IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
ARUN KUMAR JHA, J.
Civil Misc. Jur. No.887 of 2019
(10.4.2025)
Ashutosh Kumar Mishra @ Ashutosh Mishra ... Petitioner
vs.
Bimla Devi & Anr. ... Respondents
Indian Succession Act, 1925 – Sections 264, 265, 272 and 278 – Bengal, Agra and Assam Civil Courts Act, 1887 – Sections 20 and 22 – Maintainability of appeal against order passed by District Judge delegate – District Delegate can grant probate or letters of administration only in non-contentious cases – Though power to grant or refuse probate or letters of administration has been vested with District Judge, High Court has been vested with power to delegate this function of District Judge to a judicial officer other than District Judge and such person would be exercising power of District Judge and not his independent powers under Act of 1887 – When there is specific provision for appeal against orders of District Judge, there could be no derogation from said provision unless specifically mentioned or indicated by Legislature – Legislature in its wisdom has not thought it proper to provide for separate appeal against order passed by District Delegate – Order passed by Civil Judge (Senior Division) was not made appealable before Court of District Judge – District Judge directed to return memo of appeal of Revocation Case for presentation to High Court – Petition allowed. (Paras 15, 25, 26, 28, 30 and 31)
Arun Kumar Jha, J. – The petitioner has challenged the order dated 18.03.2019 passed by the learned 4th Additional District Judge, Bhojpur at Ara in Misc. Appeal No. 01/2017 whereby and whereunder the petition dated 31.01.2018 filed by the petitioner challenging the maintainability of the appeal in the court of learned Additional District Judge has been dismissed.
2. Brief facts of the case, as it appears from the record, are that the petitioner filed Probate/Letters of Administration Case No. 76/2006 in the court of learned Sub Judge-1, Ara. In the said case, the petitioner submitted that the father of the petitioner, namely Udho Mishra had two sons, namely Adityadeo Mishra and Ashutosh Kumar Mishra (the petitioner herein) and one daughter, namely Madhuri Mishra. The daughter of Udho Mishra was married with one Satish Kumar Tripathi, who was the only son of his father, namely Tirth Raj Tripathi. Satish Kumar Tripathi died issue-less in 1979 and from the side of her husband, Madhuri Mishra had no legal heir. The said sister of the petitioner executed a registered Will on 10.10.2006 in respect of all her properties in favour of the petitioner. The testatrix died on 10.11.2006 and Shradh etc. was performed by the petitioner. The only near relatives of the testatrix were the brother Adityadeo Mishra and the father Udho Mishra. After the death of the testatrix, the petitioner came into possession of all her properties. Thereafter, a prayer was made for grant of Probate/Letters of Administration to the estate of the deceased Madhuri Mishra. Subsequently, certain amendments were made with regard to the details of the properties which could not be mentioned earlier, which were allowed. The near relatives of the testatrix, namely Udho Mishra and Adityadeo Mishra filed their written statement stating that the registered Will in favour of the petitioner was genuine and valid and they had no objection to the grant of Probate/Letters of Administration in favour of the petitioner. After consideration of all aspects of the matter, the learned Sub Judge-1, Bhojpur at Ara granted Probate Certificate in respect of the said Will in favour of the petitioner under Section 289 of the Indian Succession Act, 1925 (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Act’).
3. Further case of the petitioner is that after grant of Probate, its preparation and sealing and signing on 23.07.2010/13.08.2010, the respondents herein filed Revocation Case No.10 of 2013 in the court of learned Sub Judge-1, Bhojpur at Ara for revocation of the Probate/Letters of Administration in respect of the Will dated 10.10.2006 in favour of the petitioner. The revocation petition was filed with allegation that the father-in-law of testatrix Madhuri Mishra had two daughters as well and this fact was suppressed when the Letters of Administration Case No. 76/2006 was filed. The respondents further stated that they learnt about grant of Probate only in May, 2013, got the certified copy of the order dated 29.05.2013 and filed Revocation Case No. 10/2013 on 01.06.2013. The petitioner contested the claim of the respondents. The learned Sub Judge-1, Bhojpur at Ara, after detailed hearing, dismissed the revocation case vide order dated 09.12.2016. Thereafter, a Misc. Appeal No. 01/2017 was filed by the respondents against the petitioner in which a notice from the court of learned 4th Additional District Judge, Bhojpur at Ara was received by the petitioner. The petitioner made his appearance in the said Misc. Appeal No. 01/2017 and filed a petition on 31.01.2018 challenging the maintainability of the appeal before the learned 4th Additional District Judge. The learned Additional District Judge, after hearing the parties, vide order dated 18.03.2019, dismissed the petition of the petitioner holding that the appeal was maintainable. The said order is under challenge before this Court.
4. Mrs. Anju Narain, the learned counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioner submitted that the impugned order is illegal
Vishwanath Dadu Gurav since deceased through legal representatives vs. Dattatray Ganapati Gurav
The jurisdiction to grant probate in contentious matters lies solely with the District Judge, and cannot be exercised by a subordinate delegate court.
Point of law: A conjoint reading of Sections 371, 372 and 384 of the Act would show that the original jurisdiction to entertain and decide a petition for the grant of a succession certificate has bee....
Not every order made by a District Judge in probate proceedings is appealable under Section 299 of the Succession Act, especially if the order is not made by virtue of the powers conferred by the Act....
Appeal under Section 28 Hindu Marriage Act against decree by Civil Judge exercising delegated original jurisdiction of District Judge lies to High Court, not District Judge.
The Additional District Judge possesses equivalent powers to a District Judge in judicial matters, including granting Probate Certificates, as per the Indian Constitution.
The main legal point established in the judgment is that the District Court has jurisdiction to grant and revoke probate and letters of administration in cases specifically covered under Section 57(c....
The High Court's jurisdiction to grant probate is limited to cases where properties are outside the exclusive jurisdiction of the City Civil Court, and citation under Section 283(3) is unnecessary if....
The Additional District Judge in Assam can issue probate, functioning as a division court of the District Judge; procedural compliance in probate proceedings is essential.
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