Succession – Challenge to Will – Thumb Impression Found Forged – Plaintiff (natural heir) challenged a Will dated 08.08.1985 allegedly executed by deceased mother Smt. Shanti Devi in favour of three sons – First appellate court allowed production of handwriting expert's report under Order XLI Rule 27 CPC – Expert opined that thumb impression on Will did not match authenticated standard impressions – Defendants led no rebuttal evidence – Held: Will not duly executed – Mutation based on Will is void – Property to devolve equally among all eight children [Paras 7, 8.1, 11–14, 16–17]

Will – Suspicious Circumstances – Non-Registration – False Recitals – Scribe Lacked Experience – Will written by an unknown scribe who had never authored a document before – False recitals about earlier allotment of property to other heirs – Will was not registered despite testator living two months after execution – Held: Surrounding circumstances not satisfactorily explained – Will rightly disbelieved by first appellate court [Paras 8.2, 13–14]

Evidence Law – Opinion of Handwriting Expert – Thumb Impressions from Judicial File – Standard thumb impressions taken from earlier civil suit file authenticated by court – Expert’s unrebutted testimony held reliable – Held: When no rebuttal is offered and document’s foundation is falsified, Will cannot be upheld [Paras 7, 12]

Relinquishment – No Registered Instrument – Deemed Relinquishment Unsustainable – First appellate court erroneously held that respondents 5 to 7, by supporting Will, relinquished their share – Held: Relinquishment of share in immovable property must be through registered instrument or valid family settlement – No such evidence presented – All heirs entitled to equal share under succession law [Paras 15–17]

Decision: Appeal partly allowed – Will dated 08.08.1985 and Mutation No.1648 dated 23.07.1986 declared invalid – Finding of deemed relinquishment by defendants 5 to 7 set aside – All eight children of deceased to inherit suit property equally (1/8th share each) – First appellate court’s decree modified accordingly – No costs [Paras 16–18]

Civil Law – Rejection of Plaint – Order VII Rule 11 CPC – No Cause of Action – Plaintiff filed a declaratory suit seeking invalidation of multiple gift deeds and powers of attorney concerning a property allegedly related to his father and uncle – Trial court rejected the suit at the threshold under Order VII Rule 11 CPC citing lack of any legal right or ownership claim by the plaintiff – Held: Entire plaint failed to disclose how plaintiff is legally connected to the property – No right to sue was demonstrated – Absence of cause of action is fatal – Rejection of plaint proper [Paras 5–7, 19–20]

Cause of Action – Right to Sue – Mere Allegations of Fraud – Court held that plaintiff cannot claim relief merely by attacking transactions between third parties without establishing own locus – Right to sue is foundational to cause of action – In absence of such right, suit cannot proceed – Plaintiff’s averments were vague, inconsistent, and lacked factual basis to establish ownership or title [Paras 6–7, 19]

Interpretation – Order VII Rule 11 CPC – Reiterated principles laid down by Supreme Court in Raj Narain Sarin v. Laxmi Devi, Dahiben v. Arvindbhai Kalyanji Bhanusali, and Kuldeep Singh Pathania v. Bikram Singh Jaryal – Held: Rejection of plaint is a drastic remedy but justified where plaint is self-inviting such rejection due to absence of legal foundation or cause of action – Courts must prevent misuse of judicial time on suits destined to fail [Paras 8–18]

Decision: Appeal dismissed – Order of trial court rejecting the suit under Order VII Rule 11 CPC upheld – Connected applications and contempt petitions also dismissed.

Railways – Freight Classification – Distance Based Charges (DBC) – Domestic vs. Export Tariff – Respondent (KIOCL Ltd.), a Government of India undertaking, booked a rake of iron ore fines from NMDC’s Kirandul Siding to Visakhapatnam Port in December 2012 for domestic pelletization. Railways levied DBC treating it as export movement under Rate Circular No.36/2009—Tribunal found that during the relevant quarter (Oct–Dec 2012), all pellets were sold domestically, none exported—Held: DBC impermissible where consignment demonstrably for domestic use—Levy contrary to governing tariff—Refund rightly ordered [Paras 7–11, 26–29].

Administrative Law – Scope of Sections 78 & 83, Railways Act, 1989 – Sections 78 (re-measurement) and 83 (recovery of undercharges) are procedural and enabling—They empower recalculation of freight only within existing tariff heads, not reclassification of traffic post-facto—Cannot be invoked to impose new levy where tariff circular precludes DBC for domestic traffic—Use of these provisions to retrospectively recharacterize tariff head impermissible [Paras 24–25, 31–32].

Tariff Circular – Interpretation – Rate Circular No.36/2009 – Circular creates dual classification: Class 180 + DBC for export movements and Class 140 (without DBC) for domestic movements—End-use of consignment is determinative criterion—Documentary compliance (affidavit, indemnity) is procedural safeguard; once domestic end-use proved through excise returns, minor procedural lapses immaterial—Doctrine of substantial compliance applies [Paras 26–28, 31].

Evidence – Excise Returns – Proof of Domestic Sale – Excise records for Oct–Dec 2012 showed nil exports, confirming domestic sales—Appellate court defers to concurrent factual finding of Tribunal—Prior export conduct of KIOCL (2008–11) irrelevant to 2012 consignment—Tariff classification is transaction-specific, not reputation-based [Paras 29–30].

Judicial Review – Appellate Restraint – Tribunal’s findings were based on contemporaneous industrial records, not conjecture—No perversity or illegality shown—Appellate interference unwarranted—Doctrine of appellate restraint applies [Paras 32–33].

Interest on Refund – Restitution – Interest at 6% p.a. awarded from 02.12.2015 till payment affirmed—Represents equitable balance between restitutionary fairness and fiscal restraint—Interest to continue till date of actual refund [Para 14].

Pending Proceedings – No Bar – Pendency of SLP (C) No.15869/2015 and connected T.Ps. concerning constitutional validity of DBC does not bar adjudication—No specific stay applicable—Mere pendency not prohibition [Para 32(xii)].

Decision: Appeals dismissed – Tribunal’s judgment affirmed – Railways directed to refund ₹58,01,110.80 with 6% interest from 02.12.2015 till actual payment within two months – No order as to costs [Paras 15–16].

Railways – Freight Classification – Distance Based Charges (DBC) – Domestic vs. Export Tariff – Respondent (KIOCL Ltd.), a Government of India undertaking, booked a rake of iron ore fines from NMDC’s Kirandul Siding to Visakhapatnam Port in December 2012 for domestic pelletization. Railways levied DBC treating it as export movement under Rate Circular No.36/2009—Tribunal found that during the relevant quarter (Oct–Dec 2012), all pellets were sold domestically, none exported—Held: DBC impermissible where consignment demonstrably for domestic use—Levy contrary to governing tariff—Refund rightly ordered [Paras 7–11, 26–29].

Administrative Law – Scope of Sections 78 & 83, Railways Act, 1989 – Sections 78 (re-measurement) and 83 (recovery of undercharges) are procedural and enabling—They empower recalculation of freight only within existing tariff heads, not reclassification of traffic post-facto—Cannot be invoked to impose new levy where tariff circular precludes DBC for domestic traffic—Use of these provisions to retrospectively recharacterize tariff head impermissible [Paras 24–25, 31–32].

Tariff Circular – Interpretation – Rate Circular No.36/2009 – Circular creates dual classification: Class 180 + DBC for export movements and Class 140 (without DBC) for domestic movements—End-use of consignment is determinative criterion—Documentary compliance (affidavit, indemnity) is procedural safeguard; once domestic end-use proved through excise returns, minor procedural lapses immaterial—Doctrine of substantial compliance applies [Paras 26–28, 31].

Evidence – Excise Returns – Proof of Domestic Sale – Excise records for Oct–Dec 2012 showed nil exports, confirming domestic sales—Appellate court defers to concurrent factual finding of Tribunal—Prior export conduct of KIOCL (2008–11) irrelevant to 2012 consignment—Tariff classification is transaction-specific, not reputation-based [Paras 29–30].

Judicial Review – Appellate Restraint – Tribunal’s findings were based on contemporaneous industrial records, not conjecture—No perversity or illegality shown—Appellate interference unwarranted—Doctrine of appellate restraint applies [Paras 32–33].

Interest on Refund – Restitution – Interest at 6% p.a. awarded from 02.12.2015 till payment affirmed—Represents equitable balance between restitutionary fairness and fiscal restraint—Interest to continue till date of actual refund [Para 14].

Pending Proceedings – No Bar – Pendency of SLP (C) No.15869/2015 and connected T.Ps. concerning constitutional validity of DBC does not bar adjudication—No specific stay applicable—Mere pendency not prohibition [Para 32(xii)].

Decision: Appeals dismissed – Tribunal’s judgment affirmed – Railways directed to refund ₹58,01,110.80 with 6% interest from 02.12.2015 till actual payment within two months – No order as to costs [Paras 15–16].

Prison Law – Furlough – Classification of Convicts – Constitutional Validity of Administrative Standing Orders – Petitioner convicted under Sections 304B, 498A, and 406 IPC – Sentence modified by Supreme Court and petitioner re-admitted to prison post-conviction – Application for furlough denied based on Clause F(3) of Standing Order No. 01/2019 which mandates a one-year watch period upon re-admission – Challenge to the Standing Order on grounds of lack of statutory authority, excessive watch period, violation of Article 14 and 21 of Constitution – Held: Clause F(3) supplements Rule 1223(1) of Delhi Prison Rules, 2018 and enables jail authorities to assess post-re-admission conduct – Not violative of Article 14 or 21 – One-year watch period held reasonable to balance societal safety and jail discipline – No parity can be claimed with parole watch period of six months due to conceptual differences between furlough and parole – Classification between convicts who appeal and those who don’t is reasonable and based on intelligible differentia [Paras 1-50].

Administrative Law – Standing Orders – Validity – Director General (Prisons) issuing Standing Order No. 01/2019 pursuant to High Court direction to streamline furlough applications – Held: Standing Orders are supplemental instructions and not ultra vires – Administrative instructions permissible under general supervisory authority where they do not contravene any statute or rule [Paras 33-36].

Constitutional Law – Article 21 – Furlough Not an Absolute Right – Citing Supreme Court in State of Gujarat v. Narayan, furlough is a conditional and reformative measure, not an absolute legal entitlement – Denial based on eligibility rules or standing instructions does not violate fundamental right to liberty [Paras 36-39].

Criminal Procedure – No Right to Furlough – Petitioner cannot claim furlough as of right – Mandatory one-year watch post-re-admission is within the administrative competence of prison authorities – Application rightly rejected until petitioner completes watch period [Paras 34, 37, 47].

Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances – Acquittal – Appellant convicted under Section 22(c) of the NDPS Act for alleged possession of 174 ampules of Lupigesic and 24 unlabelled ampules – Trial court sentenced appellant to 13 years of rigorous imprisonment with fine – Appellant challenged conviction citing procedural lapses including delay in production of contraband and non-compliance with mandatory provisions of NDPS Act – High Court found delay in production of contraband and absence of evidence regarding custody and storage – Held: Unexplained delay and missing specimen seal raise serious doubt about the integrity of prosecution case – Conviction set aside – Appellant acquitted [Paras 1, 2, 23, 24, 26].

NDPS Act – Compliance with Sections 42 and 57 – Prosecution submitted Exhibits P1 and P13 to prove compliance – Court noted both documents were received by immediate superior officer on same date and within statutory limits – PW6’s testimony on handwritten numeric ‘1’ went unchallenged – Held: Compliance with Sections 42 and 57 established [Paras 7, 8].

NDPS Act – Section 50 – Applicability and Compliance – Contraband found in plastic kit carried by accused and inside pants pocket – Appellant informed of right under Section 50 and opted to be searched in presence of Gazetted Officer – Search carried out accordingly – Court held that while obligation to inform suspect is mandatory, taking accused specifically before Magistrate is not – Held: Procedural compliance with Section 50 satisfied – No violation of legal safeguards [Paras 9-15].

NDPS Act – Section 52A – Applicability – Entire contraband produced before court – Appellant’s contention that failure to comply with Section 52A vitiated case rejected – Court held Section 52A applies only when representative sample is produced – When full contraband is produced, compliance under Section 52A not required – Non-compliance not fatal to prosecution [Paras 16-21].

NDPS Act – Commercial Quantity – Charge framed in millilitres instead of grams – Appellant argued lack of conversion renders charge faulty – Court relied on chemical report (Exhibit P20) indicating strength of Buprenorphine per ml – Cumulative content converted to over 116 grams – Held: Charge not defective – Commercial quantity established through chemical evidence – No prejudice caused [Para 22].

Criminal Trial – Delay in Production of Contraband – Contraband seized on 21-10-2011 but produced before Court only on 27 or 28-10-2011 – No clear evidence regarding interim custody or storage – Property list lacked identifiable Magistrate’s signature – Specimen seal missing from seizure mahazar (Exhibit P11) – Court held delay unexplained and prejudicial to accused – Failure to establish chain of custody casts doubt on prosecution’s case – Accused entitled to benefit of doubt [Paras 23, 24, 25, 26].

Decision: Appeal allowed – Conviction and sentence under Section 22(c) NDPS Act set aside – Appellant acquitted – Fine amount, if deposited, to be refunded [Para 26].

Income Tax – Charitable Trust – Accumulation of Income under Section 11(2) – Compliance – Petitioner Trust filed Form 10 electronically within time, stating accumulation purpose as “medical, educational and social relief to members of Zoroastrian community and conservation, maintenance and upkeep of properties” – Resolution dated 26/09/2018 passed by trustees was disclosed and submitted to assessing officer during original assessment proceedings – Held: There was full compliance with Section 11(2) and Rule 17, including prescribed manner and time of submission [Paras 8–10, 16–21]

Reassessment – Section 148 – Change of Opinion – Assessment under Section 143(3) had already considered accumulation issue, including Form 10 and trustee resolution – Reassessment initiated solely based on audit objection that Form 10 lacked specific purpose – Held: No new information or tangible material – Reopening based on change of opinion is impermissible – Assessee cannot be faulted for limited space in prescribed statutory form [Paras 22–24, 26–30]

Judicial Precedents – Applicability – Gujarat High Court decision in CIT (Exemption) v. Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purshottam Public Charitable Trust [2019] 102 taxmann.com 122 cited with approval – Bombay High Court in Chandrakant Narayan Patkar Charitable Trust [2022] 138 taxmann.com 564 and Siemens Financial Services (P.) Ltd. [2023] 154 taxmann.com 159 followed – Held: Assessing Officer has no power to review original assessment under the garb of reassessment [Paras 24, 29–30]

Decision: Impugned show cause notices under Section 148A(b), order under Section 148A(d), and notice under Section 148 dated 28/08/2024 quashed – Rule made absolute – Other grounds kept open – No order as to costs [Paras 31–33]

Custody Parole – Attendance in Parliament – No Legal Entitlement – Appellant, an elected MP under UAPA custody, sought permission to attend Lok Sabha sessions on custody parole and challenged the imposition of expenses for police escort – Court held there is no constitutional or statutory right to attend parliamentary proceedings while in lawful custody – Participation in legislative proceedings does not arise when valid detention is in place [Paras 7–9].

Prison Law – Custody Parole – Delhi Prison Rules – Rule 1203 permits custody parole only in limited emergent situations like death, illness, or marriage in family – Attendance at Parliament is not an emergent ground under the Rules – Therefore, parole for such purpose is purely discretionary [Paras 10–12].

Costs of Escort – Modification of Parole Terms – High Court clarified that expenses imposed earlier under Para 24.7 of its 25.03.2025 order were not intended to cover police salaries or overheads – Court held State’s attempt to demand ₹1.45 lakh per day, including salaries of escort personnel, was excessive and legally unjustified – Appellant is only liable to bear reasonable transport expenses (jail van and escort vehicle costs) – ₹2,056/day [Paras 30–33, 61–62].

Parliamentary Privileges – Article 105 – Limited Scope – Freedom of speech and privileges under Article 105 apply only when a member is physically present in the House – Valid custody prevents attendance and thus, such privileges are not violated – No breach of privilege where detention is lawful [Paras 7, 17].

Review – Section 403 BNSS – Not a Bar to Modification – Court held condition modification of parole does not amount to review – Relief sought pertains to implementation feasibility, not merits of parole – Inherent power under Section 528 BNSS invoked to clarify conditions in interest of justice [Paras 34–35].

Judicial Precedent – Discretionary Orders Not Binding – Court held previous orders granting parole (including the High Court’s own order dated 25.03.2025) were discretionary and fact-specific – Lower courts cannot treat them as binding precedent without independent legal basis [Paras 14–16].

Public Duty – Representation in Parliament – Court acknowledged that MPs have public responsibilities but clarified such duties do not override valid legal custody – Any such participation must be within lawful limits and court discretion [Paras 36.4, 53–55].

Decision:

Custody parole condition modified – Appellant to pay only jail van and escort vehicle expenses (₹2,056 per day) – No obligation to pay police escort salaries – Prior payments not refundable – Appeals disposed – Appellant may seek future relief as per law [Paras 62–64, 67–70].

Service Law – Regularization – Contractual Engagement – Outsourcing Policy – Petitioners engaged since 2011 under BKVY-DBSK project on yearly contractual basis sought regularization—State rejected claim citing project-based nature of posts and Finance Department’s directive to replace contract staff with outsourced manpower—Held: Mere labeling of posts as “project-based” cannot justify perpetual ad hoc engagement when work is perennial and integral to functioning of OLIC—Continuous and sanctioned engagement through due process cannot be replaced by outsourcing—Prolonged engagement (over 13 years) evidences institutional necessity—State’s reliance on undertakings not to claim regularization invalid where inequality of bargaining power exists [Paras 16–24].

Administrative Law – Equality and Fair Treatment – Article 14 – State cannot deny regular employment while continuing to extract permanent work under temporary labels—Replacement of one set of temporary workers by another violates principles in State of Haryana v. Piara Singh and Jaggo v. Union of India—Uma Devi not a shield to perpetuate arbitrary contractualism when initial engagement was legal and sanctioned [Paras 17–20].

Constitutional Law – Article 21 – Right to Livelihood – Long-serving contractual employees performing essential and continuous duties acquire legitimate expectation of security—Administrative undertakings extracted under compulsion cannot override constitutional guarantees of fairness and dignity of labour [Paras 21–22].

Relief – Regularization and Creation of Posts – Court declined to order direct regularization in absence of sanctioned cadre posts—Directed authorities to examine creation of equivalent regular posts matching duties performed by petitioners and consider their engagement against those posts with age relaxation as needed—Pending such exercise, petitioners not to be disengaged [Paras 28–30].

Decision: Writ petitions disposed of – Authorities directed to consider creation of suitable regular posts corresponding to petitioners’ functions and to continue petitioners in service till such consideration – No costs.

Arms Act – Quashing of FIR – Conscious Possession – Live Ammunition – Petitioner, a US Army personnel and citizen, found carrying 9 live cartridges in his check-in baggage at IGI Airport – Claimed the ammunition was mistakenly left in bag by his father who holds valid arms license – No firearm recovered – Petitioner unaware of the presence of ammunition – Held: Conscious possession is essential ingredient under Section 25 of the Arms Act – Absence of mens rea or animus possidendi makes out no offence – Petitioner’s explanation plausible – FIR quashed [Paras 2–6, 10–14, 16–18].

Criminal Procedure – Section 482 CrPC – Inherent Powers – FIR Quashed – Court held that continuing prosecution despite absence of essential ingredients of offence would be abuse of process – FIR and all proceedings arising therefrom quashed under Section 482 CrPC in exercise of inherent jurisdiction to prevent miscarriage of justice [Paras 15–18].