THIS OP (CIVIL) HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON 07.09.2026, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING:

EASWARAN S., J

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O.P.(C) No.2521 of 2026

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Dated this the 07th day of September, 2026

J U D G M E N T

This original petition is filed raising a grievance thatthe Principal Munsiff Court, Ernakulam is not numbering the suit, since the Vakalath executed by the plaintiff and also the plaint are accompanied by electronic signature. The reason stated by the petitioner is that the office of the Principal Munsiff Court, Ernakulam, had informed the petitioner that it doesn't have any resource to verify theelectronic signature of the parties.

2. Heard, Sri. Hamzath Ali V.K., learned Counsel for thepetitioner.

3. Learned Counsel for the petitioner placed relianceon the Electronic Filing Rules for Courts (Kerala), 2021.The Rule 8(2) of the said Rules reads as under;

“8. Production of Documents:-(2) Vakalaths, Affidavits or any such document required to be signed, executed, attested and/or authenticated by one or more parties shall be filed in electronic form signed and authenticated as per the provisions under the Information Technology Act,2000 (Central Act 21 of 2000).”

According to the learned Counsel, when the Rulesenvisage that filing of Vakalath, affidavits or any such document required to be signed and/or authenticated by one or more parties, in the electronic form, shall be signed and authenticated as per the provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000, that by itself is a sufficient compliance and refusal on the part of the court to number the suit cannot be hence accepted. He further pointed out that audit trail produced before the court shows the chronological record of the execution process, including OTP generation, OTP verification, electronic signing, device/browser particulars, IP particulars and completion of the document. Thus, it is prayed that, a direction be issued to the office of the Principal Munsiff Court, Ernakulam, to receive the plaint with filing No.947/2026, along with theVakalath and affidavit.

4. On consideration of the submissions raised acrossthe Bar by the learned Counsel for the petitioner, this Court finds that this is a fit case, where a direction is required to be issued to the Principal Munsiff Court, Ernakulam, to receive the plaint with filing No.947/2026 and proceed to number the same, since the requirements of Rule 8(2) of the Electronic Filing Rules for Courts (Kerala), 2021, stands complied with. This shall be done within a period of threedays from the date of receipt of a copy of this judgment.

The original petition is disposed of as above.