Allahbad High Court
S.S.DHAVAN
Asa Ram - Appellant
Versus
Ravi Prakash - Respondent
Decided On : 11/30/1965
Presumption - Tenancy Termination Notice - The court upheld the presumption that the notice terminating the tenancy was received by the tenant, based on the landlord's evidence of sending and return of the envelope with the endorsement 'refused'. The court relied on the presumption authorized under S. 114 of the Evidence Act.
Fact of the Case:
The plaintiff obtained permission to eject the tenant and filed a suit after terminating the tenancy. The tenant denied receiving the termination notice, leading to the appeal.
Finding of the Court:
The court found that the tenant's denial was not sufficient to rebut the presumption of receipt of the notice, as the landlord's evidence of sending and return of the envelope with the endorsement 'refused' was considered sufficient.
Issues: The main issue was the presumption of receipt of the termination notice by the tenant and whether the tenant's denial was sufficient to rebut the presumption.
Ratio Decidendi: The court relied on the principle of law established in previous cases and the presumption authorized under S. 114 of the Evidence Act to uphold the landlord's evidence of sending and return of the envelope with the endorsement 'refused'.
Final Decision: The appeal was dismissed, and the order staying the ejectment of the appellant was vacated.
2. The only argument advanced by Mr. K.M. Sinha for the appellant is that the Courts below erred in presuming that the notice terminating the tenancy was received by the appellant and refused. It appears that the landlord sent the notice by registered post but it was returned by the Post Office with the endorsement refused.
Mr. Sinha contends that after the appellant had denied receipt of notice, the presumption was rebutted. I cannot agree. The appellant's denial was not sufficient to rebut the presumption unless he was believed by the Court, but he was not. This question was considered at length in Wasu Ram v. R.L. Sethi, 1963 All WR (HC) 472. Counsel for the respondent states that the principle of law laid down in that case was recently approved by a Bench of this Court in Kanhaiya Lal v. Smt. Savitri Devi, Second Appeal No. 518 of 1962 (All).
3. Mr. Sinha then argued that a presumption of refusal could arise only if the endorsement 'refused' was proved by evidence, and this could only be done by producing the postman who made the endorsement. I do not agree. If the landlord deposes that he sent an envelope containing the notice and that the same envelope was received by him with the endorsement 'refused' which was not there before and he produces the envelope with the
endorsement, this is a sufficient evidence to prove the endorsement. In this case the respondent appeared as a witness and proved the sending and the return of the envelope. On this evidence the Court could rely on the presumption authorised under S. 114 of the Evidence Act.
4. No other point was urged. The appeal is dismissed with costs. The order staying the ejectment of the appellant is vacated.
Appeal dismissed.
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