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Friday, 13 November 2026 Judgments, law jobs and study notes, written by a practising advocate
Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 · Order XXXVIII: Arrest And Attachment Before Judgment

Order XXXVIII Rule 3 CPC: Procedure on application by surety to be discharged

Bare Act text

3. Procedure on application by surety to be discharged.—(1) A surety for the appearance of a defendant may at any time apply to the Court in which he became such surety to be discharged from his obligation.

(2) On such application being made, the Court shall summon the defendant to appear or, if it thinks fit, may issue a warrant for his arrest in the first instance.

(3) On the appearance of the defendant in pursuance of the summons or warrant, or on his voluntary surrender, the Court shall direct the surety to be discharged from his obligation, and shall call upon the defendant to find fresh security.

Text of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 (Act No. 5 of 1908), First Schedule, as amended, including the changes for commercial disputes made by the Commercial Courts Act, 2015. Source: India Code, Government of India.

In simple words

A surety for a defendant's appearance may at any time apply to the Court in which he became surety to be discharged. The Court shall then summon the defendant to appear or, if it thinks fit, issue a warrant for his arrest in the first instance. When the defendant appears under the summons or warrant, or surrenders voluntarily, the Court shall discharge the surety and call upon the defendant to find fresh security.

Order XXXVIII: Arrest And Attachment Before Judgment

  1. 1 Where defendant may be called upon to furnish security for appearance
  2. 2 Security
  3. 3 Procedure on application by surety to be discharged
  4. 4 Procedure where defendant fails to furnish security or find fresh security
  5. 5 Where defendant may be called upon to furnish security for production of property
  6. 6 Attachment where cause not shown or security not furnished
  7. 7 Mode of making attachment
  8. 8 Adjudication of claim to property attached before judgment
  9. 9 Removal of attachment when security furnished or suit dismissed
  10. 10 Attachment before judgment not to affect rights of strangers, nor bar decree-holder from applying for sale
  11. 11 Property attached before judgment not to be re-attached in execution of decree
  12. 11A Provisions applicable to attachment
  13. 12 Agricultural produce not attachable before judgment
  14. 13 Small Cause Court not to attach immovable property
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