Rule 19 of CPC : Rule 19: No witness to be ordered to attend in person unless resident within certain limits.

Explanation using Example

Example 1:

Ravi lives in Mumbai and is a key witness in a civil case being heard in the Mumbai City Civil Court. Since Ravi resides within the local limits of the court's ordinary jurisdiction, the court can order him to attend in person to give his testimony.

Example 2:

Priya lives in Pune, which is approximately 150 kilometers away from Mumbai. She is a crucial witness in a case being heard in the Mumbai City Civil Court. Since Pune is less than 500 kilometers away from Mumbai and there is established public conveyance (train and bus services) between Pune and Mumbai, the court can order Priya to attend in person to give her testimony.

Example 3:

Amit lives in Delhi and is a witness in a case being heard in the Chennai High Court. Delhi is more than 500 kilometers away from Chennai, and there is no direct public conveyance covering five-sixths of the distance. However, since there are regular flights between Delhi and Chennai, and if Amit is paid the airfare, the court can order him to attend in person to give his testimony.

Example 4:

Sunita lives in a remote village in Rajasthan, which is 600 kilometers away from Jaipur, where a civil case is being heard. There is no railway or steamer communication or other established public conveyance covering five-sixths of the distance. In this scenario, the court cannot order Sunita to attend in person to give her testimony. Instead, her testimony may be taken through other means such as a written affidavit or video conferencing.