(1) A summons issued by a Revenue Officer shall if practicable, be served (a) personally, on the person to whom it is addressed or failing him (b) his recognised agent 1[XXXXXX].
(2) If service cannot be so made, or if acceptance of service so made is refused, the summons may be served by posting a copy thereof at the usual or last known place of residence of the person to whom it is addressed, or if that person does not reside in the district in which the Revenue Officer is employed and the case to which the summons relates has reference to land in that district, then by posting a copy of the summons on some conspicuous place in or near the estate wherein the land is situated.
(3) If the summons relates to a case in which persons having the same interest are so numerous that personal service on all of them is not reasonably practicable, it may, if the Revenue Officer so directs, be served by delivery of a copy thereof to such of those persons as the Revenue Officer nominates in this behalf and by proclamation of the contents thereof for the information of the other persons interested.
(4) A summons may, if the Revenue Officer so directs, be served on the persons named therein either in addition to, or in substitution for, any other mode of service, by forwarding the summons by post in a letter addressed to the person and registered under part III of the Indian Post Office Act, 1898 (6 of 1898).
(5) When a summons is forwarded in a letter, and it is proved that the letter was properly addressed and duly posted and registered, the Revenue Officer may presume that the summons was served at the time when the letter would be delivered in the ordinary course of post:
2[Provided that in addition to issuing of summons, a Revenue Officer shall also issue proclamation calling upon the parties concerned to appear before him either in person or through a duly authorised legal practitioner on the day fixed for first hearing, and to file objections, if any.]