JUDGMENT
Inder Sen Israni, J.
1. This is a Civil Misc. Appeal under Section 384 of the Succession Act, 1925 against the judgment dated 26-4-1985 passed by the District Judge, Jhalawar in Civil Misc. Case No. 11/82, whereby the application
of the appellant dated 11-4-1985 for issuing succession certification has been dismissed and the court-fee stamps submitted by him have been ordered to be refunded to the appellant.
2. Briefly stated the facts of this case are that on 6-7-1982 the appellant filed an application under Section 372 of the Succession Act, 1925 (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Act’) in the court of learned Distt. Judge, Jhalawar with the averment that Shri Sardar Singh s/o Shri Karam Singh who was the husband of the appellant died in an accident. An application for grant of succession certificate was filed by the appellant and the non-petitioners sons and daughters of deceased Sardar Singh had raised no objection to the issue of succession certificate to her, which was regarding the working of mines and for receiving the income of the same and for applying the same for the maintenance, education and marriage of respondent No. 8. It was also averred in the application that the applicant will be entitled to get the leases of the above mines transferred in her favour from the Mining Department of Jhalawar and that the respondents will have no claim of succession in the said mines. After recording the evidence and observing all other necessary formalities, the learned District Judge vide its order dated 7-5-1983 found the appellant entitled to get the succession certificate prayed for by her and it was directed that oh appellant’s submitting estate duty clearance certificate, a succession certificate may be issued in her favour regarding the sand stone mines of all the four villages enumerated in para No. 1 of the application. In compliance of the above order, the appellant submitted necessary court-fee stamps, but since the succession certificate was not issued to her even thereafter, she filed an application on 11-4-1985 in the court of District Judge, Jhalawar for issuing the same. In the meantime the Presiding Officer of the Court had changed and after hearing the appellant’s counsel the application dated 11-4-1985 was dismissed and it was ordered that the court-fee stamps submitted by her may be returned to her as no succession certificate could be issued to her. Learned District Judge vide its order dated 26-4-1985 opined that the leases of the mines do not fall under the definition of debt or security as defined in Section 370 of the Act, and therefore, in spite of the order dated 7-5-83 of the same court, he did not deem it proper to issue succession certificate to the appellant.
3. I have heard learned counsel for both
the parties and have also gone through the
record of the case.
4. It has been contended by the learned counsel for the appellant that once an order for issue of succession certificate was passed by the learned District Judge, the same court could not cancel the order except by invoking the provisions of Section 383 of the Act. It is evident from the perusal of order dated 26-4-1985 that the order revoking the certificate has not been made by invoking any of the provisions laid down in Section 383 of the Act. It has, therefore, been urged that this order under appeal is evidently illegal and against the provisions of law as contained in the Act. It has been further pointed out that the Government of Rajasthan has in fact issued the notice to the appellant for producing succession certificate before the leases could be transferred to her. It has been also pointed out that under Rule 14 of the Rajasthan Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 1977 it has been laid down that the leases shall be required to deposit a sum equal to one fourth of the annual dead-rent as security in cash or, in the form of National Savings Certificate or National Plan Certificate or any other form of securities which may be notified by the Government for the due performance of the terms of the lease agreement. The certificate shall be pledged with Mining Engineer/Assistant Mining Engineer having
jurisdiction over the area under lease. Therefore, it is evident that the security has to be deposited with the State Government for the purposes of enjoying the rights in the leases of the mines. It is, therefore, evident that the leases do come under the definition of security as laid down under Section 370 of the Act.
5. It is evident from the discussions hereinabove that the learned District Judge, Jhalawar could not legally revoke the order dated 7-5-1983 passed by the same court for grant of succession certificate to the appellant unless the provisions of Section 383 of the Act were invoked. Moreover, Rule 14 of the Rajasthan Minor Mineral Concession Rules, 1977 also makes the position quite clear that the security has to be deposited in the shape of cash or, in the form of National Savings Certificate or National Plan Certificate or any other form of securities which may be notified by the Government for the due performance of the terms of lease agreement and the same shall be pledged with the Government.
6. In the result, this appeal is allowed. The order of learned District Judge, Jhalawar dated 26-4-85 is set aside and it is directed that the succession certificate be issued to the appellant as per the order of the same court dated 7-5-1983, on the terms and conditions laid down in the order.