Desa Singh vs Ajit Singh & Ors

The Supreme Court held that the Punjab and Haryana High Court erred in deciding the merits of a case in the absence of the appellant's representation due to unforeseen circumstances, which included the retirement and death of the appellant's counsel. The Court emphasized that typically, in such situations, the High Court should dismiss the appeal for default rather than proceeding to a substantive decision. Consequently, the Supreme Court set aside the High Court's order and remitted the matter for a fresh hearing on its merits, allowing the appellant to engage new counsel.