SMT. SOORAJ DEVI vs PYARE LAL AND ANR.

The Supreme Court held that Section 362 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 prohibits alteration of a signed judgment except to correct clerical or arithmetical errors. The Court clarified that a clerical error is an accidental slip or omission, and the appellant's request for a declaration regarding her possession did not fall under this category. The Court upheld the High Court's dismissal of the appellant's application under Section 482, affirming that inherent powers cannot be exercised to contravene the provisions of the Code.