03.03.2026 vs Of on 25 March, 2026

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    ADVERTISEMENT

    Himachal Pradesh High Court

    Reserved On: 03.03.2026 vs Of on 25 March, 2026

                                                                                     2026:HHC:8825
    
    
    
         IN THE HIGH COURT OF HIMACHAL PRADESH, SHIMLA
                                                  RSA No. 30 of 2006
                                                  Reserved on: 03.03.2026
    
    
    
    
                                                                                       .
    
                                                  Date of Decision: 25.03.2026
    
    
    
    
    
        Sharwan Lal and others                                                       ...Appellants.
                                         Versus
    
    
    
    
                                                         of
        Ses Ram (deceased) through LRs & Ors                                     ...Respondents.
    
    
    
        Coram
                               rt
        Hon'ble Mr Justice Rakesh Kainthla, Judge.
    
        Whether approved for reporting?1 Yes
    
        For the Appellants                :         Mr Vinod Thakur, Advocate.
    
    
        For the Respondents               :         Ms Anita, Advocate, vice Ms Anu
                                                    Tuli, Advocate, Legal Aid Counsel,
                                                    for respondent No. 1(a).
    
    
    
    
                                                    Mr Sanjeev Kuthiala, Senior
                                                    Advocate, with Ms Tamanna
    
    
    
    
    
                                                    Sharma, Advocate, for respondents
                                                    No. 1(b) to 1(g).
    
    
    
    
    
        Rakesh Kainthla, Judge
    

    The present appeal is directed against the judgment

    and decree dated 29.12.2005 passed by learned District Judge,

    SPONSORED

    Kullu, vide which the appeal filed by Ses Ram (original plaintiff)

    was allowed and the judgment and decree passed by the learned

    Civil Judge, Jr. Division, Manali camp at Kullu, District Kullu,
    1
    Whether reporters of Local Papers may be allowed to see the judgment? Yes.

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    H.P. (learned Trial Court) were set aside. (Parties shall hereinafter

    be referred to in the same manner as they were arrayed before the

    .

    learned Trial Court for convenience.

    2. Briefly stated, the facts giving rise to the present

    appeal are that the plaintiff filed a civil suit before the learned

    of
    Trial Court seeking a declaration that mutation Nos. 900 and

    903 of Phati Dunkhrigar attested on 13.06.2003, passed by
    rt
    learned Assistant Collector 2nd Grade Kullu in favour of the

    defendant, are illegal, null and void and not binding upon the

    plaintiff. It was asserted that Rirku, grandfather of the plaintiff,

    was the owner in possession of the land mentioned in para (1) of

    the plaint. His sons, Shupu, Birbal @ Popi, Chappu, Fagnu and

    Jogni, inherited the land in equal shares after his death. Chappu

    died about 51 years before the institution of the suit, and his

    estate was inherited by the plaintiff. Shupu gifted his entire

    property to the plaintiff. Birbal @ Popi died 29 years before the

    institution of a suit, and his share was inherited by his son and

    widow. Jogi died issueless about 26 years before the institution

    of the suit, and his estate was inherited by Shupu and Fagnu.

    However, his share was mutated in favour of Shupu, Fagnu and

    Reshmu (defendant) in equal share vide mutation No. 903.

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    Fagnu died issueless, and his estate was mutated in favour of

    Shupu and Reshmu vide mutation No. 900. The plaintiff

    .

    preferred an appeal before Collector, Kullu, which was decided

    in his favour. The defendant preferred an appeal before the

    Divisional Commissioner, which was decided in his favour. The

    plaintiff filed a further appeal before the Financial

    of
    Commissioner, and this appeal was allowed. Mutations Nos 900

    and 903 were ordered to be reviewed. Learned Assistant
    rt
    Collector 2nd Grade attested the mutation in favour of the

    defendant regarding the estate of Jogi and Fagnu. Hence, a civil

    suit was filed seeking the relief mentioned above.

    3. The suit was opposed by filing a written statement,

    taking preliminary objections regarding lack of maintainability,

    improper valuation, insufficient description of the suit land,

    plaintiff being estopped from filing the present suit, and the suit

    being barred by limitation. It was admitted that the suit land was

    earlier owned by Rirku, the plaintiff’s grandfather; the estate of

    Rirku was inherited by his sons, and the estate of Birbal @ Popi

    was inherited by his sons and widow. It was admitted that Jogi

    was survived by Shupu, Fagnu and Reshmu and mutation No.

    903 was attested to this effect. It was also admitted that Fagnu

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    remained unmarried, and his estate was inherited by Shupu and

    Reshmu. It was asserted that the plaintiff is estopped from

    .

    denying that Reshmu is the daughter of Rirku because he had

    not disputed this fact during the mutation proceeding. It was

    claimed that the mutations were rightly attested in favour of the

    defendant. Therefore, it was prayed that the suit be dismissed.

    of

    4. No replication was filed.

    5.
    rt
    The learned Trial Court framed the following issues

    on 03.08.2004: –

    1. Whether the plaintiff is the owner in possession of the
    suit land as alleged? OPP.

    2. Whether the mutations no. 900 and 903 are wrong and
    illegal, as alleged? OPP.

    3. Whether the plaintiff is entitled to the prohibitory
    injunction prayed for? OPP.

    4. Whether the plaintiff has a cause of action? OPP.

    5. Whether the suit is not maintainable in the present form?

    OPD.

    6. Whether the suit has not been properly valued for the
    purposes of court fees and jurisdiction?OPD

    7. Whether the plaintiff is estopped from filing the present
    suit by his act and conduct? OPD

    8. Whether the suit is time-barred? OPD

    9. Whether the defendant is the daughter of late Sh. Rirku as
    alleged. If so, its effect? OPD

    10. Relief.

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    6. The parties were called upon to produce the evidence,

    and the plaintiff examined himself (PW-1), and the defendant

    .

    examined herself (DW1).

    7. The learned Trial Court held that the plaintiff had

    stated in his cross-examination that Reshmu might be the

    of
    daughter of Rirku, but her name was not mentioned in the

    record. The copy of the birth certificate (Ext.D5) showed that
    rt
    one daughter was born to Rirku on 28.01.1924. This entry was

    recorded on 08.02.1924. The entry and the statement in the

    cross-examination that Reshmu might be the daughter of Rirku

    corroborated the defendant’s version that she is the daughter of

    Rirku and entitled to succeed the estate of her brothers. Hence,

    the learned Trial Court answered issue Nos. 5 and 9 in

    affirmative, the rest of the issues in negative, and dismissed the

    plaintiff’s suit.

    8. Being aggrieved by the judgment and decree passed

    by the learned Trial Court, the plaintiff preferred an appeal,

    which was decided by learned District Judge Kullu (learned

    Appellate Court). The learned Appellate Court held that the

    defendant was bound to prove that she is the daughter of Rirku.

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    She relied upon the birth certificate, in which it was mentioned

    that one female child was born to Rirku. The name of the child

    .

    was not mentioned in the certificate. Rirku had died on

    11.09.1923, and the child was born on 28.01.1924, after the death

    of Rirku. This was contrary to the defendant’s claim that Rirku

    had died when she was six months old. The entries in the birth

    of
    and death registers cannot be used to prove the relationship or

    the identity of a person. The relationship can be proved under
    rt
    Section 50 of the Indian Evidence Act by proving the opinion

    expressed by the conduct of the persons whose knowledge of the

    relationship is material. No such evidence was led. The

    defendant was not proved to be the daughter of Rirku. Fagnu and

    Shupu inherited the estate of Jogi after his death, and Shupu

    inherited the estate of Fagnu after his death. Shupu executed a

    Will in the plaintiff’s favour. Hence, the plaintiff was entitled to

    the declaration sought by him. Learned Trial Court erred in

    dismissing the suit. Therefore, the appeal filed by the plaintiff

    was allowed, the judgment and decree passed by the learned

    Trial Court were set aside, and the plaintiff’s suit was decreed.

    9. Being aggrieved by the judgment and decree passed

    by the learned Appellate Court, the legal representatives of the

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    defendant have preferred the present appeal, which was

    admitted on the following substantial questions of law on

    .

    20.01.2006:-

    1. Whether in a suit where a certificate of registration,

    issued by Registrar of Births & Deaths in prima facie
    admissible under Section 35 of the Indian Evidence Act,
    being a public document and having come from proper

    of
    custody, and there was no necessity of examining any
    witness to prove it. If so, its effect thereupon?

    2. Whether the genuineness of a certificate must be
    presumed under Section 79 of the Indian Evidence Act,
    rt
    and the evidence of the registering officer is not necessary
    to prove the same. If so, its effect thereupon?

    3. Whether, in case a judgment having been passed by the
    competent authority as envisaged under a statute and the
    same having attained finality, in the present case the

    learned Financial Commissioner and there being a specific
    bar under Section 171(2) (vi) that the jurisdiction of the
    civil court is barred the suit for quashing the mutations is

    maintainable in the present form?

    10. I have heard Mr Vinod Thakur, learned counsel for

    the appellants, Ms Anita, Advocate, vice Ms Anu Tuli, Advocate,

    learned Legal Aid Counsel, for respondent No.1(a) and Mr

    Sanjeev Kuthiala, learned Senior Advocate, assisted by

    Ms. Tamanna Sharma, learned counsel for respondents No.1(b)

    to 1(g).

    11. Mr Vinod Thakur, learned counsel for the appellants,

    submitted that the learned Appellate Court erred in reversing

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    the well-reasoned judgment of the learned Trial Court. The

    defendant had relied upon her birth certificate to show that a

    .

    daughter was born to Rirku. The plaintiff did not specifically

    deny that one daughter was born to Rirku. This was sufficient to

    establish the relationship between the defendant and Rirku. The

    plaintiff had filed a civil suit for setting aside the mutation,

    of
    which is barred under Section 171(2) (vi) of the HP Land Revenue

    Act, and the learned Courts below erred in entertaining the suit.

    rt
    Therefore, he prayed that the present appeal be allowed, the

    judgment and decree passed by the learned Appellate Court be

    set aside, and the judgment and decree passed by the learned

    Trial Court be restored.

    12. Mr Sanjeev Kuthiala, learned Senior Advocate for the

    respondents No. 1(b) to 1(g), submitted that the relationship

    cannot be proved by producing the birth certificate, and the

    learned Appellate Court was right in holding that the opinion of

    the person knowing about the relationship was required to be

    proved to establish the relationship. The defendant has filed an

    application for additional evidence to prove the public record,

    which is per se admissible. This record shows that Reshmu was

    nowhere recorded as the daughter of Rirku. Therefore, he prayed

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    that the application for additional evidence be allowed and the

    appeal be dismissed.

    .

    13. I have given considerable thought to the submissions

    made at the bar and have gone through the records carefully.

    Additional Evidence

    of

    14. Before adverting to substantial questions of law

    framed by this Court, it is necessary to dispose of the application
    rt
    [CMP No. 12810/2014] for leading additional evidence by proving

    the document on record. It has been asserted that Reshmu was

    never entered as a daughter of Rirku in the Pariwar register or

    genealogical table. Ses Ram had obtained the documents before

    his death, and his legal representatives found the documents in

    the last week of July 2014. The documents are essential for

    determining the controversy pending before the Court. Hence,

    the application.

    15. No reply to the application was filed.

    16. The plaintiff had filed a civil suit on 06.01.2004,

    which was decided on 14.06.2005. An appeal was presented on

    08.08.2005, which was decided on 29.12.2005. The documents

    sought to be proved on record are the photocopies of the public

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    documents that existed before filing the suit. There is no

    explanation at all as to why the documents sought to be

    .

    produced on record could not be produced before the learned

    Trial Court or the Appellate Court. It was held in Sopanrao v. Syed

    Mehmood, (2019) 7 SCC 76: (2019) 3 SCC (Civ) 467: 2019 SCC

    OnLine SC 821 that where the documents were not filed before

    of
    the learned Courts below, and no explanation was provided for

    their non-production, they cannot be taken on record. It was
    rt
    observed at page 81:

    “13. At this stage, it would be pertinent to point out that
    the appellant-defendants, during the course of this
    appeal, have filed a number of applications to place on

    record certain documents which were not on the record of
    the trial court. No explanation has been given in any of
    these applications as to why these documents were not

    filed in the trial court. These documents cannot be looked
    into and entertained at this stage. The defendants did not

    file these documents before the trial court. No application
    was filed under Order 41 Rule 27 of the Code of Civil

    Procedure, 1908, for leading additional evidence before
    the first appellate court or even before the High Court.
    Even the applications filed before us do not set out any
    reasons for not filing these documents earlier, and do not
    meet the requirements of Order 41 Rule 27 of the Code of
    Civil Procedure
    . Hence, the applications are rejected, and
    the documents cannot be taken into consideration.”

    17. It was held in Jagdish Prasad Patel v. Shivnath, (2019)

    6 SCC 82: (2019) 3 SCC (Civ) 112: 2019 SCC OnLine SC 492 that the

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    additional evidence can be led when the Trial Court had refused

    to admit the evidence, the evidence was not available despite the

    .

    exercise of due diligence and the evidence is required by the

    Court to effectively adjudicate the dispute pending before it. It

    was observed at page 96: –

    of
    “29. Under Order 41 Rule 27 CPC, the production of
    additional evidence, whether oral or documentary, is
    permitted only under three circumstances, which are:

    (I) where the trial court had refused to admit the
    rt
    evidence, though it ought to have been admitted;

    (II) the evidence was not available to the party despite
    the exercise of due diligence; and

    (III) the appellate court required the additional
    evidence so as to enable it to pronounce judgment or

    for any other substantial cause of like nature.

    An application for the production of additional evidence

    cannot be allowed if the appellant was not diligent in
    producing the relevant documents in the lower court.

    However, in the interest of justice and when satisfactory
    reasons are given, the court can receive additional
    documents.”

    18. It was laid down in North Eastern Railway

    Administration. vs. Bhagwan Das, (2008) 8 SCC 511, that the

    provisions of Order 41 Rule 27 do not enable an unsuccessful

    litigant to patch up the weak parts of his case. It was observed:-

    “13. Though the general rule is that ordinarily the
    appellate court should not travel outside the record of the
    lower court and additional evidence, whether oral or

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    documentary is not admitted but Section 107 CPC, which
    carves out an exception to the general rule, enables an
    appellate court to take additional evidence or to require

    .

    such evidence to be taken subject to such conditions and

    limitations as may be prescribed. These conditions are
    prescribed under Order 41 Rule 27 CPC. Nevertheless, the
    additional evidence can be admitted only when the

    circumstances as stipulated in the said Rule are found to
    exist. The circumstances under which additional evidence
    can be adduced are:

    of

    (i) the court from whose decree the appeal is preferred
    has refused to admit evidence which ought to have
    been admitted [clause (a) of sub-rule (1)], or
    rt

    (ii) the party seeking to produce additional evidence
    establishes that, notwithstanding the exercise of due

    diligence, such evidence was not within the knowledge
    or could not, after the exercise of due diligence, be
    produced by him at the time when the decree appealed

    against was passed [clause (aa), inserted by Act 104 of
    1976], or

    (iii) the appellate court requires any document to be

    produced or any witness to be examined to enable it to
    pronounce judgment, or for any other substantial

    cause [clause (b) of sub-rule (1)].

    14. It is plain that under clause (b) of sub-rule (1) of Rule

    27 Order 41 CPC, with which we are concerned in the
    instant case, evidence may be admitted by an appellate
    authority if it “requires” to enable it to pronounce
    judgment, or for any other substantial cause. The scope of
    the Rule, in particular of clause (b), was examined way
    back in 1931 by the Privy Council in Parsotim Thakur v. Lal
    Mohar Thakur
    [AIR 1931 PC 143]. While observing that the
    provisions of Section 107 as elucidated by Order 41 Rule 27
    are clearly not intended to allow the litigant, who has
    been unsuccessful in the lower court, to patch up the

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    weak parts of his case and fill up omissions in the court of
    appeal, it was observed as follows : (AIR p. 148)

    “… Under clause (1)(b), it is only where the

    .

    appellate court ‘requires’ it (i.e. finds it needful)

    that additional evidence can be admitted. It may be
    required to enable the court to pronounce

    judgment, or for any other substantial cause, but in
    either case, it must be the court that requires it.
    This is the plain grammatical reading of the sub-

    of
    clause. The legitimate occasion for the exercise of
    this discretion is not whenever before the appeal is
    heard a party applies to adduce fresh evidence, but
    ‘when on examining the evidence as it stands some
    rt
    inherent lacuna or defect becomes apparent’.”

    15. Again in K. Venkataramiah v. A. Seetharama Reddy [AIR

    1963 SC 1526 : (1964) 2 SCR 35] a Constitution Bench of this
    Court while reiterating the aforenoted observations in
    Parsotim case [AIR 1931 PC 143] pointed out that the

    appellate court has the power to allow additional evidence
    not only if it requires such evidence “to enable it to
    pronounce judgment” but also for “any other substantial

    cause”. There may well be cases where even though the
    court finds that it is able to pronounce judgment on the

    state of the record as it is, and so, it cannot strictly say
    that it requires additional evidence “to enable it to
    pronounce judgment”, it still considers that in the

    interest of justice something which remains obscure
    should be filled up so that it can pronounce its judgment
    in a more satisfactory manner. Thus, the question
    whether looking into the documents, sought to be filed as
    additional evidence, would be necessary to pronounce
    judgment in a more satisfactory manner, has to be
    considered by the Court at the time of hearing of the
    appeal on merits.”

    19. It was laid down by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in

    Gobind Singh v. Union of India, 2026 SCC OnLine SC 339 that the

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    parties can lead evidence before the appellate court after

    satisfying the conditions provided under Order 41 Rule 27 of

    .

    CPC. It was observed:

    :

    “11.2. In order to properly appreciate the controversy
    involved, it is necessary to first advert to the statutory

    of
    provision applicable to the case at hand. Order XLI Rule 27
    CPC
    reads as follows:

    “27. Production of additional evidence in the appellate
    rt
    court.-

    (1) The parties to an appeal shall not be entitled to

    produce additional evidence, whether oral or
    documentary, in the appellate court. But if-

    (a) …

    (aa) the party seeking to produce additional
    evidence establishes that, notwithstanding the
    exercise of due diligence, such evidence was not

    within his knowledge or could not, after the
    exercise of due diligence, be produced by him at

    the time when the decree appealed against was
    passed, or

    (b) …the appellate court may allow such evidence

    or document to be produced, or a witness to be
    examined.

    (2) Wherever additional evidence is allowed to be
    produced by an appellate court, the Court shall
    record the reason for its admission.” (emphasis
    supplied)
    11.3. Rule 27, being couched in negative terms, makes it
    abundantly clear that parties to an appeal are not entitled
    to adduce additional evidence, whether oral or
    documentary, save and except in the circumstances

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    expressly enumerated therein. The provision
    contemplates only three eventualities in which additional
    evidence may be permitted: first, where the court which

    .

    passed the decree has refused to admit evidence which

    ought to have been admitted; second, where the party
    seeking to adduce such evidence establishes that,
    notwithstanding the exercise of due diligence, the

    evidence was not within its knowledge or could not have
    been produced at the time when the decree under appeal
    was passed; and third, where the appellate court itself

    of
    requires any document to be produced or any witness to
    be examined in order to enable it to pronounce judgment
    or for any other substantial cause.

    11.4. Accordingly, it is only upon satisfaction of any of the
    rt
    aforesaid three contingencies that an application under
    Order XLI Rule 27 CPC can be entertained. Sub-rule (2) of

    the said provision further mandates that where the
    appellate court forms an opinion that additional evidence
    is required to be admitted, it must record the reasons for
    such admission. While elucidating the scope and object of

    Order XLI Rule 27 CPC, this Court, in Union of India v.
    Ibrahim Uddin
    (2012) 8 SCC 148, undertook an exhaustive
    analysis of the provision. The relevant extract is

    reproduced hereinafter:

    “36. The general principle is that the appellate court
    should not travel outside the record of the lower court and
    cannot take any evidence in appeal. However, as an

    exception, Order 41 Rule 27 CPC enables the appellate
    court to take additional evidence in exceptional
    circumstances. The appellate court may permit additional
    evidence only and only if the conditions laid down in this
    Rule are found to exist. The parties are not entitled, as of
    right, to the admission of such evidence. Thus, the
    provision does not apply when, on the basis of the
    evidence on record, the appellate court can pronounce a
    satisfactory judgment. The matter is entirely within the
    discretion of the court and is to be used sparingly. Such

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    a discretion is only a judicial discretion circumscribed
    by the limitation specified in the Rule itself.

    .

    38. Under Order 41 Rule 27 CPC, the appellate court has

    the power to allow a document to be produced and a
    witness to be examined. But the requirement of the said
    court must be limited to those cases where it found it

    necessary to obtain such evidence for enabling it to
    pronounce judgment. This provision does not entitle the
    appellate court to let in fresh evidence at the appellate

    of
    stage, where even without such evidence it can pronounce
    judgment in a case. It does not entitle the appellate court
    to let in fresh evidence only for the purpose of
    rt
    pronouncing judgment in a particular way. In other
    words, it is only for removing a lacuna in the evidence
    that the appellate court is empowered to admit additional

    evidence.

    41. The words “for any other substantial cause” must

    be read with the word “requires” in the beginning of the
    sentence, so that it is only where, for any other substantial
    cause, the appellate court requires additional evidence,

    that this Rule will apply e.g. when evidence has been

    taken by the lower court so imperfectly that the appellate
    court cannot pass a satisfactory judgment.” (emphasis
    supplied)

    Thus, a holistic reading of the aforesaid decision
    makes it clear that the appellate court’s inquiry, while
    considering an application for leading additional
    evidence, is confined to examining whether such evidence
    is necessary to remove a lacuna in the case. More
    importantly, the appellate court may permit additional
    evidence only upon being satisfied that the conditions
    expressly stipulated under Order XLI Rule 27 CPC are
    fulfilled. The parties do not possess any vested or
    automatic right to seek admission of additional evidence
    at the appellate stage. Consequently, the provision has no

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    application where the appellate court is in a position to
    render a satisfactory and reasoned judgment on the basis
    of the evidence already available on record.

    .

    11.5. In State of Karnataka v. K.C. Subramanya (2014) 13 SCC

    468, the appellants therein had moved an application
    before the appellate court under Order XLI Rule 27 CPC
    seeking leave to produce a map of the area to establish

    that the disputed land constituted a public road. This
    Court, while affirming the High Court’s decision to reject
    the said application, held as follows:

    of
    “4. …On perusal of this provision, it is unambiguously
    clear that the party can seek liberty to produce additional
    evidence at the appellate stage, but the same can be
    rt
    permitted only if the evidence sought to be produced could
    not be produced at the stage of trial in spite of exercise of
    due diligence and that the evidence could not be produced

    as it was not within his knowledge and hence was fit to be
    produced by the appellant before the appellate forum.

    5. It is thus clear that there are conditions precedent

    before allowing a party to adduce additional evidence at
    the stage of appeal, which specifically incorporate
    conditions to the effect that the party, in spite of due

    diligence, could not produce the evidence, and the same
    cannot be allowed to be done at his leisure or sweet will.”

    (emphasis supplied)
    This Court thus categorically held that unless the

    requirements stipulated under Order XLI Rule 27 CPC are
    strictly satisfied, a party cannot be permitted to adduce
    additional evidence at the appellate stage. Such
    permission cannot be granted as a matter of course, nor
    can additional evidence be introduced at the whim or
    convenience of a litigating party.

    11.6. Where the appellate court permits additional
    evidence to be adduced, Order XLI Rule 27(2) CPC casts a
    mandatory obligation upon the court to record the
    reasons for such admission. In Ibrahim Uddin (supra), this

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    Court elucidated the rationale underlying the
    requirement of recording reasons in the following terms:

    “42. Whenever the appellate court admits

    .

    additional evidence, it should record its reasons for

    doing so (sub-rule (2)). It is a salutary provision which
    operates as a check against too easy a reception of
    evidence at a late stage of litigation, and the statement

    of reasons may inspire confidence and disarm
    objection. Another reason for this requirement is that,
    where a further appeal lies from the decision, the

    of
    record of reasons will be useful and necessary for the
    court of further appeal to see if the discretion under
    this Rule has been properly exercised by the court
    below. The omission to record the reasons must,
    rt
    therefore, be treated as a serious defect. But this
    provision is only Directory and not mandatory, if the

    reception of such evidence can be justified under the
    Rule.”

    11.7. The procedural framework under Order XLI of CPC

    makes it abundantly clear that an appeal is ordinarily to
    be decided on the evidence adduced before the trial court.
    The appellate court is not expected to embark upon a

    fresh fact-finding exercise or permit production of
    additional evidence as a matter of routine. Where the

    appellate court is satisfied that the material already
    available on record is sufficient to enable it to pronounce
    judgment, it is well within its jurisdiction to confine its

    consideration to the evidence forming part of the record
    of the courts below.”

    20. In the present case, the documents sought to be

    proved on record were public and could have been produced

    before the learned Trial Court or the learned Appellate Court by

    exercising due diligence. No reason has been assigned for not

    producing the documents before the learned Trial Court or the

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    learned Appellate Court, and it is impermissible to produce them

    before this Court.

    .

    21. The documents sought to be produced are

    photocopies of the public record. Section 65(e) permits the party

    to give the secondary evidence when the original is a public

    of
    document, but it also provides that when the original is a public

    document, its certified copy and no other kind of secondary
    rt
    evidence is admissible. It was laid down by the Patna High Court

    in Jai Gopal Singh v. Divisional Forest Officer, 1953 SCC OnLine Pat

    29: AIR 1953 Pat 310 that it is impermissible to lead any other

    evidence except the certified copy of the public document. It was

    observed at page 311:

    “12. What constitutes primary evidence in the case of a
    document is defined in S. 62. The secondary evidence is

    defined in S. 63, and under cl. (5) of that section, an oral
    account of the contents of a document given by some

    person who has himself seen it is also secondary
    evidence. But S. 64 says that “documents must be proved
    by primary evidence except in the cases hereinafter
    mentioned”. Section 65 gives the list of cases in which
    secondary evidence may be given of the existence,
    condition or contents of a document. It has got seven
    clauses. Clause (e) of that section speaks about a case
    when the original is a public document within the
    meaning of S. 74. In the present case, the original of the
    notification is in the form of an official Gazette, which,
    under S. 74, Evidence Act, is a public document. As to such

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    a document, the provision laid down in S. 65 says that “a
    certified copy of the document, but no other kind of
    secondary evidence, is admissible”. In this view of the

    .

    provisions of law, I think, the notification under Section

    30 of the Bihar Private Protected Forests Act, 1947, being
    in the form of a public document, namely, the official
    Gazette, cannot be proved by any other kind of secondary

    evidence save by its certified copy.”

    22. A similar view was taken by Allahabad High Court in

    of
    Ganesh Prasad v. Badri Prasad Bholanath, 1980 SCC OnLine All 887:

    AIR 1980 All 361, wherein it was observed at page 362:

    rt

    6…..The court below has further relied upon another
    assessment list of the subsequent quinquennial in which,

    according to it, the name of Umesh Chandra Gupta is
    mentioned. I do not find any certified copy of the
    aforesaid year. The learned counsel for the respondent
    pointed out that there were two papers, 126C and 127C,

    which were filed in court, and subsequently the same
    were proved by the clerk concerned. These papers were
    filed per list 125/C by the defendant’s counsel, Sri Satya

    Narain Mishra, Advocate, on 4-3-1978 after remand. I
    have looked at these papers. These papers are not

    certified copies issued by the Municipal Board in
    accordance with Section 33 of the Municipalities Act.

    These have been issued by one Rashid Ali. They do not

    bear either any copying stamp, Folio or seal of the
    Municipal Board. That also did not come under the
    definition of certified copies as required by Section 65 of
    the Evidence Act. I compared these papers with the
    certified copy on record, and I find that these papers were
    incorrect and wholly inadmissible in evidence. They were
    not issued by the Municipal Board as required, and
    further, these papers, not being the certified copies, were
    inadmissible as provided by Cl. (f) of Sec. 65 read with its
    proviso. This proviso completely barred any other kind of
    secondary evidence except a certified copy.”

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    23. Therefore, the defendant can only prove the certified

    copy, and the photocopy of the certified copy is not admissible.

    .

    24. Consequently, the present application fails, and it is

    dismissed.

    Substantial Question of Law Nos. 1 and 2

    of

    25. These substantial questions of law are intricately

    connected and are taken up together for consideration.

    26.
    rt
    The defendant relied upon the birth certificate to

    prove her relationship to Rirku. Learned Appellate Court had

    rightly held that the entry in the birth certificate is per se

    admissible, but there must be some evidence that the entry

    pertained to a particular person. It was held by the Calcutta High

    Court in Hemanta Kumar Das v. Allianz & Stuttgarter Insurance Co.

    Ltd., 1937 SCC OnLine Cal 158: AIR 1938 Cal 120 that entries in the

    birth and register are not sufficient without identification. It was

    observed:

    “These extracts were produced by a clerk in the health
    department of the Corporation of Calcutta, who had no
    personal knowledge about the entries and could not
    vouch for their correctness. No attempt was made to
    identify the persons named therein. It was suggested on
    behalf of the defendants that these entries refer to the
    assured and his daughter and wife. and show that he

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    could not have been of the age stated by him. In my
    opinion, they cannot be accepted without evidence of
    identification, and are not sufficient in law without such

    .

    evidence of identification to establish the defendants’

    case. As was held in Draycott v. Talbot (1 E.R. 1501), entries
    of the names of persons in a register of births or deaths or
    marriages cannot be positive evidence of the birth, death

    or marriage of such persons unless their identity is fully
    proved. See also Woodroffe’s Law of Evidence Edn., 9 at
    page 394. (c) A certified copy of the entry of registration

    of
    of a deed presented by one Noot Behari Das of 66, Simla
    Street, Calcutta, in August 1891, at the Calcutta Registry
    office, which purports to have been executed by
    Bhairomani Dasi of 97, Naranoshi Gosh Street. This copy
    rt
    of the entry is admissible in evidence under Sections 74
    and 77, Evidence Act, as proof of the entry but not of the

    contents of the deed; see Woodroffe’s Law of Evidence
    Edn., 9 page 570.

    27. Nagpur High Court also held in State Government v.

    Kamruddin Imamoddin, 1955 SCC OnLine MP 72: AIR 1956 Nag 74

    that the identity of the person mentioned in the entry is required

    to be proved by independent evidence. It was observed at page

    76:

    “27. True, the entry shows that the name of the girl born
    to Laxman on 10-9-1939 is Jai, but, in our opinion, the
    name ‘Jai’ written on 29-10-1939 is not admissible in
    evidence without there being independent evidence to
    prove it. The Birth and Death Register is no doubt a
    document within the meaning of Section 35 of the
    Evidence Act and is therefore relevant and has evidentiary
    value. But this does not mean that each and every entry
    made in that register is admissible in evidence.

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    28. Only such entries as are made therein by persons in
    the discharge of their official duty are 1 admissible. The
    relevant rules do not show that any duty is enjoined on

    .

    the person concerned to note the name of the child born.

    Lord Parker of Waddington, in delivering the judgment of
    the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in — ‘Rai
    Bhaiya Dirgaj Deo Bahadur v. Beni Mahto
    ‘, AIR 1917 PC 197

    (1) (C), observed at page 197 (1):

    “Now, clearly this register is an official document, and
    therefore it is admissible in evidence under Section 35

    of
    of the Indian Evidence Act. It may be possible that in
    the case of such a document, if it could be shown that
    any particular part was in excess of the official duty by
    reason of which it came into existence, that part might
    rt
    not be admissible, but no attempt has been made to
    show this in the present case.”

    29. In the present case, it has been shown that the name
    of “Jai” was written in Ex. P-9 in excess of the official
    duty imposed on the person maintaining the register.

    This part of Exhibit P-9 is, therefore, inadmissible in
    evidence unless it is established by independent evidence.
    The entry was made on 29-10-1939. The person who has

    made it is not examined. Shravan (P.W. 9), who is
    examined in connection with Exhibit P-9, admits that he

    did not know who had made that entry in the register.

    31. The identity of that person has to be fully established
    by other evidence: — ‘Hemanta Kumar v. Alliantz Und

    Stuttgarter Life Insurance Co. Ltd.‘, AIR 1938 Cal 120 (D) and

    ‘Biseswar Misra v. The King‘, AIR 1949 Orissa 22 (E).”

    28. It was laid down by the Bombay High Court in

    Paryanibai Raghoji Dhendge v. Bajirao Deorao Marathe, 1961 SCC

    OnLine Bom 51: (1962) 64 Bom LR 86 that an entry in the birth

    and death register is admissible under Section 35 of the Indian

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    Evidence Act, but some evidence must be led to prove the

    identity of the person. It was observed at page 89:

    .

    “11…..It is no doubt true that the entry regarding the birth
    maintained in the Kotvari book, like a birth register, is
    receivable in evidence under s. 35 of the Indian Evidence

    Act. But it is wrong to assume that mere filing of a copy of
    an entry in the birth register or the kotwari book proves
    ipso facto that the entry relates to or proves the birth of

    of
    the person concerned; evidence has to be introduced to
    connect that entry with the person whose date of birth
    has to be established. Thus, the learned Judges of the
    Courts below were wrong in finding that merely because a
    rt
    certified copy of the entry of the date of birth from the
    kotwari book was filed at exh. D-S and P.W. 1, Paryanibai

    admitted that Mathurabai was called Gajri and that her
    father’s name was Gunaji. This much material on record
    automatically established that Mathurabai was born on
    the date mentioned in exh, D-8. It was necessary for the

    defendant to further lead evidence to prove by calling
    relations or some other persons that Mathurabai was
    born at the village from which the book entry is produced,

    that she was born to Gunaji, the number of children that
    Gunaji had and that the report of the birth was made in

    respect of the birth of Mathurabai. If this necessary and
    vital link is missing in the chain of evidence, then the

    defendant must be taken to have failed to connect the
    entry in the kotwari book register as the entry with
    respect to the date of birth of Mathurabai, which fact had
    to be proved by the defendant. It is only necessary to
    invite attention in this case to a few decisions such as
    State of M.P. v. Kamruddm [[1955] N.L.J. 799.] Hemanta
    Kumar v. Altimitz Ins
    . Co. [[1938] A.I.R. Cat. 120.]
    and
    Bisesivar Misra v. The King [[1949)] A.I.R. Orissa 22.] It is
    now the established rule that the connection of the
    identity of the person under the entry must be established
    by other evidence. Entries of names of persons in a
    register of births, deaths, or marriages cannot be that

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    evidence by itself, and the identity of the persons with the
    entry should be fully proved….

    29. Madras High Court also took a similar view in

    .

    Nagayasami Naidu v. Kochadai Naidu, 1967 SCC OnLine Mad 109:

    AIR 1969 Mad 329 and observed:

    Under S. 35 of the Evidence Act, it is only the entry made
    by a public servant in the discharge of his official duties

    of
    that is admissible as a relevant fact. (Vide Ramalinga
    Reddi v. Kotayya, ILR 41 Mad 26 : (AIR 1918 Mad 451) in
    which entries in birth registers kept by village officers
    were held to be admissible under S. 35 of the Evidence Act.

    rt
    Vide also Bagiammal v. Kamalammal, AIR 1965 Mad 205.)
    Sri Rajah Aiyar drew our attention to some of the cases in

    which this note of caution was indicated, that other
    particulars not strictly covered by the entries are not
    admissible under S. 35 of the Evidence Act. In
    Venkayamma v. Gangayya, AIR 1934 Mad 16, a Bench of

    this court held that an entry in the death register extract
    is not admissible to prove the age on the date of death,
    even though that factum was also recorded. Again, in

    Gurusami Nadar v. Irulappa, AIR 1934 Mad 630, in a death
    register extract, a particular person was described as a

    Christian and the learned Judge, Varadachariar J.,
    observed that at best it is safe to rely upon these registers

    only with reference to the fact of death and the date of
    birth.

    30. It was laid down in Khatalsaheb Wd. Khadir Saheb

    Inamdar v. Ameersaheb, 1994 SCC OnLine Kar 247 : (1995) 1 Kant

    LJ 663, that an entry in the birth and death register is admissible

    to show that a particular person mentioned in it was born on

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    that day, but some evidence must be led to prove the paternity of

    the person. It was observed at page 669:

    .

    “14. The law in this regard can be summarised as follows:

    Birth and death extracts can be admissible in evidence

    under Section 35 of the Evidence Act to show that a
    particular person by that name mentioned in the
    document was either born or dead on that particular day.

    of
    But, in order to establish that the said entry relates to a
    particular person, there must be some evidence led by the
    party contending that such an entry relates to a particular
    person. Further, it is very clear that the entry in that birth
    rt
    or death extract cannot be a document to prove the
    paternity of a person mentioned there, because it is not

    the duty of the person who makes those entries to make
    any entry as to the paternity of the person mentioned
    there. The entries are only regarding birth and death of
    the person concerned, and the official concerned is

    required to make these entries only in the discharge of his
    official duties. The document cannot be used for any
    purpose other than to prove the date of birth or death of a

    particular person mentioned in the extract. On the basis
    of mere entries in the birth or death extract, the paternity

    of a person cannot be determined. For that purpose, a
    party concerned will have to lead some other evidence to

    prove that a particular person was born to a particular
    man when that point is in issue in the case….”

    31. Kerala High Court held in Suresh Babu v. State of

    Kerala, 2000 SCC OnLine Ker 182: (2001) 1 KLT 80 that it is unsafe

    to rely upon the entry in the birth register without the identity

    of the person. It was observed at page 83:

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    “6….No doubt the entry regarding the date of birth in the
    register of births and deaths is admissible in evidence
    under S. 35 of the Evidence Act. But, as has been held by

    .

    this Court in Govinda Pillai Sukumara Pillai v. Lekshmi

    Amma Kochappi Amma (1957 KLT 804) that it is not safe to
    accept a mere entry in the birth register as proof of the
    age of the child concerned without some evidence or

    admission of the parties about the identity of the parents
    and the child mentioned in the register. In State v.
    Kumruddin
    (AIR 1956 Nagpur 74), it has been held that the

    of
    mere entry in the register of births and deaths to the
    effect that a child was born to a person without any
    statement as to the identity of the child is not sufficient to
    prove the birth of a particular person. The identity of that
    rt
    person has to be fully established by other evidence….”

    32. In the present case, the entry mentions that a

    daughter was born to Rirku on 28.01.1924, whose birth was

    registered on 08.02.1924. It does not mention the name of any

    person. The defendant Reshmu stated that she was aged six

    months when her father Rirku died. The copy of the mutation

    (Ext.PA) mentions that Rirku S/o Parma Nand had died on

    11.09.1923. Thus, Rirku had died much before the birth of his

    daughter recorded in the certificate, and the testimony of the

    defendant does not connect her to the entry. Thus, the learned

    Appellate Court had rightly held that the evidence of the

    defendant was not sufficient to infer that the birth certificate

    pertained to her and that she is the daughter reflected in the

    certificate.

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    33. There is a distinction between the admissibility and

    the probative value of the document. The document may be

    .

    admissible, but its probative value may be nil 2. It was laid down

    by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in Madan Mohan Singh v. Rajni

    Kant, (2010) 9 SCC 209: 2010 SCC OnLine SC 890 that an entry

    made by a public official in discharge of his official duties may

    of
    be admissible, but the Court has to determine its probative

    value. It was observed at page 215:

    rt
    “18. Therefore, a document may be admissible, but as to

    whether the entry contained therein has any probative
    value may still be required to be examined in the facts and
    circumstances of a particular case. The aforesaid legal
    proposition stands fortified by the judgments of this

    Court in Ram Prasad Sharma v. State of Bihar [(1969) 2 SCC
    359: AIR 1970 SC 326], Ram Murti v. State of Haryana
    [(1970) 3 SCC 21: 1970 SCC (Cri) 371: AIR 1970 SC 1029],

    Dayaram v. Dawalatshah [(1971) 1 SCC 358: AIR 1971 SC

    681], Harpal Singh v. State of H.P. [(1981) 1 SCC 560: 1981
    SCC (Cri) 208: AIR 1981 SC 361], Ravinder Singh Gorkhi v.

    State of U.P. [(2006) 5 SCC 584: (2006) 2 SCC (Cri) 632],

    Babloo Pasi v. State of Jharkhand [(2008) 13 SCC 133:

    (2009) 3 SCC (Cri) 266], Desh Raj v. Bodh Raj [(2008) 2 SCC
    186: AIR 2008 SC 632] and Ram Suresh Singh v. Prabhat
    Singh
    [(2009) 6 SCC 681: (2010) 2 SCC (Cri) 1194]. In these
    cases, it has been held that even if the entry was made in
    an official record by the official concerned in the
    discharge of his official duty, it may have weight but still
    may require corroboration by the person on whose
    information the entry has been made and as to whether
    the entry so made has been exhibited and proved.
    The

    2
    State of Bihar v. Radha Krishna Singh
    , (1983) 3 SCC 118

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    standard of proof required herein is the same as in other
    civil and criminal cases.

    19. Such entries may be in any public document, i.e.

    .

    school register, voters’ list, or family register prepared

    under the Rules and Regulations, etc., in force, and may
    be admissible under Section 35 of the Evidence Act as held
    in Mohd. Ikram Hussain v. State of U.P. [AIR 1964 SC 1625:

    (1964) 2 Cri LJ 590] and Santenu Mitra v. State of W.B.
    [(1998) 5 SCC 697: 1998 SCC (Cri) 1381: AIR 1999 SC 1587]

    20. So far as the entries made in the official record by an

    of
    official or person authorised in performance of official
    duties are concerned, they may be admissible under
    Section 35 of the Evidence Act, but the court has a right to
    examine their probative value. The authenticity of the
    rt
    entries would depend on whose information such entries
    stood recorded and what was his source of information.

    The entries in the school register/school leaving
    certificate are required to be proved in accordance with
    the law, and the standard of proof required in such cases
    remained the same as in any other civil or criminal

    cases.”

    34. Therefore, the learned Appellate Court was justified

    in holding that mere admissibility of the document will not

    show that the contents of the document were correct or that

    they referred to the defendant. Thus, the mere proof of the

    certificate was not sufficient to connect the defendant to Rirku.

    35. Learned Appellate Court had rightly held that Section

    50 of the Indian Evidence Act deals with the evidence about the

    relationship. This Section was interpreted by the Hon’ble

    Supreme Court in Dharmrao Sharanappa Shabadi v. Syeda Arifa

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    Parveen, 2025 SCC OnLine SC 2155, and it was held that the

    opinion expressed by the conduct regarding the relationship is a

    .

    relevant fact where the Court has to form an opinion regarding

    the relationship between two persons. It was observed:-

    “26. Dolgobinda Paricha v. Nimai Charan Misra, AIR 1959
    SC 914 is an apt authority for appreciating the contours of

    of
    Section 50 of the Evidence Act on the opinion evidence on
    the relationship in issue of fact. The following principles
    can be culled out from Dolgobinda Paricha (supra):

    a. Section 50 specifically makes the opinion
    rt
    expressed by the conduct of a person with special
    knowledge relevant.

    b. For the applicability of the section, there are
    three essentials.

    i. Firstly, the court has to form an opinion as to

    the relationship of one person to another.
    ii. Secondly, the opinion on this relationship
    must be expressed through conduct.

    iii. Thirdly, the person whose conduct expresses

    the opinion must have special means of
    knowledge on the subject, such as being a
    member of the family or otherwise.

    c. The term “opinion” is defined not as a casual
    statement or gossip but as a “judgment or belief”

    or a “conviction.” This belief is demonstrated and
    proved through the person’s conduct or behaviour.
    The conduct must be of a tenor that can only be
    explained by the existence of that inner belief about
    the relationship.

    26.1 Chandu Lal Agarwala v. Khalilar Rahman ILR (1942) 2
    Cal 299, further clarifies by stating that conduct is not the
    ultimate proof of a relationship but an intermediate step.

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    It allows the court to infer the “opinion” of the person
    whose conduct is in evidence. The court then weighs this
    opinion to arrive at its own conclusion regarding the

    .

    relationship in issue. Hence, Section 50 does not make

    evidence of mere general reputation (without
    accompanying conduct) admissible as proof of a
    relationship. Further, if the conduct is of such a tenor, the

    Court only gets to a relevant piece of evidence, namely,
    the opinion of a person. It still remains for the Court to
    weigh such evidence and come to its own opinion as to

    of
    the factum probandum, as to the relationship in question.
    In conforming to the above, the conduct, being a
    perceptible external fact, must be proved by “direct
    evidence” as defined in Section 60 of the Evidence Act.

    rt
    This means that the witnesses must testify to what they
    personally saw or heard.

    26.2 The opinion expressed by the conduct of any person
    as a member of the family or of any person otherwise has
    special means of knowledge on the subject is a relevant
    fact. This testimony remains as direct evidence under

    Section 60 of the Evidence Act.”

    36. The defendant did not examine any person having

    special knowledge about the relationship to prove the

    relationship between her and Rirku. She did not narrate any

    conduct to show that she was treated as a daughter of Rirku.

    Therefore, there was insufficient evidence to prove that the

    defendant was the daughter of Rirku, and the substantial

    questions of law No. 1 and 2 are answered accordingly.

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    Substantial Question of Law No.3 :

    37. It was submitted that the plaintiff has challenged the

    .

    mutation and such a suit is barred by Section 171 of the H.P. Land

    Revenue Act. This submission will not help the defendant. It was

    laid down by a Full Bench of this Court in Chuhniya Devi vs. Jindu

    Ram (21.09.1990 – HPHC): MANU/HP/0084/1990:1991 (1) ShimLC

    of
    223 that the exclusion of the jurisdiction of the Civil Court is

    subject to the provision of the HP Land Revenue Act and the
    rt
    latter itself provides that a person aggrieved by an entry in the

    revenue record is entitled to file a suit for declaration of his right

    under Section 46. It was observed:

    “11. From the provisions noticed by us, it is clear that the
    matters which are entrusted specifically to a Revenue

    Officer by or under the Act are excluded from the
    jurisdiction of the civil court. But the exclusion, as is

    evident from the opening part of Section 171, is “except as
    otherwise provided by this Act”.

    12. Stated more precisely, the position is that though a
    civil court cannot give any direction, amongst others,
    about correction of any entry in a record-of-rights,
    periodical register of mutation or for framing of a record-
    of-rights or annual record or the preparation, signing or
    attestation of any of the documents included in the
    record, any decision which it may record in respect of a
    direction given by a Revenue Officer under Sub-section
    (2) of Section 37 relating to the question as to who is in
    possession of a property to which the dispute relates or is
    the person best entitled to it as well as about any right

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    under which a person is in possession, it will have to be
    given effect to in the record-of-rights by the Revenue
    Officer. This is more than clear from what is provided in

    .

    Section 37(3) and Section 46. The finality of the decision

    of the Revenue Officer is expressly made subject to a
    decision by the civil court by these provisions. The
    jurisdiction of the civil court, in matters falling within the

    ambit of these provisions, is not excluded. Instead, it has
    been expressly preserved.

    ****

    of

    64. The Answer. Our answer, therefore, is:

    (a) that an order made by the competent authority under
    the H.P. Land Revenue Act, 1954, is open to challenge
    rt
    before a civil court to the extent that it relates to matters
    falling within the ambit of Section 37 (3) and Section 46

    of that Act”

    38. A similar view was taken in Ram Piari vs Devi Ram

    2012(1) Him. L.R. 52 wherein it was observed:

    “7. The Sub-section (1) of Section 37 provides that if

    during the making, revision or preparation of any record
    or in the course of any inquiry under Chapter IV a dispute

    arises as to any matter of which an entry is to be made in
    a record or in a register of mutations, a Revenue Officer
    may of his own motion or on the application of any party

    interested and after such inquiry as he thinks fit,
    determine the entry to be made as to that matter. The
    sub-section (2) further provides that Revenue Officer
    shall by order direct that, that person be put in possession
    thereof, and that any entry in accordance with that order
    be made in that register, under sub-section(3) direction
    given by Revenue Officer under sub-section (2) is subject
    to any decree or order which may be subsequently passed
    by any Court of competent jurisdiction.

    8. Thus, it cannot be said that the order passed by the
    Revenue Officer for the correction of the entry is beyond

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    34
    2026:HHC:8825

    the purview of the Civil Court. On the contrary, such an
    order is subject to the decree of the Civil Court. The Civil
    Court has the jurisdiction to determine the dispute raised

    .

    by the respondent by filing the suit. The decree passed by

    the District Judge is not without jurisdiction and not hit
    by Section 171 of the H.P. Land Revenue Act. The
    substantial question of law No.1 is decided against the

    appellants.”

    39. This position was reiterated in State of HP vs Sukhan

    of
    Devi, AIR 2025 HP 133, wherein it was observed:

    “25. Section 171 itself provides that the Civil Court shall
    have jurisdiction if otherwise provided under the Act.

    rt
    Section 46, referred supra, is providing right to the
    aggrieved person to file a suit being aggrieved by the

    entry in the record of rights/revenue record. Therefore,
    Section 46 empowers the Civil Court to direct inclusion of
    the name of a person in the revenue entries, subject to

    establishing right by such aggrieved person by filing an
    appropriate suit.”

    40. In the present case, the plaintiff sought to establish

    his right as the legal heir of Fagnu and Jogi, and he is entitled to

    file a civil suit under Section 46 of the HP Land Revenue Act. The

    provisions of Section 171 will not bar such a civil suit. Hence, this

    substantial question of law is answered accordingly.

    Final order:

    41. In view of the above, there is no infirmity in the

    judgment and decree passed by the learned Appellate Court, and

    no interference is required with it. Hence, the present appeal

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    35
    2026:HHC:8825

    fails, and the same is dismissed, so also pending miscellaneous

    application(s), if any.

    .

    42. Records of the learned Courts below be returned

    forthwith.

    (Rakesh Kainthla)
    Judge

    of
    25th March, 2026
    (Nikita)

    rt

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