In a first, court to send summons via WhatsApp

CHANDIGARH: With technology revolutionising communication, a financial commissioner (FC) court in Haryana -- a quasi-judicial body -- headed by senior IAS officer Ashok Khemka has ordered that summons in a partition suit be served via WhatsApp.

It is for the first time that this would be done in the country. As of now, summoning process in electronic form is prevalent only through e-mail or fax.

The step will prevent delay in service of summons to opposite parties. Khemka, a senior Haryana bureaucrat who holds the court of financial commissioner to decide disputes related to revenue laws in the state, passed the order while hearing a partition related to three brothers of Aurang Shahpur village of Hisar. Satbir Singh had a dispute with his brothers Ramdiyal and Krishan Kumar over partition of family property in the village.


When the FC issued notice to both brothers seeking their replies in the matter, Ramdiyal received the summons but it could not be served on Krishan as he had shifted to Kathmandu. A report received from local revenue officials stated that Krishan was contacted over his phone but he refused to give his address in Kathmandu.

Khemka observed in the order passed on Thursday, "An email address or a mobile phone number is also the address of a person in the present times." The FC court directed that an image of the summons notice bearing the court's seal be sent to his number and that printout of the delivery report on WhatsApp shall be considered as proof of delivery.