Bar of suits and applications.

No suit for the recovery of a debt shall be instituted, no application for the execution of a decree for payment of money passed in a suit for the recovery of a debt shall be made, and no suit or application for the eviction of a tenant on the ground of non-payment of a debt shall be instituted or made, against any agriculturist in any civil or revenue court on and from the date of commencement of this Act and before the expiry of two years and six months from the said date. Explanation I.-'Suit' does not include a claim to a set-off made in a suit instituted by an agriculturist. Explanation II.-Where a debt is payable by an agriculturist jointly or jointly and severally with a non-agriculturist, no suit or application of the nature mentioned in this section shall be instituted or made either against the non-agriculturist or against the agriculturist before the expiry of the period mentioned in this section. Explanation III.-A suit shall be deemed to be a suit for the recovery of a debt notwithstanding that other reliefs are prayed for in such suit, and a decree shall be deemed to be a decree for payment of money passed in such suit notwithstanding that other reliefs are granted by such decree : Provided that a suit for possession of land shall not be deemed to be a suit for recovery of a debt by reason merely of mesne profits being also prayed for in such suit.