JUDGMENT : CHAMIER, J. The respondent in this case applied for permission to sue as a pauper. The court having seen no reason to reject the application on any of the grounds stated in Order XXXIII, Rule 5, fixed a date under Rule 6 and gave notice to the Government Pleader. The respondent appeared, so also did the Government Pleader. The court declined to allow the Government Pleader to cross-examine the witnesses produced by the respondent to prove that she was a pauper. The ground of refusal is that the Government was not a party to the proceeding. The court also referred to Rule 13 of the same order as showing the purposes for which the Government is to be deemed te be a party to the suit brought by a pauper. Rule 13 appears to me to have no bearing whatever on the case. Rule 6 requires the court to issue notice to the Government Pleader, and it is quite clear that on the date fixed, the Government Pleader is entitled to produce evidence to show that the applicant is not a pauper. Similarly, under Rule 9, the Government Pleader may apply to the court to dispauper the plaintiff, and he may produce witnesses in support of his application. It seems to me quite clear that the Government Pleader in a proceeding under Rule 6 is entitled to cross-examine the witnesses of the applicant, and that under Rule 9 the applicant, the plaintiff in the suit, is entitled to cross-examine the witnesses produced by the Government Pleader. Rule 6 makes it quite clear that the Government is to be deemed to be a party to the proceedings in which it is decided whether the applicant is a pauper or not. 2. It has been the invariable practice to allow Government Pleader to cross-examine the witnesses produced by the applicant in such cases, and I have no doubt that the practice is correct. The court below was wrong in refusing to allow the Government Pleader to cross-examine the plaintiff's witnesses. I must, therefore, order a further enquiry. I set aside the order of the court below and direct that a fresh enquiry be held in which the Government Pleader must be given an opportunity of cross-examining the witnesses. I make no order as to costs.