This proviso is inserted obviously to ensure that the parties will not unduly prolong the litigation and they are diligent in pursuing the litigation. Therefore, an application for amendment of pleadings filed after commencement of the trial needs to be considered keeping in view the above salutary purpose for which the proviso is inserted. In the written statement, the petitioner averred that he never executed the suit promissory notes in favour of the plaintiff at any point of time, that he never made part payments under the suit promissory notes and that he never endorsed on the backside of the two promissory notes. He has also specifically pleaded that the signatures contained in the promissory notes and payment endorsements are not his signatures and that the suit promissory notes are rank forgery. He has also stated that he has not received any amount under the two suit promissory notes at any point of time. By these pleadings, the petitioner specifically denied the execution of suit promissory notes as well as making of the two alleged endorsements by him besides denying his signatures on the suit promissory notes and alleging that the suit pronotes are rank forgeries. In the face of these averments, this Court is unable to comprehend as to the necessity of the petitioner to file an additional written statement with respect to the alleged endorsements and the purported alterations. If the petitioner has noticed during the cross-examination of the respondent that there were any material alterations at column No.12 and insertion of the signatures of the attestors before filing of the suit, nothing would have prevented him from eliciting these aspects from the evidence of P.W.1 in her cross-examination. The petitioner is silent as to whether any attempt was made by him to elicit answers on these features from P.W.1. In addition to cross-examining P.W.1 on these aspects, the petitioner has an opportunity of adducing his oral evidence wherein he can also bring out the features, which he allegedly noticed during the cross-examination of P.W.1. On these facts, this Court is of the opinion that the application filed for amendment of written statement is a mere ploy or subterfuge evidently to drag on the suit proceedings. Though the lower Court has dismissed the application for different reasons, this Court is of the opinion that there is no necessity for the petitioner to seek amendment of the written statement.

This proviso is inserted obviously to ensure that the parties will not unduly prolong the litigation and they are diligent in pursuing the litigation. Therefore, an application for amendment of pleadings filed after commencement of the trial needs to be considered keeping in view the above salutary purpose for which the proviso is inserted. In the written statement, the petitioner averred that he never executed the suit promissory notes in favour of the plaintiff at any point of time, that he never made part payments under the suit promissory notes and that he never endorsed on the backside of the two promissory notes. He has also specifically pleaded that the signatures contained in the promissory notes and payment endorsements are not his signatures and that the suit promissory notes are rank forgery. He has also stated that he has not received any amount under the two suit promissory notes at any point of time. By these pleadings, the petitioner specifically denied the execution of suit promissory notes as well as making of the two alleged endorsements by him besides denying his signatures on the suit promissory notes and alleging that the suit pronotes are rank forgeries. In the face of these averments, this Court is unable to comprehend as to the necessity of the petitioner to file an additional written statement with respect to the alleged endorsements and the purported alterations. If the petitioner has noticed during the cross-examination of the respondent that there were any material alterations at column No.12 and insertion of the signatures of the attestors before filing of the suit, nothing would have prevented him from eliciting these aspects from the evidence of P.W.1 in her cross-examination. The petitioner is silent as to whether any attempt was made by him to elicit answers on these features from P.W.1. In addition to cross-examining P.W.1 on these aspects, the petitioner has an opportunity of adducing his oral evidence wherein he can also bring out the features, which he allegedly noticed during the cross-examination of P.W.1. On these facts, this Court is of the opinion that the application filed for amendment of written statement is a mere ploy or subterfuge evidently to drag on the suit proceedings. Though the lower Court has dismissed the application for different reasons, this Court is of the opinion that there is no necessity for the petitioner to seek amendment of the written statement.

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