Plaint
Also called: civil suit, statement of claim
The written statement of claim with which a civil suit begins. It sets out the facts, the cause of action and the relief asked for, and is filed with the court fee.
A plaint is the document that starts a civil suit. The person suing is the plaintiff; the person sued is the defendant. The plaint tells the court who the parties are, what happened, why the court has jurisdiction, and what the plaintiff wants the court to order.
The law behind it
Order VII of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 lists what a plaint must contain, including the facts constituting the cause of action and when it arose, the facts showing jurisdiction, the relief claimed, and the value of the subject matter for jurisdiction and court fees. The plaint is verified and filed with the documents relied on and the court fee under the State court fees law.
When a plaint can be rejected
Under Order VII Rule 11, the court rejects a plaint that does not disclose a cause of action, is undervalued or insufficiently stamped and not corrected in time, or appears from its own statements to be barred by law, for example by the limitation period.
- Send a legal notice first where the law or the contract requires it.
- Check the time limit before filing.
- Attach every document you rely on; later additions need the court's permission.
The defendant answers with a written statement. Draft a plaint for a civil suit.
Checked against the sources below on 7 November 2026 IST. General information about Indian law, not legal advice for your case.
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