Commercial Suit Format for Recovery of Money in Commercial Court
A practical guide to drafting and filing a commercial recovery suit in India, including the Commercial Courts Act, 2015, pre-institution mediation, specified value, pleadings and a detailed sample plaint.
Applicable law and definitions
The Commercial Courts Act, 2015 establishes a special procedure for qualifying commercial disputes. Relevant provisions include:
| Provision | Meaning and application |
|---|---|
| Section 2(1)(c) | Defines a commercial dispute, including specified ordinary transactions of merchants, bankers, financiers and traders, agreements relating to trade and commerce, and other listed categories. A simple label such as investment or recovery does not automatically satisfy the definition. |
| Section 2(1)(i) and Section 12 | Specified value is determined under statutory valuation rules. The statutory threshold is not less than Rs. 3 lakh, subject to applicable notifications and the competent court's jurisdiction. |
| Section 6 | Commercial Courts have jurisdiction over commercial disputes of specified value within their territorial jurisdiction, subject to the Act. |
| Section 12A | Requires pre-institution mediation for a suit that does not contemplate urgent interim relief, following the prescribed procedure. |
| Section 16 and amended CPC | Commercial disputes follow the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 as amended by the Commercial Courts Act, including special rules on pleadings, documents and case management. |
| Order VI Rule 15A CPC | Requires verification of commercial pleadings by a prescribed Statement of Truth, in addition to applicable affidavits and verification. |
| Order XI CPC (commercial disputes) | Governs disclosure, discovery and inspection of documents, with duties to identify and produce relevant records. |
| Section 34 CPC | Regulates interest awarded by the court; the rate must be justified under the contract and applicable law. |
Limitation generally depends on the nature of the claim and when the right to sue accrues. Repeated demands or a later legal notice do not, by themselves, restart limitation. Any reliance on the Supreme Court's COVID-19 limitation-extension orders must be calculated against the actual dates and governing orders.
Pre-institution mediation under Section 12A
Before instituting a qualifying commercial suit that does not contemplate urgent interim relief, the plaintiff ordinarily must pursue the prescribed pre-institution mediation process through the notified authority. If the other party does not participate, the authority may issue a non-starter report. The Supreme Court in Patil Automation Private Limited v. Rakheja Engineers Private Limited treated Section 12A as mandatory for covered suits, subject to the statutory urgent-interim-relief exception.
A mere assertion that interim relief is urgent does not guarantee exemption; the court may examine whether genuine urgent interim relief is contemplated. Preserve the mediation application, notices, non-starter report or settlement report, as applicable.
How to prepare and file a commercial recovery suit
- Check commercial character: Identify the precise category in Section 2(1)(c) and explain how the transaction qualifies. A personal investment or alleged fraudulent money-chain scheme may require an ordinary civil suit or another remedy instead.
- Check jurisdiction and value: Verify specified value, territorial jurisdiction, pecuniary competence and court fees under applicable law.
- Review limitation: State material dates and the applicable limitation provision; assess any legally available exclusion or acknowledgment.
- Complete Section 12A compliance: Where applicable, attach the pre-institution mediation report.
- Prepare pleadings: Include the memo of parties, numbered plaint, cause of action, jurisdiction, valuation, precise reliefs, verification and Statement of Truth.
- Disclose documents: Attach contracts, bank statements, payment proofs, electronic records, notices, mediation papers and other material evidence in accordance with commercial Order XI.
- File through the proper registry: Comply with the court's current filing, affidavit, electronic-record, process-fee and service requirements.
When seeking personal relief against a company director, plead a legally sustainable independent basis for personal liability. Being a managing director does not, without more, automatically make a person personally liable for every corporate debt.
Sample commercial suit plaint for recovery of money
The specimen below retains the substance and factual sequence of the supplied draft. Names, allegations, annexures, figures, dates and legal conclusions are placeholders requiring verification. In particular, the alleged multi-level marketing scheme must first qualify as a commercial dispute before this format is filed in a Commercial Court.
IN THE MATTER OF :-
C.S. (COMMERCIAL) NO.___________/20___________
___________
...PLAINTIFF
VERSUS
_____________
...DEFENDANT
SUIT FOR RECOVERY OF Rs. ___________/- (___________) AS ON DATE, WITH COST,
EXPENSES, PENDENTE LITE AND FUTURE INTEREST @ __% PER ANNUM TILL REALISATION.
MOST RESPECTFULLY SHOWETH:-
1. That the Plaintiff is a Law abiding citizen of India residing at the
aforementioned address described in Memo of Parties above . The Plaintiff has
signed and verified the present plaint and has instituted the present suit as he
is fully conversant with the facts and circumstances of the present suit on the
basis of personal knowledge, records maintained by the Plaintiff and therefore,
competent to depose about the correctness thereof. The copy of the Adhaar Card
of the Plaintiff is annexed herewith as Annexure - A.
2. That Defendant, _____________________________,
is a Company incorporated under the Companies Act., 1956, having its office cum
residence of its Managing Director Mr. ___________. AND also at ___________ and
also its Office at ______________________ acted / represented through its
Managing Director & Authorized Signatory of the Company
_____________________________.
3. That Mr. ___________being the Managing Director of the Defendant Company is
responsible for the day to day affairs of the company.
4. That in the year ___________, the Managing Director of the Defendant Company,
Mr. _____________________________ have approached to Plaintiff for the purposes
of Multilevel Marketing for Money Chain Membership Business of the Defendant
Company's product / schemes and approached Plaintiff that the Defendant Company
have launched various schemes for the investments / membership and assured that
these schemes will fetch attractive profits and incentives and also expensive
gifts including foreign tours etc.
5. That believing upon the assurances and promises of Mr. ___________, the MD of
Defendant Company, the Plaintiff joined the schemes of the Defendant Company and
invested huge money under the ID of ___________ amounting to Rs. ___________/-
(___________) through his Bank transfer in the Defendant Company's accounts.
Besides above, the Plaintiff also invested / paid in cash installments and the
same are also lying with Defendant Company and the Defendant Company did not
refund the same to Plaintiff till now thus the Defendant Company is liable to
refund the same to the Plaintiff herein.
6. That Mr. _____________________________, the MD of the Defendant Company have
represented that the Defendant Company have launched a Software Programme, which
generate Business Volumes (E- Violet) with separate ID account number wherein
the Money and the Returns of the Plaintiff will be credited and the Plaintiff
can withdraw their said E-Violet amount as per his choice. The Defendant have
also provided ID to Plaintiff in the said software as ID number ___________ and
asked Plaintiff to make members and accordingly the Plaintiff made members in
huge numbers and investments through those members, and given business to the
Defendant Company. The Defendant further conducted various functions in Hotels
and in their office and invited the members to said functions and also promised
them to invest their money in Defendant Company and win the foreign tour & other
incentives and returns of business Development Fund on monthly basis as per the
plan / schemes. The Defendant Company boasted very high about their company with
their so called PONZY SCHEME to lure the members including Plaintiffs and
collected crores of rupees and embezzled the said amount for their personal gain
and cheated all the members crores of rupees. The Defendant have further issued
fake cheques of their closed bank accounts and the said cheques were dishonored
and the said members were compelled to file complaints under 138 Negotiable
Act., in various courts of competent jurisdictions. Further, the Defendant
avoided to give any cheques to large number of members and eaten up their money
under the said PONZY SCHEMES.
7. That Plaintiff states that suddenly in ___________, the Defendant closed the
aforesaid software and all the money of the members including Plaintiff were
lost and usurp by the Defendant for their personal gains. The Defendant further
cheated them and enjoyed their money and did not give any details of the same to
the members and those members are still running pillar to post yet the Defendant
did not refund the money of the such large number of members. It has also been
revealed to Plaintiff that earlier also, the Defendants have cheated many
persons in Madhya Pradesh and thereafter started their such unlawful business in
NOIDA and again the Defendant Company have changed their alleged registered
address at NOIDA and also close the same and running from their aforementioned
residential address at New Delhi. The Defendant Company is/are in habit of
cheating people at one place and thereafter go to other place and cheating the
general public at large. It has also came to the knowledge of Plaintiff that now
the Defendant Company and its MD Mr. _____________________________ are running a
crypto currency fraud by the name of ___________and trapping the general public
to cheat them and they will be liable to be prosecuted for the same as per the
provision of Law.
8. That the Plaintiff contacted many times for refund of his money as well a
legal notice dated ___________h ___________, ___________ issued through his
counsel Adhikari & Co. ( Advocates & Legal Consultants), the Plaintiff thereby
called upon the Defendants to kindly provide the following to Plaintiff;
a) Give date wise details of amount of Rs. ___________/- (___________) taken
from Plaintiff through Bank Transfer and refund the same to Plaintiff within
time lines mentioned therein.
b) Give date wise the details of the amount taken from Plaintiff in cash as per
your schemes and refund the said amount to Plaintiff forthwith.
c) Give date wise detail of E-violet amount of Plaintiff, deposited and pending
amount when the defendant suddenly closed their Company's software.
d) Give the date wise details of amount paid towards the incentives alleged to
be given to Plaintiff upon which the Defendant have deducted TDS on the amount
of income and also, the amount invested by Plaintiff himself as well as his team
members and also provide the TDS Certificates as per the Income tax laws.
e) Provide the details of schemes and plans launched by the Defendant Company
Next Generation Deals India Pvt. Ltd., time to time since the year ___________
as represented and assured to Plaintiff.
f) Provide the date wise details of number of Gifts achieved by Plaintiff and
the Gift due as per the scheme & Gifts released / paid to Plaintiff with their
delivery Receipt and the amount of Gifts.
g) Provide the date wise details of amount of Business Development Fund alleged
to be paid to Plaintiff and other members who were associated through Plaintiff
in the Defendant Company.
h) As per the Brochure, the Defendant Company had assured amount towards the CAR
/ Foreign Tours / Homes / Bike etc. Kindly provide the details to Plaintiff.
i) Provide the date wise details of Business given by the Team and Plaintiff to
the Defendant Company.
j) Provide date wise details of Business / income generated by Plaintiff and his
team to the Defendant Company.
k) Provide date wise details of amount in cash / Bank transfer on which the
income was generated by Plaintiff and his teams members.
9. That the Plaintiff states that despite various request as well as the Legal
Notice dated ___________th ___________, ___________, the Defendant Company
failed to comply the Legal Notice dated ___________th ___________, ___________
and the demanded the due amount as mentioned therein, however, the defendant
also failed to refund the amount of the Plaintiff amounting to Rs.
___________/-(Rupees ___________ ) along with interest @ __% per annum till date
due to their malafide intentions to usurp the amount of the Plaintiff.
10. That accordingly, the Defendants are liable to pay a sum of the Rs.
___________/- (___________) as on date beside the amount to be calculated after
the Defendants provide in the Documents / Details / information as demanded in
the Legal Notice dated ___________th ___________, ___________ as well as in para
8 above. The Defendant are also liable for pendent lite interest @ __% per annum
till its realization, cost of the suit and expenses incurred by the Plaintiff.
11. That as the issue involved in the present case falls within the category of
a commercial Dispute under section 2 of the Commercial Courts Act., 2015, and
filed an application Pre Institution Litigation under section 12 A of Commercial
Courts Act on ___________before the West District Delhi District Legal Services
Authority (WDDLSA) , however, despite receiving the notice the Defendant chosen
not to appear in the aforesaid litigation and Non Starter Report was passed on
___________, The true copy of the said Non Starter Report provided to the
Plaintiff and the Plaintiff compelled to filed the present suit before this
Hon'ble Court, Hence the present suit being filed.
12. That the cause of action firstly arose in ___________ when the Defendant
through its Managing Director Mr. _____________________________ approached the
Plaintiff for the purposes of Multilevel Marketing Membership for Money chain
Membership Business of its Company's product / scheme under ID no. ___________.
The cause of action further arose on various dates _____,____,____ and ___when
the Defendant Company taken money from the Plaintiff and investments total
amounting to Rs. ___________/- and opened ID in the E-violet in the software of
the Defendant Company. The cause of action also arose when suddenly in
___________ the Defendant Company closed the aforesaid E-violet Software
Programme and usurp the money of the Plaintiff. The cause of action also arose
on various dates when the Plaintiff demanded his money. The cause of action
further arose on ___________th ___________, ___________ when the Plaintiff
through his counsel issued legal notice dated ___________th ___________
___________ and demanded his due money / amount as well various details,
documents and information within a period of ___________days from the date of
receipt of legal notice dated _____________________________th
_____________________________, ___________. The cause of arose on ___________th
___________,, ___________ when in spite of receipt of the Legal Notice dated
_____________________________th _____________________________, ___________, the
Defendant Company neither replied to the said Legal Notice dated
_____________________________th _____________________________, ___________ nor
paid the outstanding amount / money of the Plaintiff deliberately. The cause of
action is continuing as the defendant has till date not paid to the Plaintiff
the due outstanding amount along with interest and other cost as well as the
details, document and information demanded by the Plaintiff.
13. That the Managing Director of the Defendant Company having his residence cum
office of the Company at the aforesaid address ___________, ___________,
___________, ___________, ___________. AND also at ___________, ___________,
___________, ___________and work for gain, hence, this Hon'ble Court has
territorial jurisdiction to entertain the present suit.
14. That the present suit is within the prescribed time limit. It is further
submitted that the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India vide its suo moto writ
petition (C) no. ___________ of ___________ vide its various orders including
the ___________th ___________, ___________ directed to exclude the period from
___________to ___________for the purposes of limitation as may be prescribed
under any general or special laws in respect of all judicial or quasi judicial
proceedings, thus the present suit may please be treated within limitation.
15. That the value of the present for the purpose of the court fee and
jurisdiction Rs. ___________/- (Rupees ___________ ) on which the prescribed ad
volrem court fee of Rs. ___________/- ( ___________) is being affixed. The
Plaintiff further undertakes to pay further court fee, if this Hon'ble Court
direct or pass any order in case any further amount / claim is allowed by this
Hon'ble Court.
16. That the present suit of the Plaintiff is a bonafide case of the Plaintiff.
PRAYERS
In view of the above it is most respectfully prayed that his Hon'ble Court may
graciously be please to:-
i) Pass a money decree in favour of the Plaintiff and against the Defendant for
Rs. ___________/- (Rupees ___________) along with pendent lite and future
interest @ __% per annum till payment and / or realization;
ii) Grant legal and other costs of the present Suit against the Defendant and in
favour of the Plaintiff; and
iii) Pass any other and further order(s) as this Hon'ble Court may deem fit and
proper in the present case in favour of the Plaintiff and against the Defendant.
(_____________),
PLAINTIFF
Through
____________Advocate
Address:_______________
Mobile: ____________
Email: _____________
Place: ___________Dated:
VERIFICATION:-
Verified at Delhi on this ___Day of the ___________, ___________ that the
contents of paragraph no. 1 to ____are true to the best of my knowledge and
based on the records of the Plaintiff and paragraph no. _______ to _____ are
true and correct based on the information received and believe to be true and
correct. The last paragraph is prayer to this Hon'ble Court.
PLAINTIFF
Additional filing documents normally required
- Statement of Truth under Order VI Rule 15A CPC, in the prescribed form.
- List of documents and disclosure declaration under the commercial-disputes version of Order XI CPC.
- Affidavit(s), memo of parties, authority or board resolution where required, and properly executed vakalatnama.
- Section 12A mediation non-starter or final report, if applicable.
- Calculation sheet for principal, contractual interest, claimed costs and specified value.
- Appropriate proof and certification for electronic records, where applicable under the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023 and relevant transitional law.
Official legal resources
Consult India Code for the Commercial Courts Act, 2015, Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, Limitation Act, 1963 and Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023; Delhi High Court for applicable practice directions; and eCourts District Courts for local filing information. Verify the latest court notifications and jurisdiction before filing.
This article and draft are for general information and document preparation. They are not a substitute for case-specific advice or current registry requirements.
