RAM NATH SAO @ RAM NATH SAHU ANDORS vs GOBARDHAN SAO

The Supreme Court upheld the decision of the Jharkhand High Court which dismissed the defendants' appeal in a partition suit due to abatement caused by the death of several appellants without timely substitution of their legal representatives. The Court emphasized that while the appeal of appellant No. 2 did not abate due to the presence of his heirs on record, the appeals of the other deceased appellants were rightly dismissed as the delay in filing substitution applications was not adequately justified. The Court reiterated the importance of adhering to procedural timelines in civil appeals, particularly in matters involving multiple parties and complex family relations.