Sec 56 to 61 Chapter VI (Reference And Revision) The Indian Stamp Act, 1899

56. Control of, and statement of case to, Chief Controlling Revenue-authority.—

(1) The powers exercisable by a Collector under Chapter IV and Chapter V ²[and under clause (a) of the first proviso to section 26] shall in all cases be subject to the control of the Chief Controlling Revenue-authority.

(2) If any Collector, acting under section 31, section 40 or section 41, feels doubt as to the amount of duty with which any instrument is chargeable, he may draw up a statement of the case, and refer it, with his own opinion thereon, for the decision of the Chief Controlling Revenue-authority.

(3) Such authority shall consider the case and send a copy of its decision to the Collector, who shall proceed to asses and charge the duty (if any) in conformity with such decision.

(2. Ins. by Act 15 of 1904, s. 7.)

STATE AMENDMENT

Uttarakhand

Amendment of section 56.—

In Section 56 of the Principal Act, after sub-section (1) the following sub-section shall be inserted, namely:-

"(1-A) Notwithstanding anything contained in any other provisions of this Act, any person Including the Government aggrieved by any order of the Collector under chapter-IV, chapter-V or under clause (a) of the first proviso to section 26 may, within 60 days from the date receipt of such order, prefer an appeal against such order to the Chairman, Board of Revenue who shall, after giving the parties a reasonable opportunity of being heard consider the case and pass such order thereon as he thinks just and proper and the order so passed shall be final.

Provided that no application for stay of recovery of any disputed amount of stamp duty including interest thereon or penalty shall be entertained unless the applicant has furnished satisfactory proof of the payment of not less than one third of such disputed amount.

Provided further that where the Chairman, Board of Revenue passes an order for the stay of recovery of any stamp duty, interest thereon or penalty or for the stay of the operation of any order appealed against and such order results in the stay of recovery of any stamp duty, interest thereon or penalty, such stay order shall not remain in force for more than 30 days unless the appellant furnishes adequate security to the satisfaction of the Collector concern for the payment of the outstanding amount."

[Vide Uttarakhand Act 1 of 2016, s. 9]

Uttar Pradesh

Amendment of section 56.—

In section 56 of the principal Act, after sub-section (1), the following sub-section shall be inserted, namely :-—

"(1-A) Notwithstanding anything contained in any other provisions of this Act, any person including the Government aggrieved by an order of the Collector under Chapter-IV, Chapter-V or under clause (a) of the first proviso to section 26 may, within sixty days from the date receipt of such order, prefer an appeal against such order to the Chief Controlling Revenue Authority, who shall, after giving the parties a reasonable opportunity of being heard consider the case and pass such order thereon as he thinks just and proper and the order so passed shall be final :

Provided that no application for stay of recovery of any disputed amount of stamp duty including interest thereon or penalty shall be entertained unless the applicant has furnished satisfactory proof of the payment of not less than one third of such disputed amount ;

Provided further that where the Chief Controlling Revenue Authority passes an order for the stay of recovery of any stamp duty, interest thereon or penalty or for the stay of the operation of any order appealed against and such order results in the stay of recovery of any stamp duty, interest thereon or penalty, such stay order shall not remain in force for more than thirty days unless the appellant furnishes adequate security to the satisfaction of the Collector concerned for the payment of the outstanding amount."

[Vide Uttar Pradesh Act 38 of 2001, s. 8]

57. Statement of case by Chief-Controlling Revenue-authority to High Court.—

(1) The Chief Controlling Revenue-authority may state any case referred to it under section 56, sub-section (2), or otherwise coming to its notice, and refer such case, with its own opinion thereon,—

¹[(a) if it arises in a State, to the High Court for that State;

²[(b) if it arises in the Union territory of the Delhi, to the High Court of Delhi;]

³* * * * *

⁴[(c) if it arises in the Union territory of the Arunachal Pradesh or Mizoram, to the Gauhati High Court (the High Court of Assam, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Manipur and Tripura;)]

(d) if it arises in the Union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, to the High Court at Calcutta;

(e) if it arises in the Union territory of the ⁵[Lakshadweep], to the High Court of Kerala;]

⁶[(ee) if it arises in the Union territory of the Chandigarh, to the High Court of Punjab and Haryana;]

⁷[(f) if it arises in the Union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, to the High Court of Bombay.]

(2) Every such case shall be decided by not less than three Judges of the High Court ⁸*** to which it is referred, and in case of difference the opinion of the majority shall prevail.

(1. Subs. by the A.O. (No. 2) 1956, for clauses (a) to (g).

(2. Subs. by the Punjab Reorganisation and Delhi High Court (Adaptation of Laws on Union Subjects) Order, 1968, s. 3 and Sch. for clause (b) (w.e.f. 1-11-1966).

(3. Clause (bb) ins. by s. 3 and the Schedule ibid. And omitted by the State of Himachal Pradesh (Adaptation of Laws on Union Subjects) Order, 1973, s. 3 and Sch. (w.e.f. 25-1-1971).

(4. Subs. by the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) (Adaptation of Laws on Union Subjects) Order 1974, s. 3 and the Schedule for clause (c) (w.e.f. 21-1-1972).

(5. Subs. by the Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindivi Islands (Alteration of Name) Adaptation of Laws Order, 1974, s. 3 and the Schedule for “the Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindivi Islands” (w.e.f. 1-11-1973).

(6. Ins. by the Punjab Reorganisation and Delhi High Court (Adaptation of Laws on Union Subjects) Order, 1968, s. 3 and Sch. (w.e.f. 1-11-1966).

(7. Ins. by Reg. 6 of 1963, s. 2 and the First Sch.

(8. The words “Chief Court or Judicial Commissioner’s Court” omitted by the A.O. 1950.)

58. Power of High Court to call for further particulars as to case stated.—

If the High Court ¹*** is not satisfied that the statements contained in the case are sufficient to enable it to determine the questions raised thereby, the Court may refer the case back to the Revenue-authority by which it was stated, to make such additions thereto or alterations therein as the Court may direct in that behalf.

(1. The words “Chief Court or Judicial Commissioner’s Court” omitted by the A.O. 1948.)

59. Procedure in disposing of case stated.—

(1) The High Court, 9*** upon the hearing of any such case, shall decide the questions raised thereby, and shall deliver its judgment thereon containing the grounds on which such decision is founded.

(2) The Court shall send to the Revenue-authority by which the case was stated, a copy of such judgment under the seal of the Court and the signature of the Registrar; and the Revenue-authority shall, on receiving such copy, dispose of the case conformably to such judgment.

60. Statement of case by other Courts to High Court.—

(1) If any Court, other than a Court mentioned in section 57, feels doubt as to the amount of duty to be paid in respect of any instrument under proviso (a) to section 35, the Judge may draw up a statement of the case and refer it, with his own opinion thereon, for the decision of the High Court 9*** to which, if he were the Chief Controlling Revenue-authority, he would, under section 57, refer the same.

(2) Such Court shall deal with the case as if it had been referred under section 57, and send a copy of its judgment under the seal of the Court and the signature of the Registrar to the Chief Controlling Revenue-authority and another like copy to the Judge making the reference, who shall, on receiving such copy, dispose of the case conformably to such judgment.

(3) References made under sub-section (1), when made by a Court subordinate to a District Court, shall be made through the District Court, and, when made by any subordinate Revenue Court, shall be made through the Court immediately superior.

61. Revision of certain decisions of Courts regarding the sufficiency of stamps. —

(1) When any Court in the exercise of its civil or revenue jurisdiction or any Criminal Court in any proceeding under Chapter XII or Chapter XXXVI of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 (V of 1898), makes any order admitting any instrument in evidence as duly stamped or as not requiring a stamp, or upon payment of duty and a penalty under section 35, the Court to which appeals lie from, or references are made by, such first-mentioned Court may, of its own motion or on the application of the Collector, take such order into consideration.

(2) If such Court, after such consideration, is of opinion that such instrument should not have been admitted in evidence without the payment of duty and penalty under section 35, or without the payment of a higher duty and penalty than those paid, it may record a declaration to that effect, and determine the amount of duty with which such instrument is chargeable, and may require any person in whose possession or power such instrument then is, to produce the same, and may impound the same when produced.

(3) When any declaration has been recorded under sub-section (2), the Court recording the same shall send a copy thereof to the Collector, and, where the instrument to which it relates has been impounded or is otherwise in the possession of such Court, shall also send him such instrument.

(4) The Collector may thereupon, notwithstanding anything contained in the order admitting such instrument in evidence, or in any certificate granted under section 42, or in section 43, prosecute any person for any offence against the Stamp-law which the Collector considers him to have committed in respect of such instrument:

Provided that, ––

(a) no such prosecution shall be instituted where the amount (including duty and penalty) which, according to the determination of such Court, was payable in respect of the instrument under section 35, is paid to the Collector, unless he thinks that the offence was committed with an intention of evading payment of the proper duty;

(b) except for the purposes of such prosecution, no declaration made under this section shall affect the validity of any order admitting any instrument in evidence, or of any certificate granted under section 42.

STATE AMENDMENT

Uttar Pradesh

Amendment of section 61. –

In section 61 of the principal Act, in sub-section (1), for the words and figures "Chapter XII or Chapter XXXVI of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898," the worth and figures "sections 125 to 128 and sections 145 to 148 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973" shall be substitute.

[Vide Uttar Pradesh Act 6 of 1980, s. 9]