Where the defendant resides within the jurisdiction of the Court in which the suit is instituted, or has an agent resident within that jurisdiction who is empowered to accept the service of the summons, the summons shall, unless the Court otherwise directs, be delivered or sent to the proper officer to be served by him or one of his subordinates or to such courier services as are approved by the Court.

The proper officer may be an officer of a Court other than that in which the suit is instituted, and, where he is such an officer, the summons may be sent to him by post or in such other manner as the Court may direct.

The services of summons may be made by delivering or transmitting a copy thereof by registered post acknowledgment due, addressed to the defendant or his agent empowered to accept the service or by speed post or by such courier services as are approved by the High Court or by the Court referred to in sub-rule (!) or by any other means of transmission of documents (including fax message or electronic mail service) provided by the rules made by the High Court:

Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-rule (1), where a defendant resides outside the jurisdiction of the Court in which the suit is instituted, and the Court directs that the service of summons on that defendant may be made by such mode of service of dsummons as is referred to in sub-rule (3)(except by registered post acknowledgment due), the provisions of rule 21 shall not apply.

When aan acknowledgment or any other receipt purporting to be signed by the defendant or his agent is received by the Court or postal article containing the summons is received back by the Court with an endorsement purporting to have been made by a postal employee or by any person authorised by the courier service to the effect that the defendant or his agent had refused to take delivery of the postal article containing the summons or had refused to accept the summons by any other means specified in sub-rule (3) when tendered or transmitted to him, the Court issuing the summons shall declare that the summons had been duly served on the defendant: Provided that where the summons was properly addressed, pre-paid and duly sent by registered post acknowledgment due, the declaration referred to in this sub-rule shall be made nothwithstanding the fact that the acknowledgment having been lost or mislaid, or for nay other reason, has not been received by the Court within thirty days from the date of issue of summons.

The High Court or the District Judge, as the case may be, shall prepare a panel or courier agencies for the purposes of sub-rule (1).

9A. Summons given to the plaintiff for service.-

The Court may, in addition -to the service of summons under rule 9, on the application of the plaintiff for the issue of a summons for the appearance of the defendant, permit such plaintiff to effect service of such summons on such defendant and shall, in such a case, deliver the summons to such plaintiff for service.

The service of such summons shall be effected by or on behalf of such plaintiff by delivering or tendering to the defendant personally a copy thereof signed by the Judge or such officer of the Court as he may appoint in this behalf and sealed with the seal of the Court or by such mode of service as is referred to in sub-rule (3) of rule 9.

The provisions of rules 16 and 18 shall apply to a summons personally served under this rule as if the person effecting service were a serving officer.

If such summons, when tendered, is refused or if the person served refuses to sign an acknowledgment of service or for any reason such summons cannot be served personally, the Court shall, on the application of the party, re- issue such summons to be served by the Court in the same manner as a summons to a defendant.

High Court Amendments-[Allahabad].-Add the following as sub-rule (3) to rule 9- "(3) In lieu of, or in addition to, the procedure indicated in sub-rule (1), such summonsmay be served by sending it by registered post addressed to the defendant at the place where he resides or carries on business or works for gain or to the agent at the place where he resides. Unless the cover is returned undelivered by the Post Office on account of want of proper address or any other sufficient reason, the summons may be deemed to have been delivered to the addressee at the time when it should have reached him in the ordinary course."-(29-3-1958 and 14-4-1962). [Andhra Pradesh].-Same as that of Kerala. [Kerala].-Add the following after rule 9(2): "(3) Where the defendant resides in India, whether within the jurisdiction of the Court in which the suit is instituted or not, the Court may direct the proper officer to cause a summons under this Order to be addressed to the defendant at the place where he ordinarily resides, or carries on business or works for gain and sent to him by registered post, prepaid for acknowledgment. An acknowledgment purporting to be signed by the defendant shall be deemed to be sufficient proof of service of such summons."-(9-6-1959). [N.B.-These High Court Amendments relate to the provisions as existed before the 2002 Amendment Act.]

Where the defendant resides within the jurisdiction of the Court in which the suit is instituted, or has an agent resident within that jurisdiction who is empowered to accept the service of the summons, the summons shall, unless the Court otherwise directs, be delivered or sent to the proper officer to be served by him or one of his subordinates or to such courier services as are approved by the Court.

The proper officer may be an officer of a Court other than that in which the suit is instituted, and, where he is such an officer, the summons may be sent to him by post or in such other manner as the Court may direct.

The services of summons may be made by delivering or transmitting a copy thereof by registered post acknowledgment due, addressed to the defendant or his agent empowered to accept the service or by speed post or by such courier services as are approved by the High Court or by the Court referred to in sub-rule (!) or by any other means of transmission of documents (including fax message or electronic mail service) provided by the rules made by the High Court:

Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-rule (1), where a defendant resides outside the jurisdiction of the Court in which the suit is instituted, and the Court directs that the service of summons on that defendant may be made by such mode of service of dsummons as is referred to in sub-rule (3)(except by registered post acknowledgment due), the provisions of rule 21 shall not apply.

When aan acknowledgment or any other receipt purporting to be signed by the defendant or his agent is received by the Court or postal article containing the summons is received back by the Court with an endorsement purporting to have been made by a postal employee or by any person authorised by the courier service to the effect that the defendant or his agent had refused to take delivery of the postal article containing the summons or had refused to accept the summons by any other means specified in sub-rule (3) when tendered or transmitted to him, the Court issuing the summons shall declare that the summons had been duly served on the defendant: Provided that where the summons was properly addressed, pre-paid and duly sent by registered post acknowledgment due, the declaration referred to in this sub-rule shall be made nothwithstanding the fact that the acknowledgment having been lost or mislaid, or for nay other reason, has not been received by the Court within thirty days from the date of issue of summons.

The High Court or the District Judge, as the case may be, shall prepare a panel or courier agencies for the purposes of sub-rule (1).

9A. Summons given to the plaintiff for service.-

The Court may, in addition -to the service of summons under rule 9, on the application of the plaintiff for the issue of a summons for the appearance of the defendant, permit such plaintiff to effect service of such summons on such defendant and shall, in such a case, deliver the summons to such plaintiff for service.

The service of such summons shall be effected by or on behalf of such plaintiff by delivering or tendering to the defendant personally a copy thereof signed by the Judge or such officer of the Court as he may appoint in this behalf and sealed with the seal of the Court or by such mode of service as is referred to in sub-rule (3) of rule 9.

The provisions of rules 16 and 18 shall apply to a summons personally served under this rule as if the person effecting service were a serving officer.

If such summons, when tendered, is refused or if the person served refuses to sign an acknowledgment of service or for any reason such summons cannot be served personally, the Court shall, on the application of the party, re- issue such summons to be served by the Court in the same manner as a summons to a defendant.

High Court Amendments-[Allahabad].-Add the following as sub-rule (3) to rule 9- "(3) In lieu of, or in addition to, the procedure indicated in sub-rule (1), such summonsmay be served by sending it by registered post addressed to the defendant at the place where he resides or carries on business or works for gain or to the agent at the place where he resides. Unless the cover is returned undelivered by the Post Office on account of want of proper address or any other sufficient reason, the summons may be deemed to have been delivered to the addressee at the time when it should have reached him in the ordinary course."-(29-3-1958 and 14-4-1962). [Andhra Pradesh].-Same as that of Kerala. [Kerala].-Add the following after rule 9(2): "(3) Where the defendant resides in India, whether within the jurisdiction of the Court in which the suit is instituted or not, the Court may direct the proper officer to cause a summons under this Order to be addressed to the defendant at the place where he ordinarily resides, or carries on business or works for gain and sent to him by registered post, prepaid for acknowledgment. An acknowledgment purporting to be signed by the defendant shall be deemed to be sufficient proof of service of such summons."-(9-6-1959). [N.B.-These High Court Amendments relate to the provisions as existed before the 2002 Amendment Act.]