IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM PRESENT : THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE P.N.RAVINDRAN WEDNESDAY, THE 24TH JUNE 2009 / 3RD ASHADHA 1931 WP(C).No. 11617 of 2009(V) -------------------------- PETITIONERS: --------------- 1. ABRAHAM C.JACOB , S/O.A.JACOB, OPPOOTTIL HOUSE, OPPOOTTIL JUNCTION, KOTTAYAM 686001. 2. AMRITHA MARY ABRAHAM, W/O.ABRAHAM C.JACOB , OPPOOTTIL HOUSE, OPPOOTTIL JUNCTION, KOTTAYAM 686001. BY ADV. SRI.ABRAHAM GEORGE JACOB RESPONDENTS: --------------- 1. THE REGISTRAR OF BIRTHS AND DEATHS, CORPORATION OF COCHIN, ERNAKULAM DISTRICT. 2. THE STATE OF KERALA REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT OF KERALA IN LOCAL SELF GOVERNENMNT DEPARTMENT GOVERNMENT SECRETRIAT, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-695 001. ADV. SRI.K.ANAND, SC, COCHIN CORPN. FOR R1 GOVERNENMNT PLEADER SMT.ANU SIVARAMAN FOR R2 THIS WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON 24/06/2009, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING: P.N.RAVINDRAN, J. ----------------------------- W.P(C) No.11617 of 2009-V ------------------------------ Dated this the 24th day of June, 2009. J U D G M E N T Heard Sri.Abraham George Jacob, the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner, Sri.K.Anand, the learned standing counsel appearing for the first respondent and Smt. Anu Sivaraman, the learned Government Pleader appearing for the second respondent. 2. The petitioners are husband and wife. In this writ petition they challenge Ext.P3 letter dated 22.10.2008 send by the first respondent to the first petitioner, rejecting his request to correct the name of his child in the Register of Births on the short ground that the name once entered in the Register of Births cannot be altered. 3. The issue raised in this writ petition is covered in favour of the petitioners by a series of decisions of this Court including the decision in Girijan V. Registrar of Births & Deaths (2003(2) KLT 22) and Varghese V. Director of Panchayat (2008(2) KLT 278) (in which the first respondent herein is a party), wherein it was held that the Registrar has power to correct the name entered in the Register of Births, after conducting an enquiry. 4. In the light of the authoritative pronouncement of this Court in the decisions referred to above, to which first respondent herein is also W.P(C) No.11617 of 2009-V 2 a party, I allow this writ petition, quash Ext.P3 and direct the first respondent to reconsider the application submitted by the petitioners to correct the name of their child in the Register of Births and pass orders thereon. This shall be done within one month from the date on which the petitioners produce a certified copy of this judgment before the first respondent. Sd/- P.N.RAVINDRAN JUDGE //True Copy// PA to Judge ab