Karnataka Stamp Act | Court Has No Discretion To Impose Penalty Below Ten Times Deficit Duty: Supreme Court

The Supreme Court delivered a significant judgment clarifying that courts have no discretion to reduce penalty when insufficiently stamped documents are produced in evidence under Section 34 Karnataka Stamp Act 1957. The Court held that once such a document is admitted by the court, a penalty equal to ten times the deficient stamp duty must be imposed without exception. This ruling reinforces strict compliance with stamp duty laws and removes…