CPC 48A — Attachment of salary or allowances of private employees

Code of Civil Procedure, 1908

Statutory text

[48A.  Attachment  of  salary  or  allowances  of  private  employees.—(1)Where  the  property  to  be
attached is the salary or allowances of an employee other than an employee to whom rule 48 applies, the
Court, where the disbursing officer of the employee is within the local limits of the Court’s jurisdiction,
may order than the amount shall, subject to the provision of section 60, be withheld from such salary or
allowances either in one payment or by monthly instalments as the Court may direct; and upon notice of
the order to such disbursing officer, such disbursing officer shall remit to the court the amount due under the order, or the monthly instalments, as the case may be.
(2) Where the attachable portion of such salary or allowances is already being withheld or remitted to
the  Court  in  pursuance  of  a  previous  and  unsatisfied  order  of  attachment,  the  disbursing  officer  shall
forthwith return the subsequent order to the Court issuing it with a full statement of all the particulars of the existing attachment.
(3)  Every  order  made  under  this  rule,  unless  it  is  returned  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of sub-rule  (2), shall,  without  further  notice  or  other  process,  hind  the  employer  while  the  judgment-
debtors, is within the local limits to which this Code for the time being extends and while he is beyond those-limits, if he is in receipt of salary or allowances payable out of the funds of an employer in any part of India, and the employer shall be liable for any sum paid in contravention of this rule.]
49.  Attachment  of  partnership  property.—(1)  Save  as  otherwise  provided  by  this  rule,  property
belonging  to  a  partnership  shall  not  be  attached  or  sold  in  execution  of  a  decree  other  than  a  decree passed against the firm or against the partners in the firm as such.
(2)  The  Court  may,  on  the  application  of  the  holder  of  a  decree  against  a  partner,  make  an  order
charging the interest of such partner in the partnership property, and profits with payment of the amount due
under the decree, and may, by the same or a subsequent order, appoint a receiver of the share of such partner
in the profits (whether already declared or accruing) and of any other money which may be coming to him in
respect of the partnership, and direct accounts and inquiries and make an order for the sale of such interest or
other orders as might have been directed or made if a charge had been made in favour of the decree holder by such partner, or as the circumstances of the case may require.
(3) The other partner or partners shall be at liberty at any time to redeem the interest charged or, in the case of a sale being directed, to purchase the same.

(4) Every  application for  an  order  under  sub-rule  (2) shall  be  served  on  the judgment-debtor  and  on
his partners or such of them as are within

[India].
(5) Every application made by any partner of the judgment-debtor under sub-rule (3) shall be served on the decree-holder and on the judgment-debtor, and on such of the other partners as do not join in the
application and as are within

[India].
(6) Service under sub-rule (4) or sub-rule (5) shall be deemed to be service on all the partners and all orders made on such applications shall be similarly served.
50.  Execution  of  decree  against  firm.—(1)  Where  a  decree  has  been  passed  against  a  firm, execution may be granted—
(a) against any property of the partnership;
(b) against any person who has appeared in his own name under rule 6 or rule 7 of Order XXX or
who has admitted on the pleadings that he is, or who has been adjudged to be, a partner;
(c) against any person who has been individually served as a partner with a summons and has
failed to appear:
Provided that nothing in this sub-rule shall be deemed to limit or otherwise affect the provisions of

[section 30 of the Indian Partnership Act, 1932 (9 of 1932)].
(2)  Where  the  decree-holder  claims  to  be  entitled  to cause  the  decree  to  be  executed  against  any person other than such a person as is referred to in sub-rule (1), clauses (b) and (c), as being a partner in
the  firm,  he  may,  apply  to  the  Court  which  passed  the  decree  for  leave,  and  where  the  liability  is  not
disputed, such court may grant such leave, or, where such liability is disputed, may order that the liability
of  such  person  be  tried  and  determined  in  any  manner  in  which  any  issue  in  a  suit  may  be  tried  and determined.
(3) Where the liability of any person has been tried and determined under sub-rule (2), the order made
thereon shall have the same force and be subject to the same conditions as to appeal or otherwise as if it were a decree.
(4) Save as against any property of the partnership, a decree against a firm shall not lease, render liable or otherwise affect any partner therein unless he has been served with a summons to appear and answer.

[(5) Nothing in this rule shall apply to a decree passed against a Hindu Undivided Family by virtue of the provisions of rule 10 of Order XXX.]

51.  Attachment  of  negotiable  instruments.—Where  the  property  is  a  negotiable  instrument  not
deposited in a Court, not in the custody of a public officer, the attachment shall be made by actual seizure, and the instrument shall be brought into Court and held subject to further orders of the Court.
52.  Attachment  of  property  in  custody  of  Court  or  public  officer.—Where  the  property  to  be
attached is in the custody of any Court or public officer, the attachment shall be made by a notice to such
Court  or  officer,  requesting  that  such  property,  and  any  interest  or  dividend  becoming  payable  thereon,
may be held subject to the further orders of the Court from which the notice is issued:
Provided  that,  where  such  property  is  in  the  custody  of  a  Court,  any  question  of  title  or  priority arising  between  the  decree-holder  and  any  other  person,  not  being  the  judgment-debtor,  claiming  to  be
interested  in  such  property  by  virtue  of  any  assignment,  attachment  or  otherwise,  shall  be  determined by such Court.
53.  Attachment  of  decrees.—(1)  Where  the  property  to  be  attached  is  a  decree,  either  for  the payment of money or for sale in enforcement of a mortgage or charge, the attachment shall be made,—
(a) if the decrees were passed by the same Court, then by Order of such Court, and

(b)  if  the  decree  sought  to  be  attached  was  passed  by  another  Court,  then  by  the  issue  to  such
other  Court  of  a  notice  by  the  Court  which  passed  the  decree  sought  to  be  executed,  requesting  such other Court to stay the execution of its decree unless and until—
(i) the court which passed the decree sought to be executed cancels the notice, or

[(ii) (a) the holder of the decree sought to be executed, or
(b)  his  judgment-debtor  with  the  previous  consent  in writing  of  such  decree-holder,  or  with  the
permission of the attaching Court, applies to the Court receiving such notice to execute the attached decree.]
(2) Where  a  Court  makes  an  order  under clause  (a)  of  sub-rule  (1),  or receives an  application  under sub-head (ii) of clause (b) of the said sub-rule, it shall, on the application of the creditor who has attached the decree or his judgment-debtor, proceeds to execute the attached decree and apply the net proceeds in satisfaction of the decree sought to be executed.
(3)  The  holder  of  a  decree  sought  to  be  executed  by  the  attachment  of  another  of  decree  the  nature specified in sub-rule (1) shall be deemed to be the representative of the holder of the attached decree and to be entitled to execute such attached decree in any manner lawful for the holder thereof.
(4) Where the property to be attached in the execution of a decree is a decree other than a decree of the nature referred to in sub-rule (1), the attachment shall be made, by a notice by the Court which passed
the decree sought to be executed, to the holder of the decree sought to be attached, prohibiting him from
transferring or charging the same in any way, and, where such decree has been passed by any other Court,
also  by  sending  to  such  other  Court  a  notice  to  abstain  from  executing  the  decree  sought  to  be  attached until such notice is cancelled by the Court from which it was sent.
(5)  The  holder  of  a  decree  attached  under  this  rule  shall  give  the  Court  executing  the  decree  such information and aid as may reasonably be required.
(6)  On  the  application  of  the  holder  of  a  decree  sought  to  be  executed  by  the  attachment  of  another
decree,  the  Court  making  an  order  of  attachment  under  this  rule  shall  give  notice  of  such  order  to  the judgment-debtor  bound  by  the  decree  attached;  and  no  payment  or  adjustment  of  the  attached  decree made by the judgment-debtor in contravention of such order

[with knowledge thereof or] after receipt of
notice  thereof,  either  through  the  Court  or  otherwise,  shall  be  recognized  by  any  Court  so  long  as  the attachment remains in force.
54. Attachment  of  immovable  property.—(1)  Where  the  property  is  immovable,  the  attachment shall be made by an order prohibiting the judgment-debtor from transferring or  charging the property in any way, and all persons from taking any benefit from such transfer of charge.

[(1A)  The  order  shall  also  require  the  judgment-debtor to  attend  Court  on  a  specified  date  to  take notice of the date to be fixed for settling the terms of the proclamation of sale.]
(2) The order shall be proclaimed at some place on or adjacent to such property by beat of drum or other
customary  mode,  and  a  copy  of  the  order  shall  be  affixed  on  a  conspicuous  part  of  the  property  and  then upon,  a  conspicuous  part  of  the  Court-house,  and  also,  where  the  property  is  land  paying  revenue  to  the
Government, in the office of the Collector of the district in which the land is situate

[and, where the property
is  land  situate  in  a  village,  also  in  the  office  of  the  Gram  Panchayat,  if  any,  having  jurisdiction  over  that village.]
55. Removal of attachment after satisfaction of decree.—Where—
(a) the amount decreed with costs and all charges and expenses resulting from the attachment of any
property are paid into Court, or
(b) satisfaction of the decree is otherwise made through the Court or certified to the Court, or
(c) the decree is set aside or reversed,
the attachment shall be deemed to be withdrawn, and, in the case of immovable property, the withdrawal shall,  if  the  judgment-debtor  so  desires,  be  proclaimed  at  his  expense,  and  a  copy  of  the  proclamation
shall be affixed in the manner prescribed by the last preceding r ule.

56.  Order  for  payment  of  coin  or  currency  notes  to party  entitled  under  decree.—Where the
property attached is current coin or currency notes, the Court may, at any time during the continuance of
the  attachment,  direct  that  such  coin  or  notes,  or a  part  thereof  sufficient  to  satisfy  the  decree,  be  paid over to the party entitled under the decree to receive the same.

[57. Determination  of  attachment.—(1) Where  any  property  has  been  attached  in  execution  of  a
decree and the Court, for any reason, passes an order dismissing the application for the execution of the
decree, the  Court  shall  direct  whether the attachment shall  continue  or cease and  shall also  indicate the period up to which such attachment shall continue or the date on which such attachment shall cease.
(2) If the Court omits to give such direction, the attachment shall be deemed to have ceased.]

[Adjudication of claims and objections

58. Adjudication of claims to or objections to attachment of, property.—(1) Where any claim is
preferred to, or any objection is made to the attachment of, any property attached in execution of a decree
on  the  ground  that  such  property  is  not  liable  to  such  attachment,  the  Court  shall  proceed  to  adjudicate
upon the claim or objection in accordance with the provisions herein contained:
Provided that no such, claim or objection shall be entertained—
(a) where,  before  the  claim  is  preferred  or  objection  is  made,  the  property  attached  has  already
been sold; or
(b) where the Court considers that the claim or objection was designedly or unnecessarily delayed.
(2) All questions (including questions relating to right, title or interest in the property attached) arising
between the parties to a proceeding or their representatives under this rule and relevant to the adjudication of
the  claim  or  objection,  shall  be  determined  by  the Court  dealing  with  the  claim  or  objection  and  not  by  a separate suit.
(3) Upon the determination of the questions referred to in sub-rule (2), the Court shall, in accordance with such determination,—
(a) allow the claim or objection and release the property from attachment either wholly or to such
extent as it thinks fit; or
(b) disallow the claim or objection; or
(c) continue  the  attachment  subject  to  any  mortgage,  charge  or  other  interest  in  favour  of  any
person; or
(d) pass such order as in the circumstances of the case it deems fit.
(4) Where any claim or objection has been adjudicated upon under this rule, order made thereon shall have the same force and be subject to the same conditions as to appeal or otherwise as if it were a decree.
(5) Where a claim or an objection is preferred and the Court, under the proviso to sub-rule (I), refuses
to entertain it, the party against whom such order is made may institute a suit to establish the right which
he claims to the property in dispute; but, subject to the result of such
-
suit, if any, an order so refusing to entertain the claim or objection shall be conclusive.
59.  Stay  of  sale.—Where  before  the  claim  was  preferred  or  the  objection  was  made,  the  property attached had already been advertised for sale, the Court may—
(a) if the property is movable, make an order postponing the sale pending the adjudication of the
claim or objection, or
(b) if  the  property  is  immovable,  make  an  order  that,  pending  the  adjudication  of  the  claim  or
objection, the property shall not be sold, or that pending such adjudication, the property may be sold
but the sale shall not be confirmed,
and any such order may be made subject to such terms and conditions as to security or otherwise as the Court thinks fit.]
60.  [Release  of  property  from  attachment.] Omitted  by  the  Code  of  Civil  Procedure  (Amendment)
Act, 1976 (104 of 1976), s. 72 (w.e.f. 1-2-1977).
61. [Disallowance of claim to property attached.] omitted by s. 72, ibid. (w.e.f. 1-2-1977).
62. [Continuance of attachment subject to claim of incumbrancer.] omitted by s. 72, ibid. (w.e.f. 1-2-
1977).
63. [Saving of suits to establish right to attached property.] omitted by s. 72, ibid. (w.e.f. 1-2-1977).]

64. Power to order property attached to be sold and proceeds to be paid to person entitled.—Any
Court  executing  a  decree  may  order  that  any  property  attached  by  it  and  liable  to  sale,  or  such  portion
thereof  as  may  see  necessary  to  satisfy  the  decree,  shall  be  sold,  and  that  the  proceeds  of  such  sale,  or  a sufficient portion thereof, shall be paid to the party entitled under the decree to receive the same.
65. Sales  by  whom  conducted  and  how  made.—save as  otherwise  prescribed,  every  sale  in
execution of a decree shall be conducted by an officer of the Court or by such other person as the Court may appoint in this behalf, and shall be made by public auction in manner prescribed.
66.  Proclamation  of  sales  by  public  auction.—(1) Where  any  property  is  ordered  to  be  sold  by
public  auction  in  execution  of  a  decree,  the  Court shall  cause  a  proclamation  of  the  intended  sale  to be made in the language of such Court.
(2) Such  proclamation  shall  be  drawn  up  after  notice  to  the  decree-holder  and  the  judgment-debtor and shall state the time and place of sale, and specify as fairly and accurately as possible—
(a)  the  property  to  be  sold

[or,  where  a  part  of  the  property  would  be  sufficient  to  satisfy  the
decree, such part];
(b) the revenue assessed upon the estate or past of the estate, where the property to be sold is an
interest in an estate or in part of an estate paying revenue to the Government;
(c) any incumbrance to which the property is liable;
(d) the amount for the recovery of which the sale is ordered; and
(e) every other thing which the Court considers material for a purchaser to know in order to judge
of the nature and value of the property:

[Provided that where notice of the date for settling the terms of the proclamation has been given to the judgment-debtor by means of an order under rule 54, it shall not be necessary to give notice under this rule to the judgment-debtor unless the Court otherwise directs:
Provided  further  that  nothing  in  this  rule  shall  be  construed  as  requiring  the  Court  to  enter  in  the
proclamation of sale its own estimate of the value of the property, but the proclamation shall include the estimate, if any, given, by either or both of the Parties.
 (3) Every application for an order for sale under this rule shall be accompanied by a statement signed
and  verified  in  the  manner  hereinbefore  prescribed for  the  signing  and  verification  of  pleadings  and
containing,  so  far  as  they  are  known  to  or  can  be  ascertained  by  the  person  making  the  varification, the matters required by sub-rule (2) to be specified in the proclamation.
(4) For  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  the  matters  to  be  specified  in  the  proclamation,  the  Court  may
summon  any  person  whom  it  thinks  necessary  to  summon  and  may  examine  him  in  respect to  any  such matters and require him to produce any document in his possession or power relating thereto.
67. Mode of making proclamation.—(1) Every proclamation shall be made and published, as nearly as may be, in the manner prescribed by rule 54, sub-rule (2).
(2) Where the Court so directs, such proclamation shall also be published in the Official Gazette or in a local newspaper, or in both, and the costs of such publication shall be deemed to be costs of the sale.
(3) Where property is divided into lots for the purpose of being sold separately, it shall not be necessary
to  make  a  separate  proclamation  for  each  lot,  unless  proper  notice  of  the  sale  cannot,  in the  opinion of the Court, otherwise be given.

68. Time of sale.—Save in the case of property of the kind described in the proviso to rule 43, no sale hereunder  shall,  without  the  consent  in  writing  of the  judgment-debtor,  take  place  until  after  the
expiration of at least

[fifteen days] in the case of immovable property, and of at least

[seven days] in the
case  of  movable  property,  calculated  from  the  date on  which  the  copy  of  the  proclamation  has  been affixed on the court-house of the Judge ordering the sale.
69.  Adjournment  or  stoppage  of  sale.—(1) The  Court  may,  in  its  discretion,  adjourn  any  sale
hereunder  to  a  specified  day  and  hour,  and  the  officer  conducting  any  such  sale  may  in  his  discretion
adjourn the sale, recording his reasons for such adjournment :
Provided  that,  where  the  sale  is  made  in,  or  within  the  precincts  of,  the  court-house,  no  such adjournment shall be made without the leave of the Court.
(2)  Where  a  sale  is  adjourned  under  sub-rule  (1)  for  a  longer  period  than

[thirty]  days  afresh proclamation under rule 67 shall be made, unless the judgment-debtor consents to waive it.
(3)  Every  sale shall  be  stopped  if,  before  the lot  is  knocked  down,  the debt  and  costs  (including  the
costs of the sale) are tendered to the officer conducting the sale, or proof is given to his satisfaction that the amount of such debt and costs has been paid into the Court which ordered the sale.
70.  [Saving of certain sales.] Omitted by the Code of Civil Procedure (Amendment) Act, 1956 (66 of
1956), s. 14 (w.e.f. 1-1-1957).
71.  Defaulting  purchaser  answerable  for  loss  on  re-sale.—Any deficiency  of  price  which  may happen on a re-sale by reason of the purchaser's default, and all expenses attending such re-sale, shall be
certified  to  the  Court

***  by  the  officer  or  other  person  holding  the  sale,  and  shall,  at  the  instance  of either  the  decree-holder  or  the  judgment-debtor,  be  recoverable  from  the  defaulting  purchaser  under  the provisions relating to the execution of a decree for the payment of money.
72. Decree holder not to bid for or buy property without permission.—(1) No holder of a decree
in  execution  of  which  property  is  sold  shall,  without  the  express  permission  of  the  Court,  bid  for  or purchase the property.
(2) Where  decree-holder  purchases,  amount  of  decree  may  be  taken  as  payment.—Where a decree-holder  purchases  with  such  permission,  the  purchase-money  and  the  amount  due  on  the  decree
may,  subject  to  the  provisions  of  section  73,  be set  off  against  one  another, and the  Court  executing the decree shall enter up satisfaction of the decree in whole or in part accordingly.
 (3)  Where  a  decree-holder  purchases,  by  himself  or  through  another  person,  without  such  permission, the Court may, if it thinks fit, on the application of the judgment-debtor or any other person whose interests
are  affected  by  the  sale,  by  order  set  aside  the  sale;  and  the  costs  of  such  application  and  order,  and  any deficiency of price which may happen on the re-sale and all expenses attending it, shall be paid by the decree-
holder.

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