New Delhi, Aug 13 (UNI) The Supreme Court has recalled its December 13, 2024 order disposing of a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in terms of a purported settlement agreement in a decades-old property dispute, after serious allegations of fraud, forgery, and unauthorised legal representation came to light.
The dispute arose from a suit for specific performance of a 1986 sale agreement, which the trial court, first appellate court, and Patna High Court had all dismissed on findings that the agreement and payment receipts were fabricated.
The petitioner’s SLP against the High Court’s 15 July 2024 judgment was allowed on 13 December 2024 based on a “settlement” dated 24 October 2024, purportedly signed by both sides.
Subsequently, the respondent approached the Court claiming he had never signed any settlement, engaged any lawyer, or authorized anyone to represent him. He alleged a conspiracy involving forged signatures, a fraudulent caveat, and impersonation in court to obtain the order.
On 13 May 2025, the Court noted that advocates had appeared for the respondent without his consent, with some denying involvement. It ordered a preliminary inquiry, recalled the 13 December 2024 order, and restored the SLP.
In its August 5, 2025 order, a Bench of Justices Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha and Atul S. Chandurkar directed the Bar Council of India to conduct a detailed investigation into the preparation, filing, and conduct of proceedings based on the alleged settlement, including the role of the advocates involved, and submit its report by October 2025.
