ANAND BYRAREDDY, J.
PATRICK REBELLO AND OTHERS Appellant
versus
VICTOR REBELLO AND OTHERS Respondent
Miscellaneous First Appeal No. 1249 of 2004 (CPC).
Decided on 13th March, 2006
Cases Referred: AIR 1962 SC 567, AIR 1974 SC 1999, AIR 1959 SC 443, (1983) 1 SCC 35, AIR 1968 SC 1332.
Indian Succession Act, 1925 -Section 61- Will -Whether void. Patrick Rebello and others Vs. Victor Rebello and others.
Indian Succession Act, 1925 -Section 63- Will -Execution of -Burden of proof -Discharge of. [Anand Byrareddy, J.] - It is significant to note that the alleged suspicious circumstances sought to be highlighted and on which the trial Court has expounded at length are absent in the pleadings. The examination in chief of Defendant No.3 is also bereft of particulars as to the alleged suspicious circumstances. It is therefore inexplicable that the trial Court has conjured the several circumstances urged for its consideration. The defendants not having objected to the deletion of Issues 2 and 3, above referred, the question for the consideration of the Court was limited to the state of mind of the testator at the time of execution of the Will. The plaintiffs had discharged that burden adequately by examining two independent witnesses, namely the advocate who had drafted the Will and assisted the testator in the registration of the same, as well as one of the attesting witnesses to the Will. These witnesses have vouched for the sound state of mind of the deceased testator at the time of execution of the Will. The testimony of these witnesses, who are not shown to have colluded with the plaintiffs, has not been demonstrated to be false and unacceptable.
The petition of the appellants seeking probate of the Will of the father of appellant 1 having been converted into a suit, on contest, and having been dismissed on merits, the present appeal is filed.
2. The facts are as follows.-
The appellants namely the widow, two sons and the daughter of the testator were the plaintiffs before the Trial Court. Three other sons of the testator were the defendants.
The principal issue before the Trial Court was, whether the testator was of a sound disposing state of mind when the Will dated 15-6-1996 was executed.
The widow of the testator, aged 70 years and two others had tendered evidence on behalf of the plaintiffs. Defendant 3 was examined on behalf of the defendants.
The testator was aged 85 years on the date of execution of the Will.
From a reading of the judgment, the Trial Court has addressed itself to the suspicious circumstances alleged by the defendants and has accepted that the testator was physically and mentally infirm at the time of execution of the Will. That the evidence by the Advocate who had drafted the Will to state that plaintiff 1 had always accompanied the testator to provide instructions in drafting, execution and registration of the Will, indicated influence having brought on the testator and that the execution of the Will was not of his free volition and desire The admission by the widow, of an earlier family management and the variance in the disposition of the properties under the Will, not being to her knowledge and the details of the Will or its custody with the first plaintiff not being to her knowledge and the fact of admission that the entire affair was managed by plaintiff 1 and she being presented as the main witness of the propounders of the will, coupled with the further inconsistency in her statement of always being by the side of the testator on account of his illness and stating that she did not accompany the testator to the Registrar's Office while contending to the contrary earlier. And the attesting witness P.W. 2 adding to this by stating that the widow was present at the time of registration of the Will. These circumstances coupled with the admitted fact that plaintiff 1 who is said to have left his home to embrace priesthood 16 years earlier, having returned an year prior to the death of the testator and having secured a major benefit under the Will in variance with the earlier family arrangement, according to the Trial Court, was indicative of undue influence having been brought on by plaintiff 1, on the testator to execute the Will against his free Will and volition.
3. Sri AK Patil for the appellants contends that the Trial Court has adopted an unduly suspicious attitude in addressing the alleged suspicious circumstances in the case. Even assuming there was a proactive role on the part of plaintiff 1 in persuading the testator, who was admittedly old and feeble, to execute a will conferring benefit on him, it could not be said to be a ground for holding that the Will was invalid. In this regard, he draws attention to Section 59, Section 61 and Section 63 of the Indian Succession Act, 1925 (hereinafter referred to as 'the Act' for brevity), to contend that a Will made by a person who is feeble and debilitated but capable of exercising a judgment as to the proper mode of disposing of his property, would be a valid Will. Further, the Will would not be void merely on account of the fact that there was intercession and persuasion used by one of the beneficiaries under the Will to make a will of a certain purport, as long as the testator was capable of exercising his judgment, the Will would not be rendered invalid. And that, the Will having been executed in terms of Section 63 of the Act, the Trial Court was clearly in error in its judgment. He would further submit that though there was a family arrangement earlier, this was in order to tide over the discord that had crept into the family. However, the fact that one of the beneficiaries u
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