Rule 4 of CPC : Rule 4: No party to be ordered to appear in person unless resident within certain limits.

Explanation using Example

Example 1:

Ravi lives in Mumbai, and he is involved in a civil lawsuit filed in the Mumbai High Court. The court wants to order Ravi to appear in person for a hearing. Since Ravi resides within the local limits of the Mumbai High Court's ordinary original jurisdiction, the court can legally order Ravi to appear in person.

Example 2:

Sita lives in Pune, which is approximately 150 kilometers away from Mumbai. She is involved in a civil case in the Mumbai High Court. Since Pune is less than 200 miles away from Mumbai and there is established public conveyance (train and bus services) covering the distance, the court can order Sita to appear in person for the hearing.

Example 3:

Arjun lives in Delhi and is involved in a civil case in the Mumbai High Court. Delhi is more than 200 miles away from Mumbai, and even though there are flights and trains connecting the two cities, the distance exceeds the limit specified in the rule. Therefore, the Mumbai High Court cannot order Arjun to appear in person for the hearing.

Example 4:

Meera lives in a small village in Gujarat, which is 300 kilometers away from Ahmedabad. She is involved in a civil case in the Ahmedabad District Court. Since her village is more than 200 miles away from Ahmedabad and there is no established public conveyance covering five-sixths of the distance, the court cannot order Meera to appear in person for the hearing.