Allowed

Mohit Mansukhbhai Zalavadiya v. Registrar (Birth and Death)/ Chief Officer Keshod

Gujarat HC7 Sept 2022SCA/5548/2022

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

In this writ petition, the Gujarat High Court quashed an order rejecting a petitioner's application to correct his name in the birth register. The Court directed the Registrar to process the application under Section 15 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act and Rule 11 of the Gujarat Rules within four weeks upon receipt of documentary evidence.

What did the court decide?

Quashed the impugned order dated 25.2.2022; directed the respondent to pass a fresh order within four weeks after considering the petitioner's documentary evidence.

Mohit Mansukhbhai Zalavadiya Vs Registrar… — Pension and Retirement Benefits | Gujarat HC (2022)

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C/SCA/5548/2022 ORDER DATED: 07/09/2022

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD

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R/SPECIAL CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 5548 of 2022

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MOHIT MANSUKHBHAI ZALAVADIYA

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Versus REGISTRAR (BIRTH AND DEATH)/ CHIEF OFFICER KESHOD

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Appearance:

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MR YOGESHKUMAR A RATANPARA(7260) for the Petitioner(s) No. 1 MR HRIDAY BUCH(2372) for the Respondent(s) No. 1

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CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE NIRZAR S. DESAI

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Date : 07/09/2022

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ORAL ORDER

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1 Leave to amend prayer clause. Amendment be carried out forthwith.

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2 By way of this petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, the petitioner has prayed for quashing and setting aside the order / communication dated 25.2.2022 passed by respondent and to direct the respondent to consider application of the petitioner for making necessary correction in the birth certificate.

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3 With the consent of learned advocates for the parties, the matter is taken up for hearing.

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4 Rule. Learned advocate Mr.Hriday Buch

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C/SCA/5548/2022 ORDER DATED: 07/09/2022

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waives service of notice of rule for respondent.

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5 It is the case of the petitioner that name of the petitioner is Om and later he wanted to change the name to `Aarav’. Therefore, the petitioner preferred an application for making necessary correction in the Birth Register vide application dated 14.2.2022. However, the aforesaid application was rejected by respondent vide order dated 25.2.2022 by stating that such correction in Register of Birth and Death is not permissible by respondent. The aforesaid action of the respondent is challenged by the petitioner.

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6 Learned advocate for the petitioner has placed reliance on the order dated 08.07.2022 passed in Special Civil Application No.474 of 2022 and the order dated 05.12.2012 passed in Special Civil Application No.8556 of 2012 and has submitted that the impugned order may be quashed and set aside.

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7 At this stage, it would be apposite to refer to the observations made by the Coordinate Bench in the order dated 05.12.2012 passed in Special Civil Application No.8556 of 2012:

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“7. Section 15 of the Act, the Registrar has power for correction or cancellation of entry in the Register of Births and Deaths Act, 1969. Section 15 of the Act reads as under:

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Page 2 of 8

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C/SCA/5548/2022 ORDER DATED: 07/09/2022

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“15. Correction or cancellation of entry in the register of births and deaths.—If it is proved to the satisfaction of the Registrar that any entry of a birth or death in any register kept by him under this Act is erroneous in form or substance, or has been fraudulently or improperly made, he may, subject to such rules as may be made by the State Government with respect to the conditions on which and the circumstances in which such entries may be corrected or cancelled correct the error or cancel the entry by suitable entry in the margin, without any alteration of the original entry, and shall sign the marginal entry and add thereto the date of the correction or cancellation.”

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8. Rule 11 of the Gujarat Registration of Births and Deaths Rules, 2004 relates to correction or cancellation of entry in the Register of Births and Deaths, reads as under:

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“(1) If it is reported to the Register that a clerical or formal error has been made in the register or if such error is otherwise noticed by him and if the register is in his possession, the Registrar shall inquire into the matter and if he is satisfied that

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Page 3 of 8

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C/SCA/5548/2022 ORDER DATED: 07/09/2022

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any such error has been made, he shall correct the error (by correcting or cancelling the entry) as provided in Section 15 of the Act and shall send an extract of the entry showing the error and how it has been corrected to the District Registrar of Births and Deaths.

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(2) In the case referred to sub rule (1) if the register is not in the possession of the Registrar, he/she shall make a report to the District Registrar of Births and deaths and call for the relevant register and after inquiring into the matter, if he is satisfied that any such error has been made, make the necessary correction.

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(3) Any such correction as mentioned in sub rule2 shall be countersigned by the district Registrar of Births and Deaths when the register is received from the Registrar.

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(4) If any person asserts that any entry in the register of births and deaths is erroneous in substance, the Registrar may correct the entry in the manner prescribed under section 15 of the Act upon production by that person a declaration setting forth the nature of the error and the facts of

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C/SCA/5548/2022 ORDER DATED: 07/09/2022

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the case made by two credible persons having knowledge of the facts of the case.

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(5) Notwithstanding anything contained in subrule (1) and subrule (4) the Registrar shall make report of any correction of the kind referred to therein giving necessary details to the District Registrar of Births and Deaths.

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(6) If it is proved to the satisfaction of the Registrar that any entry in the register of births and deaths has been made fraudulently or improperly, he shall make a report giving necessary details to the officer authorised by the Chief Registrar by general or special order in this behalf under section 25 of the Act and on hearing from him take necessary action in the matter.

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(7) In every case in which an entry is corrected or cancelled under this rule, intimation thereof should be sent to the permanent address of the person who has given information under section 8 of section 9 of the Act.”

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9. In view of the aforesaid provisions, it is clear that the respondent authorities have power

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C/SCA/5548/2022 ORDER DATED: 07/09/2022

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to make corrections in the register of Births and Deaths. It is evident from the record that the petitioner has produced all the necessary evidence on record to shown how change in the names in Birth Certificate. If respondent authority comes to conclusion, on the basis of evidence before it, that deed of adoption is true, correct, legal and valid then there is no reason for the concern authority, to deny the correction, in Birth Certificate.

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10. The law on the subject is already settled. In the case of Mulla Faizal @ Fazillabanu Suleman Ibrahim V/ s. State of Gujarat and others, reported in 2000(2) GLR 1553 it has been held that the Registrar, Births and Deaths has power to correct the entries made in the Register. Further, in the case of Sukumar Mehta V/s. District Registrar, Births and Deaths, reported in 1993(1) GLR 93 and in the case of Vimal M. Patel V/s. State of Gujarat and Another, reported in 2001(3) GLR 2484 the Court has directed the applicant authority for making necessary correction in the records of birth of the person on production of sufficient documents. This Court while disposing of the petition being Special Civil Application No.6962 of 2002, directed the Authority to make necessary correction in the register concerned. Same direction for making correction in birth

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C/SCA/5548/2022 ORDER DATED: 07/09/2022

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certificate was given by this Court also, while deciding Special Civil Application No.6227 of 2007. I have perused the decision in the case of Manoj Omprakash Goes Vs. State of Gujarat through Secretary & Anr. reported in GLR 2011(2) 1734 and same is applicable to the present case.”

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8 The Coordinate Bench has specifically held that the respondent authority has all the powers to make correction under the provisions of Section 15 of the Registration of Births and Deaths Act, 1969 read with Rule 11 of the Gujarat Registration of Births and Deaths Rules, 2004.

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9 Under the circumstances and in light of the aforesaid proposition of law, the impugned communication / order dated 25.2.2022 is quashed and set aside. Resultantly, the respondent is directed to pass a fresh order on the application filed by the petitioner with regard to the change of name. It is also directed that the respondent shall accordingly process the application of the petitioner as per the provisions of Section 15 of the Act read with Rule 11 of the Gujarat Registration of Birth and Death Rules, 2004 after considering all the documentary evidence, which may be produced by the petitioner in support of her case and pass appropriate orders within a period of four weeks from the date of receipt of the writ of this order.

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C/SCA/5548/2022 ORDER DATED: 07/09/2022

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10 In case any adverse decision is taken by the respondent authority, it will be open for the petitioner to challenge the same before the appropriate forum.

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11 The present petition is allowed. Rule is made absolute to the aforesaid extent. Direct service permitted.

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(NIRZAR S. DESAI,J)

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P. SUBRAHMANYAM

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Mohit Mansukhbhai Zalavadiya v. Registrar (Birth and Death)/ Chief Officer Keshod

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

Mohit Mansukhbhai Zalavadiya v. Registrar (Birth and Death)/ Chief Officer Keshod

Case brief

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What did the court decide?

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