Vidyabai & Ors vs Padmalatha & Anr

The Supreme Court addressed the issue of whether pleadings can be amended after the hearing of a case has commenced, specifically under Order VI Rule 17 of the Code of Civil Procedure. The Court held that while amendments can be made at any stage, they should not introduce an entirely new case or cause prejudice to the other party. The High Court's dismissal of the amendment application was upheld, emphasizing that the defendants had prior knowledge of the facts they sought to introduce, thus the amendment was not permissible.