Citation : 2026 Latest Caselaw 841 UK
Judgement Date : 9 February, 2026
2026:UHC:710
HIGH COURT OF UTTARAKHAND AT NAINITAL
Writ Petition Misc. Single No. 2152 of 2025
09 February, 2026
Rajan --Petitioner
Versus
State Of Uttarakhand and Ors. --Respondents
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Presence:-
Mr. Pooran Singh Rawat and Mr. M.C. Upadhyay, learned
counsel for petitioner.
Mr. Anil Dabral, learned Additional C.S.C. with Mr. Suyash Pant,
learned Standing Counsel and Mr. B.S. Koranga, learned Brief
Holder for State of Uttarakhand/respondent Nos.1 to 4.
Hon'ble Pankaj Purohit, J. (Oral)
By means of the present writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, petitioner has prayed for the following reliefs:-
i) Issue a writ, order or direction in the nature of mandamus, commanding and directing the respondent No.3 to revoke the order dated 11.11.2024 (Annexure No.1 to this writ petition) and pass fresh order in accordance to law and confirmed the order dated 14.02.2023 (Annexure No.11 to this writ petition) by which the concerned authority has confirmed the title of petitioner and confirmed him as an adopted son of Late Jugal Kishore.
ii) Issue a writ, order or direction in the nature of mandamus, commanding and directing the respondent No.3 to restore the Successor Certificate No.UK10UTJ0330-190008566 dated 08.01.2021 in light of documentary evidence produced by petitioner (Annexure No.8 to this writ petition).
2. The brief facts of the case are that Late Jugal Kishore had only four daughters and when he was not blessed with a boy, he adopted Master Sandeep at the age of 1 year whose name was later on changed into Rajan (present petitioner) by his adopted father. During the time of execution of adoption deed, on 21.08.1990 the biological mother of petitioner was passed away. Petitioner's adopted mother and father passed away on 21.06.2012 and 26.01.2019. During the life time of petitioner's father, none of his married daughter had raised any dispute regarding his adoption, but after the
2026:UHC:710 sad demise of Sri Jugal Kishore, the question in context to possession, rights and legal heir rights of petitioner was raised and created a dispute in this regard. Private respondents had applied for a Surviving Member Certificate (mÙkjthoh izek.k i=) (wrongly termed as Successor Certificate by the petitioner in writ petition) by concealing the fact that the petitioner is only son of Late Jugal Kishore and SDM, Sadar Dehradun issued Surviving Member Certificate on 31.10.2019, by which the private respondents were declared successor of Late Jugal Kishore. Thereafter, petitioner moved an application dated 29.02.2020 to SDM Sadar Dehradun to cancel the Surviving Member Certificate issued on 31.10.2019 in favour of private respondents and the concerned authority had cancelled the said Surviving Member Certificate and issued a fresh Surviving Member Certificate on 08.01.2021 in favour of petitioner. Respondent No.7 made a complaint on 05.07.2021 for cancellation of Surviving Member Certificate dated 08.01.2021, which was issued ex-parte in favour of private respondents without service of notice to petitioner. Thereafter, once on the letter of petitioner, SDM Sadar has passed a detail order on 14.02.2023, by which he found Surviving Member Certificate No.UK10UTJ0330- 190008566 dated 08.01.2021 as genuine and restored the order. On 27.04.2023, respondent No.7 filed an Appeal No.04 of 2023 under Section 3 of the Right to Service Act No.20 of 2011, challenging the order dated 14.02.2023. SDM vide order dated 11.11.2024 rejected the Surviving Member Certificate of both parties and directed the parties to obtain a succession certificate under the law from a Competent Court. Thus, petitioner is before this Court.
2026:UHC:710
3. Learned counsel for petitioner submits that during the life time of petitioner's father, none of his married daughter had raised any dispute regarding his adoption, but after the sad demise of Sri Jugal Kishore, the question in context to possession, rights and legal heir rights of petitioner was raised and created a dispute in this regard, just to trouble the petitioner.
4. He further submits that the impugned order dated 11.11.2024 is bad in law, as the SDM has rejected the Surviving Member Certificate of both the parties which is a gross illegality of law and against the violation of Principal of Natural Justice, while amongst both the parties, one must be the successor of the deceased as per evidence produced by the parties..
5. Learned State Counsel submits that there is no illegality in the impugned order dated 11.11.2024.
6. I have heard the learned counsel for the petitioner and have gone through the impugned judgment and order as well as the entire record available on record. The impugned order dated 11.11.2024 is well reasonable and the concerned Authority has rightly held that for Succession Certificate, petitioner has to approach before Civil Court or Competent Court. Reasons cited by the learned SDM are sound and convincing, thus, this Court is of the view that no interference is required exercising its extraordinary jurisdiction under Article 226 of the Constitution of India.
7. Accordingly, the present writ petition fails and is dismissed.
8. Pending application(s), if any, stands disposed of.
(Pankaj Purohit, J.) 09.02.2026 PN
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