ANR stands for Another — a legal abbreviation used in Indian court case titles to indicate that there is one additional party on one side of the litigation, beyond the named party. You will encounter it in case citations, court orders, and legal documents written as:
“Ramesh Kumar & Anr. v. State of Maharashtra”
This means Ramesh Kumar and one other person are together petitioners or appellants against the State of Maharashtra. The “Anr.” indicates there is one more person on that party’s side who is not individually named in the shortened case title.
Why ANR Is Used in Indian Case Titles
Indian courts deal with millions of cases involving multiple parties. Writing out the full name of every party in every document, judgment, and cause list entry would be impractical. The court registry therefore uses standardised abbreviations to keep case titles concise while still accurately reflecting the number of parties.
When a case is filed with two persons on one side — say two co-accused persons, or two co-petitioners — the court names the first person and uses “Anr.” for the second:
- A & Anr. versus X — A and one other person vs. X
- A versus X & Anr. — A vs. X and one other person
The full names of all parties are always mentioned in the body of the petition/complaint and in the formal party array at the beginning of any order or judgment.
ANR in Different Legal Contexts
In Civil Cases When two co-plaintiffs file a suit together — such as two co-owners of property filing a suit for possession — the case title is filed as “A & Anr. v. B.” Similarly, when two defendants are joined, the title is “A v. B & Anr.”
In Criminal Cases When two accused are tried together and appeal together, the appeal title reads as “A & Anr. v. State of [State].” When the state charges two accused, the case records show both names in the party array but the abbreviated title uses “Anr.” for the second accused.
In Constitutional Petitions (Writ Petitions) When two petitioners file a PIL or writ petition together, the title is “A & Anr. v. Union of India & Ors.” — combining both abbreviations if there are multiple respondents.
ANR vs. ORS — The Essential Distinction
| Feature | ANR | ORS |
| Full Form | Another | Others |
| Number of Additional Parties | One additional party | Two or more additional parties |
| Example | A & Anr. v. B | A v. B & Ors. |
| Used When | Party has exactly 2 persons | Party has 3 or more persons |
| Combination | A & Anr. v. B & Ors. | Mixed case with 2 on one side, 3+ on other |
This distinction is important when reading case citations — it tells you immediately how many parties are on each side.
How to Read Complex Case Titles
Once you understand ANR and ORS, complex Indian case titles become readable:
- “A & Anr. v. B & Ors.” — A and one other person vs. B and two or more other persons
- “A v. B & Anr.” — A alone vs. B and one other person
- “A, B & Anr. v. C, D & Ors.” — Three persons on one side vs. four or more on the other
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: What is the full form of ANR in law?
A: ANR stands for “Another” — an abbreviation used in Indian court case titles to indicate one additional party beyond the named party on that side of the litigation.
Q: What is the difference between ANR and ORS?
A: ANR (Another) is used when there is one additional party — so two total on that side. ORS (Others) is used when there are two or more additional parties — three or more total on that side.
Q: Does being listed as “Anr.” affect a party’s legal rights?
A: No. Being abbreviated as “Anr.” in the case title does not affect the party’s legal rights or standing. All parties — named or abbreviated — have equal standing before the court.
Q: Where does the full name of the “Anr.” party appear?
A: Full names of all parties appear in the formal party array (cause title) at the beginning of every court order and judgment, even if the shortened case citation uses “Anr.”
Q: Can ANR appear on both sides of a case?
A: Yes. A case can be titled “A & Anr. v. B & Anr.” — meaning two persons on each side.
Q: Is ANR used in Supreme Court cases?
A: Yes. ANR is used consistently across all levels of Indian courts — trial courts, High Courts, and the Supreme Court — whenever a case title needs to indicate two persons on one side.
Q: When does a party become “Anr.” versus being fully named?
A: The first-named party in a group is always named. When there is exactly one additional party in that group, they become “Anr.” The registry determines this when the case is first numbered.
Q: Is “Anr.” used differently in different states?
A: No. “Anr.” as an abbreviation for “Another” is uniform across all Indian courts and all states. It is a standardised abbreviation used by all court registries.
