State Of Uttarkhand & Ors vs Harpal Singh Rawat

The Supreme Court addressed the issue of stamp duty on a lease agreement for toll tax collection under the Indian Stamp Act, 1899. The Court held that the stamp duty should be assessed under Article 35 of Schedule I-B of the Act, contrary to the respondent's claim for Article 57, establishing that the nature of the agreement constituted a lease rather than a security bond. The appeal was allowed, setting aside the High Court's order that had relied on previous judgments without proper consideration of the lease's terms.