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Section 290: Grant of letters of administration to be under seal of Court

Indian Succession Act • Official Statutory Text & Practice Guide

Statutory Regulation
Legal Standard
Competent Court / Tribunal
Act 1925
Section 289 All 391 Sections of Indian Succession Act Section 291

Legal Commentary & Landmark Judgments: Section 290

Section 290 mandates that every grant of letters of administration must be issued under the seal of the court and follow the statutory form set forth in Schedule VII.

  • Formal Judicial Parchment: Letters of administration shall be granted under the seal of the court in the form set forth in Schedule VII.
  • Conferment of Full Representative Title: Certifies that full administration of the goods, chattels, rights, and credits of the deceased has been committed to the named administrator.
  • Statutory Reporting Duty Imposed: The grant explicitly recites the administrator's statutory duty to file an inventory within six months and accounts within one year under Section 317.
Key Landmark Precedents:
  • Chiranjilal Shrilal Goenka v. Jasjit Singh (1993) 2 SCC 507: The Supreme Court affirmed that letters of administration issued under Section 290 constitute a judgment in rem confirming representative status under the court's seal.
  • Clarence Pais v. Union of India (2001) 4 SCC 325: Recognized that sealed letters of administration under Section 290 grant absolute legal protection to bona fide payers and purchasers.
Courtroom Practice & Strategic Litigation Guidance:

Always inspect the sealed letters of administration issued by the registry to verify that the court's embossed seal and Judge's signature are intact; unsealed or improperly certified copies will be rejected by banks and depository participants.

Section 289 All 391 Sections of Indian Succession Act Section 291