Important Legal Definitions
Explore legal terms, clear definitions and practical examples.
Substituted Service (Order V Rule 20 CPC)
Civil Procedure & Litigation Mechanics
Definition
An alternative mode of serving court summons permitted when the court is satisfied that the defendant is intentionally keeping out of the way to evade service, carried out by affixing a copy on the court board, on the defendant's last known house, or through newspaper publication.
Example
Where process servers repeatedly report that a debtor's residential premises in Chennai are permanently locked to evade summons, the City Civil Court orders substituted service by publishing the summons in a widely circulated Tamil daily newspaper.