IN THE HIGH COURT OF ALLAHABAD
Hon. Dilip Gupta, J.
KHUDAWAND HAIYAL QAIYOOM, MUSHIR HASAN KHAN - Appellant
Versus
SABIR SON OF LALLOO - Respondents
Second Appeal 2395 Of 1981
Decided On : 04/23/2007
EVIDENCE - Waqf Property - Indian Evidence Act, 1872 - Section 90, 90-A, 65 - The court discussed the admissibility of certified copies of documents under Section 90 of the Indian Evidence Act, and held that the presumption under Section 90 can only be made after the documents had been admitted as secondary evidence under Section 65. The court referred to various decisions of the Supreme Court and a Full Bench decision of the High Court to support its conclusion.
Fact of the Case:
The plaintiff filed a suit for ejectment of the defendant from a waqf property and for recovery of arrears of rent. The Trial Court held that the plaintiff failed to prove the waqf deed and his title over the property. The Appellate Court reversed the finding, but the Second Appeal was filed on the admissibility of certified copies of the waqf deed.
Finding of the Court:
The court held that the presumption under Section 90 can only be made after the documents had been admitted as secondary evidence under Section 65. The appeal was dismissed based on this finding.
Issues: Admissibility of certified copies of documents under Section 90 of the Indian Evidence Act.
Ratio Decidendi: The court clarified that the presumption under Section 90 can only be made after the documents had been admitted as secondary evidence under Section 65, based on various decisions of the Supreme Court and a Full Bench decision of the High Court.
Final Decision: The appeal was dismissed based on the finding that the presumption under Section 90 can only be made after the documents had been admitted as secondary evidence under Section 65.
( 2 ) THE plaintiff/appellant filed the suit for ejectment of defendant-respondent from house no. 230 situated in Mohalla Baruzai, I Pukhta Talab in Shahjahanpur and for recovery of Rs. 740/- as arrears of rent and Rs. 20/- as damages for use and occupation. The suit was filed on the allegations that Khan Bahadur Mohd. Rafiullah Khan was the owner of the house in dispute along with his other property and on 10th February, 1941 he had executed a waqf alalaulad and endowed the entire property to the almighty god. He had made himself the Mutawalli of the said waqf and also reserved the power to amend the terms of the waqf deed. Line of succession was mentioned in the deed and pursuant thereto after the death of Shafiullah Khan, his daughters son, Mushir Hasan Khan became Mutawalli and started looking after the waqf property. The disputed house was waqf property and it was let out to defendant respondent by Shafiullah Khan on a rent of Rs. 20/- per month. It was also alleged that the defendant respondent paid rent up to 1st December, 1973 and thereafter stopped paying rent and as the said rent was not even paid after service of notice, the aforesaid suit was filed.
( 3 ) IN the written statement, the defendant-respondent denied the title of the plaintiff-appellant and specifically alleged that Khan Bahadur Mohd. Rafiullah Khan was never the owner of the house in dispute. The waqf deed was also denied. He also denied that he took the house in dispute on rent and, therefore the suit for ejectment and recovery of arrears of rent was not maintainable. In fact, he alleged that he had acquired the house in dispute from Sri Kachcha Khan. In the alternative he pleaded that he had perfected his title by adverse possession.
( 4 ) THE Trial Court while deciding the issue no. 1 held that the plaintiff/appellant failed to prove the certified copy of the waqf deed filed by him in accordance with the provisions of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 (hereinafter referred to as the act ). It was also held that the plaintiff/appellant failed to establish that Khan Bahadur Mohd. Rafiullah Khan had made a waqf deed of the house in dispute in favour of the plaintiff and, therefore, the plaintiff/appellant had no right to sue. Regarding issue no. 2 the Trial Court held that the plaintiff/appellant failed to establish his title over the house in dispute and, therefore, it cannot be held that Sunni Central Board had accorded permission for filing the suit for ejectment.
( 5 ) THE Appellate Court examined whether the plaintiff/appellant had a right to sue and in this context the main issue before the Appellate Court was whether the waqf deed had been executed. The plaintiff/appellant had not filed the copy of the original waqf deed dated 10th April, 1941 or the amended deeds, though certified copies of these registered documents which had been executed more than 20 years ago had been filed. The Trial Court had found them to be inadmissible in evidence. The Appellate Court, however, in view of the Full Bench decision of this Court In Ram Jas and Ors. , Vs. Surendra Nath and Anr. AIR 1980 All. 385 reversed this finding and held that the documents could be presumed to be genuine under Section 90 (2) of the Act as amended in the State of U. P. and, therefore, could be read in evidence provided the plaintiff had laid the foundation for establishing his right to give secondary evidence. In this context the Appellate Court held that the plaintiff/appellant had not established his right to give secondary evidence under Section 65 of the Act. It, therefore, held that the certified copies could not be read in evidence for establishing the title
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