STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH Vs. MAHARAJA MARTANDSINGH JOODEO

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THIS is a reference made by the Chief Revenue Authority to this Court under section 57 (1) of the Indian Stamp Act. It was a revision petition filed before the Chief Revenue Authority against an order passed by the Collector of Stamps (Sub Divisional Officer), reference being made to him by the Sub-Registrar to the effect that the Stamp duty which was paid by the petitioner was less than what should have been paid and that extra stamps worth Rs. 62,470 together with the deficit of Rs. 12,494 should be made good by the petitioner. The reference which was made by the Sub-Registrar was under the provisions of Article 45, Schedule I-A, of the Stamp Act after an audit objection having been raised. It appears that no objection was taken at the time of registration but an objection was taken when the audit objection was raised and the Sub-Registrar made a reference to the Collector of Stamps (Sub Divisional Officer) and the Sub-Divisional Officer passed an order against which a revision petition was filed before the Chief Revenue Authority (Board of Revenue ).

(2.) THE learned Member, Board of Revenue, in the decision in the revision petition held that the contention of the counsel for the petitioner deserves to be accepted as it is already "well established in law according to several rulings of their Lordships of the High Court of Madhya Pradesh that once a document has been registered, the Sub-Registrar is not empowered to make a reference as regards an under-stamped document and that the Sub-Divisional Officer and Collector of Stamps is much less empowered to pass an order upon such a reference". The learned Member has also observed that "it has been held time and again that such reference can be made by the Sub-Registrar prior to the registration of a document and not thereafter". Having come to this conclusion, the learned Member has made this reference by saying that the Hon'ble Court may pass such order as they may deem fit. Unfortunately the learned Member has not either framed a question nor has expressed any doubt about the decision of any question of law for which he seeks the opinion of this Court. The learned Member has also considered the impact of the amendment introduced by insertion of section 47-A and observed that a reference could be made by the registering authority only when an objection was taken at the time of registration. A reading of the order passed by the learned Member of the Board, therefore, indicates that the matter is concluded by the decisions of this Court but still it is not clear as to why the learned Member thought it fit to make a reference. It appears that the learned Member felt that he can always send a case for decision of this Court as and when he thinks fit but that is not the law. Section 57 of the Stamp Act reads : -

(3.) THE learned member has rightly observed that the question as to whether after the registration the Sub-Registrar could make a reference or not is concluded by the Full Bench of this Court in Komalchand Jain and another v. State of Madhya Pradesh, 1965 MPLJ 606. and in view of this, in our opinion, no question remains for which a reference could be made to this Court A perusal of the order passed by the learned Member of the Board of Revenue, therefore, clearly indicates that there is nothing in the order of reference which may require the decision of this Court under section 57 (1) of the Stamp Act.