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1992 Supreme(SC) 207

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
M.Fathima Beevi : S.C.Agrawal
Guro
Versus
Atma Singh
Case No. : 3163 of 1983
Date of Decision : 3/5/92
Advocates Appeared: Satish R.

Advocates:
R.SATISH

Headnote:India Succession Act, 1922, sec. 63-Will proof of-onus is on the propounder when there were suspicious circumstance before the will could be accepted as genuine-appellate court noticing several suspicious circumstance, including the wrong recital that the testor had no sister and that he was literate, will does not bear his signature but his thumh impression-appellate court further found that witnesses including the scribe making contradictory statements about illness of the testator-keeping in view of the circumstances the appellate court held that the will was not proved to be genuine document-High Court reversing the findings of the appellate court-High Court was not justified in reversing the findings of fact recorded by the appellate court that the will is not proved to be a genuine document-decree of the High Court set aside. 1959 (1) SCR 426, 1962 (3) SCR 195 & 1977 (1) SCR 925 ref. (Paras 3, 4, 6. & 7)

JUDGMENT

S.C. AGRAWAL, J.

(1) THE question for consideration in this appeal relates to the genuineness of a will said to be executed by one Ganga Singh whereby he bequeathed all his property to his distant cousin, Atma Singh, respondent 1, the grandson of the brother of the grandfather of Ganga Singh. Ganga Singh had a brother Ranga Singh and a sister Banti. Both, Ranga Singh and Banti had died during the life time of Ganga Singh. Smt Guro, the appellant herein, is the daughter of Banti. At the time of his death, on 10/10/1968, Ganga Singh was having one- third share in land measuring 148 kis. 11 mis. in village Dall, Tehsil Patti, District amritsar. On 2/10/1968, Ganga Singh is said to have executed the will in question whereby he bequeathed his entire property to respondent 1. After the death of Ganga Singh, proceedings regarding mutation of the lands in his share were initiated and in those proceedings respondent I sought mutation in his favour on the basis of the will. The appellant sought mutation as the nearest heir, being daughter of Ganga Singhs sister. The Assistant Collector, I Grade, Patti sanctioned the mutation in favour of the appellant and did not accept the will on the ground that it was not beyond suspicion. Thereafter respondent 1 filed suit for declaration wherein he claimed one-third share of Ganga Singh on the basis of the will dated 2/10/1968. The said suit was contes- ted by the appellant who disputed the genuineness of the will. Respon- dent I did not accept the claim of the appellant and disputed that she is the daughter of the sister of the testator, Ganga Singh. The Sub-Judge, I Class, Patti by his judgment dated 25/07/1972 decreed the said suit of respondent I on the view that the execution of the will by Ganga Singh was duly proved and at the time of the said execution, the testator was in a sound state of mind. The Sub-Judge, however, found that the appellant is the daughter of Ganga Singhs sister Banti. On appeal, the Additional District Judge, amritsar, by his judgment dated 22/09/1973, reversed the decree of the Sub-Judge and dismissed the suit of respon- dent I, and found that the will was not proved to be a genuine document executed by Ganga Singh inasmuch as there were certain features which threw suspicion with regard to its valid execution. The High court of Punjab and Haryana, by judgment dated 28/10/1982, allowed the second appeal filed by respondent 1 and while setting aside the judgment and decree of the appellate court, restored the judgment of the trial court on the view that the will had been validly executed. Feeling aggrieved by the said decision of the High court, the appellant has filed this appeal.

(2) IN the will, the testator, Ganga Singh has stated that he had no issue nor he had any sister and that he had one brother who also died and he is the owner of the property and the land situated in village Dall. The testator has further stated that he has been ill for a long time and has become blind and was now seriously ill and there is no hope for his sur- vival. He has further stated that after his death, Atma Singh, son of Mangal Singh, son of Bahadur Singh would be owner of his property because he was his real brother and he would be really entitled. The scribe of the will was Manohar Lal, a shopkeeper in Dall, and there is thumb impression of the testator. It has been attested by five persons, namely, Kehar Singh, Sarpanch Lambardar, Dall, Surjan Singh, Chanan Singh, Sardara Singh and Hazara Singh. In order to prove the will respondent I examined the scribe Manohar Lal (Public Witness 1 and two attesting witnesses Kehar Singh (Public Witness 2 and Surjan Singh (Public Witness 3.

(3) WITH regard to proof of a will the law is well settled that the mode of proving a will does not ordinarily differ from that of proving any other document except as to the special requirement prescribed in the case of a will by S. 63 of the Indian Succession Act.












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