goods accordingly in Calcutta. A may sue B for the price of the goods either in Calcutta, where the cause of action has arisen, or in Delhi, where B carries on business.
(b) A resides at Simla, B at Calcutta and C at Delhi. A, B and C being together at Benaras, B and C make a joint promissory note payable on demand, and deliver it to A. A may sue B and C at Benaras, where the cause of action arose. He may also sue them at Calcutta, where B resides, or at Delhi, where C resides but in each of these cases, if the non-resident defendant objects, the suit cannot proceed without the leave of the Court.
Official reference: Government reference hosted by Andhra Pradesh High Court — checked: 1 October 2026.Banaka editorial consolidation of the general central text, with the 2025 postal-service amendments applied. Not an official or certified edition. State/High Court variations, commercial-dispute modifications and prescribed Appendix forms are not consolidated here; consult the source and applicable court rules. Hindi learning guides are original explanations, not a statutory translation.Read the original schedule and amendment notes
This text is for reference, not legal advice. Consult the official source for the authoritative text.
Other sections in this chapter
- 9. Courts to try all civil suits unless barred
- 10. Stay of suit
- 11. Res judicata
- 12. Bar to further suit
- 13. When foreign judgment not conclusive
- 14. Presumption as to foreign judgments
- 15. Court in which suits to be instituted
- 16. Suits to be instituted where subject-matter situate
- 17. Suits for immovable property situate within jurisdiction of different Courts
- 18. Place of Institution of suit where local limits of jurisdiction of Courts are uncertain
- 19. Suits for compensation for wrongs to person or movables
- 21. Objections to jurisdiction
- 21A. Bar on suit to set aside decree on objection as to place of suing
- 22. Power to transfer suits which may be instituted in more than one Court
- 23. To what Court application lies
- 24. General power of transfer and withdrawal
- 25. Power of Supreme Court to transfer suits, etc
- 26. Institution of suits
- 27. Summons to defendants
- 28. Service of summons where defendant resides in another State
- 29. Service of foreign summonses
- 30. Power to order discovery and the like
- 31. Summons to witness
- 32. Penalty for default
- 33. Judgment and decree
- 34. Interest
- 35. Costs
- 35A. Compensatory costs in respect of false or vexatious claims or defences
- 35B. Costs for causing delay