2023 Supreme(Raj) 1600
RAJASTHAN HIGH COURT BENCH AT JAIPUR
Sameer Jain, J.
Jai Narayan - Appellant
Versus
Moolchand & Ors. - Respondents
S.B. Civil Writ Petition No. 22763 of 2018
Decided On : 10-01-2023
Important Points
Subject
Civil Law
Act Referred
EVIDENCE ACT : S.45
Headnote
[EVIDENCE] - [SIGNATURE COMPARISON] - [The court upheld the trial court's dismissal of the petitioner's application to compare signatures under Section 45 of the Evidence Act, emphasizing the importance of timely submissions and the supervisory nature of its jurisdiction under Article 227 of the Constitution.]
Fact of the Case:
The petitioner filed a writ petition challenging the trial court's order that dismissed their application to compare the signature of a witness with an admitted signature, claiming it was necessary for justice.
Finding of the Court:
The court found that the trial court had made a well-reasoned decision, noting that a similar application had previously been dismissed and that the current application was filed at a belated stage, suggesting an intent to delay proceedings.
Issues: Whether the trial court erred in dismissing the application to compare signatures under Section 45 of the Evidence Act and whether the High Court should intervene in the trial court's decision.
Ratio Decidendi: The High Court reiterated that its supervisory jurisdiction under Article 227 is not to correct mere errors but to ensure subordinate courts act within their authority. The belated filing of the application indicated an attempt to delay proceedings.
Result: The writ petition was dismissed, and the trial court was directed to expedite the proceedings.
Mr. Abhishek Bhardwaj, Advocate for Mr. Aditya Sharma, Advocate, for the Appellant; Mr. Anshuman Saxena, Advocate, for the Respondent.
ORDER
1. The present writ petition is filed assailing the impugned order dated 31.08.2018 in Civil Case No. 244/02 whereby the application filed by the petitioner-plaintiff, to compare and examine the signature of DW-4 Roshan Lal on Exhibit-1 with his admitted signature, under Section 45 of Evidence Act, 1872 was dismissed.
2. Learned counsel for the petitioner submit that the learned Trial Court has committed a grave error by wrongly considering the provisions of the law in respect of Section 45 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872, and by not appreciating the true spirit of the legislature behind the said section - since the documents required to be compared and examined by an expert for proving the case and to establish the true facts - has caused great prejudice to the petitioner-plaintiff. Learned counsel contends that such examination was necessarily required to be conducted in the interest of justice.
3. Per contra, learned counsel for the respondent submits that the learned Trial Court has passed a well reasoned speaking order after due consideration of the facts and material on record, which must be allowed to rest. Learned counsel further submits that the application was filed by the petitioner-plaintiff at a belated stage only to delay the proceedings.
4. Heard the arguments advanced by both the sides, scanned the record of the writ petition and considered the judgments cited at Bar.
5. On perusal of record, it is observed that a similar application under Section 45 of Indian Evidence Act, 1872 was also filed by the petitioner-plaintiff at a previous occasion which was dismissed vide order dated 22.01.2018. The said order was not assailed and has attained finality. The learned trial Court has also passed a well reasoned speaking order, the relevant part of which is reiterated below:-

This Court is in complete agreement with the reasoning given by the learned trial Court. It is well settled that while exercising supervisory jurisdiction under Article 227 of Constitution of India, the High Court cannot convert itself into a Court of appeal. It is equally well settled, that the supervisory jurisdiction extends to keeping the subordinate tribunals within the limits of their authority and seeing that they obey the law. It has been held, that though the powers Under Article 227 are wide, they must be exercised sparingly and only to keep subordinate courts and Tribunals within the bounds of their authority and not to correct mere errors. Reliance in this respect can be placed on a Mohd. Inam vs. Sanjay Kumar Singhal and Ors.: (2020) 7 SCC 327. It is also noted that nobody precluded the petitioner to raise the said plea at the appropriate time and the same was only filed at a belated stage i.e. at the time of final arguments, which gives the impression that the same was filed only to delay the proceedings.
6. In view of the above, this Court is not inclined to interfere with a well reasoned speaking order by exercising power under Article 227 of the Constitution of India.
7. Accordingly, the writ petition is dismissed. Pending applications, if any, stands disposed of. Learned trial Court is directed to dispose of the proceedings as expeditiously as possible.