No document which ought to bear a stamp under this Act shall be of any validity, unless and until it is properly stamped.

But, if any such document is through mistake or inadvertence received, filed or used in any Court or office without being properly stamped, the presiding Judge or the head of the office, as the case may be, or, in the case of a High Court, any Judge of such Court, may, if he thinks fit, order that such document be stamped as he may direct; and, on such document being stamped accordingly, the same and every proceeding relative thereto shall be as valid as if it had been properly stamped in the first instance.

STATE AMENDMENT

Orissa

Insertion a new section 28-A, Act (7 of 1870).--After section 28 of the Court Fees Act, 1870 the following new section shall be inserted, namely:--

"28-A. Deficient or unpaid court fees.--(1) If, on examination of the records of a Civil, Criminal or Revenue case which has been disposed of, a public officer finds that the fee payable under the Act or the rules made thereunder on any document filed, exhibited or recorded therein has not been paid or has been insufficiently paid, he shall report the fact to the presiding officer of the Court or to the revenue officer concerned.

(2) Such presiding officer or revenue officer, after satisfying himself of the correctness of such report, shall record a provisional finding that the proper fee has not been paid and determine the amount of fee payable and the person from whom the fee or the difference thereof, if any, shall be recoverable.

(3) After recording a finding under sub-section (2), the presiding officer or revenue officer shall issue a notice to the person referred to in that sub-section to show cause why he should not be ordered to pay the fee determined thereunder, and , if sufficient cause is not shown, the presiding officer or revenue officer shall confirm the finding and make an order requiring such person to pay the proper fee before a date to be specified in that notice.

(4) If such person fails to pay the fee in accordance with the notice issued under sub-section (3), it shall on the certificate of such presiding officer or revenue officer, be recoverable as an arrear of land revenue."

[Vide Orissa Act 13 of 1957, s. 2]