JOSEPH JOHN PETER SANDYversusVERONICA THOMAS RAJKUMAR & ANR

                         [2013] 2 S.C.R. 368

A                 JOSEPH JOHN PETER SANDY
                                  v.
            VERONICA THOMAS RAJKUMAR & ANR.
            (Civil Appeal Nos. 2178-2179 of 2004 etc.)

                          MARCH 12, 2013
B
         [DR. B.S. CHAUHAN AND FAKKIR MOHAMED
                   IBRAHIM KALIFULLA, JJ.]

        SPECIFIC RELIEF ACT, 1963:
c
       s.26 - Suit for rectification of settlement deeds - Held:
  Appellant could not have filed the suit for rectification of
  settlement deed, as there was no mistake in its understanding
  or execution by the parties - It was only the father of the
0 parties who could have sought rectification of the deed, but
  he was neither impleaded, nor examined before the trial court,
  though he was still alive at the time of institution of the suit -
  As respondent no. 1 was not a party to the alleged rectification
  deed, she was not bound by it - Besides, the memorandum
E of agreement relied upon by the plaintiff has not been proved
  - Evidence - Onus of proof.

        CONTRACT ACT, 1872:

        s. 16 - Contract induced by undue influence - Held: High
F Court has come to the conclusion that it was a case of undue
  influence, as on the date of executing the alleged document,
  i.e. Memorandum of agreement, respondent no. 1 was
  unmalTied and was dependent on her father and brother for
  settling her marriage and for sustenance - She having
G contended that plaintiff was in a position to dominate her will,
  the alleged document was termed as an unconscionable -
  The said document was clouded with suspicious and
  unexplained circumstances.

H                                368
    JOSEPH JOHN PETER SANDY v. VERONICA              369
             THOMAS RAJKUMAR
     The father of the appellant and respondent no. 1        A
executed two registered settlement deeds on 27.8.1981
transferring House No. 23 in the name of his daughter
(respondent No. 1) and House No. 22 in the name of his
son (the appellant). The appellant filed O.S.No. 6331 of
1983 on 12.9.1983 for issuance of direction to defendant/    B
respondent no.1, to execute a Deed of Rectification and
further to restrain her from interference with the
appellant's possession of the suit property. It was the
case of the plaintiff-appellant that after the settlement
deed dated 27.8.1981, the father of the parties realised     c
that House No. 23 which was given to the daughter,
ought to have been given to him and House No. 22 to the
daughter. Thus, the parties to give effect to the real
intention of their father decided to exchange the
properties given to them, and in furtherance thereof,
                                                             0
executed an Agreement Deed to exchange the same on
1.6.1982 (Ext. A-3), but respondent no. 1 failed to give
effect to the same. During the pendency of the suit, the
settler and the appellant were stated to have executed a
Rectification Deed (Ext.A-6) on 8.10.1983 by which the       E
property in Door No.23 was given to the appellant. The
said deed was signed by two witnesses. Respondent
no.1/defendant filed suit O.S. No. 415 of 1984 for
declaration that the agreement dated 1.6.1982 (Ext.A-3),
an unregistered document, was null and void, being a
forged document, and that she, under undue influence,        F
put her signature on the blank non-judicial stamp papers.
The trial court decreed the appellant's suit and dismissed
that of respondent no.1. However, the High Court allowed
both the appeals filed by respondent no.1.
                                                             G
    Dismissing the appeals, the Court,

    HELD: 1-.1. Section 26 of the Specific Relief Act, 1963
has a limited application, and is applicable only where it
is pleaded and proved that through fraud or mutual H
    370     SUPREME COURT REPORTS              [2013] 2 S.C.R.


A mistake of the parties, the real intention of the parties is
  not expressed in relation to an instrument. Such
  rectification is permissible only by the parties to the
  instrument and by none else. [para 7] [378-D-E]

B        Subhadra & Ors. v. Thankam, 2010 (8) SCR 299 =AIR
    2010 SC 3031; State of Kamataka & Anr. v. K. K. Mohandas
    & etc, 2007 (8) SCR 697 =AIR 2007 SC 2917 - relied on.
         1.2. In the instant case, as respondent no. 1 was not
    a party to the document Ext A-6, she was not bound by
  C it. Also, the appellant could not have filed the suit for
    rectification of settlement deed, as there was no mistake
    in the understanding or execution by the parties. It was
    only the father of the parties who could have sought
.   rectification of the deed, but he was neither impleaded,
  0 nor examined before the trial court, though he was still
    alive at the time of institution of the suit. Even the
    appellant failed to examine the witnesses to the
    document Ext.A-3. [para 4] [377-C-D]
E      1.3. There is no dispute that by the settlement deed
  dated 27.8.1981, the father of the parties had given House
  No. 23 admeasuring 2413 Sq. Ft. to the daughter -
  respondent no.1 and House No. 22 admeasuring 730 Sq.
  Ft to the son - appellant None of the attesting witnesses
F to these documents had been examined by either of the
  parties, to ascertain whether father of the parties, had
  expressed any intention in respect of the properties
  before them. Ext.A-6 dated 28.10.1983 an unregistered
  document by which the father had expressed his will that
G House No. 23 should be given to the son - appellant, is
  subsequent to Exts.A1 and A2. The appellant has
  examined one of the attesting witnesses but the High
  Court came to the right conclusion that as respondent
  no.1 was not a party to the document, it has no effect,
H whatsoever in law, on the case. [para 20] [384-D-F]
   ..   '




   JOSEPH JOHN PETER SANDY v. VERONICA               371
            THOMAS RAJKUMAR
      1.4. In the Memorandum of Agreement dated A
 1.6.1982, it is stated that mistakes, in the settlement deed
 made by the father, of the parties having been discovered
 only in the last week of May 1982, the parties, have
 decided to rectify the error and for that purpose, they
 would execute and register necessary documents to B
 rectify the mistake. Thus, the document Ex.A-3 cannot be
 read as an "agreement to exchange." It can be read only
 as a rectification deed, which could have been done only
 by the settlor and not by the contesting parties •
.Considering the respective area of the properties bearing C
 nos.22 and 23, the contract can definitely be held
 "unconscionable"~ [para 20 and 27(viii)] [384-G-H; 385-A;
 388-F]

    2.1. Section 16 of the Contract Act, 1872 provides that 0
a contract is said to be induced by "undue influence"
where the relations subsisting between the parties are
such that one of the parties is in a position to dominate
the will of the other, and uses that position to obtain an
unfair advantage over the other. [para 7) [378-F-G]         E
     Bishundeo Narain & Anr. v. Seogeni Rai & Jagemath
1951 SCR 548 =AIR 1951 SC 280; Ladli Prashad Jaiswal
v. The Karna/ Distillery Co. Ltd., Karna/ & Ors, 1964
SCR 270 = AIR 1963 SC 1279; Subhash Chandra Das
Mushib v. Ganga Prasad Das Mushib & Ors., 1967 F
SCR 331 =AIR 1967 SC 878; Afsar Shaikh & Anr v. Soleman
Bibi & Ors. 1976 (2) SCR 327 =AIR 1976 SC 163 - relied
on.
     Poosathurai v. Kannappa Chettiar, AIR 1920 PC 65 -    G
referred to.
    2.2. In the instant case, High Court came to the
conclusion that it was a case of undue influence as on
the date of executing the alleged document Ext.A-3, H
    372      SUPREME COURT REPORTS             [2013) 2 S.C.R.

A respondent no.1 was unmarried and was dependent on
  her father and brother for settling her marriage and for
  sustenance, and, as such, the plaintiff was in a position
  to dominate her will. It was a case, wherein, after
  obtaining the signatures of respondent no.1 on some
B papers, the document had been scribed. With respect to
  the document, the High Court held that the said document
  ExlA-3 being a typed document, ought to have contained
  the name of the person who had scribed it. It further
  reasoned that the language used therein suggests that
C it was drafted by an expert in the field and thus, the whole
  document is clouded with suspicion and unexplained
  circumstances. [para 24) (386-B-E]

         Madan Mohan Singh & Ors v. Rajni Kant & Anr, 2010
D   (10) SCR 30 =AIR 2010 SC 2933; State of Bihar & Ors. v.
    Radha Krishna Singh & Ors., AIR 1983 SC 684; H.Siddiqui
    (dead) by Lrs. v. A. Ramalingam 2011 (5) SCR 587 =·AIR
    2011 SC 1492; Laxmibai (dead) thr. Lrs. & Anr v.
    Bhagwantbuva (dead) thr Lrs. & Ors., JT 2013(2) SC 362 -
E relied on.
          Hari Singh v. Kanhaiya Lal 1999 Suppl. (2) SCR 216 =
    AIR 1999 SC 3325 - referred to.

       2.3. It is crystal clear that even though the document
F may be admissible, still its contents have to be proved.
  In the instant case, as the appellant did not examine
  either the attesting witnesses of the document, nor
  proved its contents no fault can be found with the
  judgment of the High Court. Neither of the party has
G examined the attesting witness to document Ext.A-3.
  Such a witness could have explained the conduct of the
  parties and deposed as to who had prepared Ext. A-3.
  The trial court had reasoned that, even· though the
  appellant did not examine the attesting witness of Ex.A-
H 3, the defendant could have done it and prove the
   JOSEPH JOHN PETER SANDY v. VERONICA                373
            THOMAS RAJKUMAR
allegations she had made against her brother - appellant,    A
and thus in the process had wrongly shifted the burden
of proof. [para 22, 26 and 27(1)] [385-D; 386-G-H; 387-C]

     Thiruvengada Pillai v. Navaneethammal & Anr, 2008 (3)
SCR 23 = AIR 2008 SC 1541; K. Laxmanan v. Thekkayi/          B
Padmini & Ors., 2008 (16) SCR 1117 =AIR 2009 SC 951;
and Krishna Mohan Ku/ @ Nani Charan Ku/ & Anr. v.
Pratima Maity & Ors. 2003 Suppl. (3) SCR 496 = AIR 2003
SC 4351 - referred to.

    2.4. Document Ex. 83 dated 29th July 1983 is             C
subsequent to document Ex.A-6, wherein settlor wrote to
respondent No.1 that he had given Door No.23 to her.
Thus, the settlor never intended otherwise. [para 27(vi)]
[388-C]
                                                             D
                    Case Law Reference:
    2010 (8) SCR 299            relied on       para 6
    2007 (8) SCR 697             relied on      para 6
                                                             E
    1951 SCR 548                 relied on      para 8
    AIR 1920 PC 65               referred to    para 9
     1964 SCR270                 relied on      para 10
     1967 SCR 331                relied on      para 11      F
     1976 (2) SCR 327            relied on      para 12
     1999 (2) Suppl. SCR 216     referred to    para 13
    AIR 1983 SC 684              relied on      para 14      G
     2010 (10) SCR 30            relied on      para 15
    2011 (5) SCR 587             relied on      para 15

    JT 2013(2) SC 362            relied on       para 15
                                                             H
    374       SUPREME COURT REPORTS                [2013) 2 S.C.R.

A         2008 (3) SCR 23              referred to       para 16
          2008 (16) SCR 1117           referred to      para 17
          2003 (3) Suppl. SCR 496      referred to      para 18
B       CIVIL AP PELLATE JURISDICTION : Civil Appeal Nos.
    2178-2179 of 2004.

        From the Judgments & Orders dated 16.07.2003 of the
    High Court of Judicature at Madras in A.S. No. 1104 of 1987
    and Transferred A.S. No. 1120 of 2001.
c
                                WITH
    C.A. Nos. 2184-2185 of 2004.

      R. Balasubramanian, S. Nanda Kumar, R. Satish Kumar,
0 Parivesh Singh Anjali Chauhan, Karunakaran, S.K.
  Bandhyopadhya, Rakesh K. Sharma, V.N. Raghupathy for the
  Appellant.
        Shyam Nandan, Neha Aggarwal, Karun Mehta, W. Aman,
    Varun Tandon, Subramonium Prasad for the Respondents.
E
          The Judgment of the Court was delivered by
        DR. B.S. CHAUHAN, J. 1. These appeals have been
  preferred against the impugned judgment and decree dated
  16.7.2003 passed by the High Court of Madras in A.S. No.
F 1104 of 1987 and Transferred A.S. No. 1120 of 2001, wherein
  it has set aside the judgment and decree of the trial court which
  had decreed the suit of the appellant and dismissed the suit of
  the respondent No.1.
G       2. The facts and circumstances giving rise to these
    appeals are:
       A. The contesting parties are the son and the daughter of
  late B.P. Sandy. Though late B.P. Sandy had several children,
H considering his old age, he decided to transfer/settle his two
   JOSEPH JOHN PETER SANDY v. VERONICA                           375
   THOMAS RAJKUMAR [DR. B.S. CHAUHAN, J.]
houses bearing nos.22 and 23, Peria Palli Street, Raja                   A
Annamalai Puram, Chennai-28 in favour of his youngest son
and daughter (the contesting parties herein) respectively.
Therefore, the father of the parties executed two registered
settlement deeds on 27.8.1981 bearing nos. 1690/81 and
1691/81 at the office of Sub-Registrar, Mylapore, Chennai,               B
transferring House No. 23 in the name of his daughter
(Respondent No. 1) and House No. 22 in the name of his son
(Appellant).

      B. It is alleged by the appellant that the father of the parties
had only at a later point of time realised that the House No. 23         C
which was given to the daughter, ought to have been given to
him and House No. 22 to the daughter. Thus, the parties to give
effect to the real intention of their father decided to exchange
the properties given to them, and in furtherance thereof,
executed a Agreement Deed to exchange the same on                        D
1.6.1982. The said document was witnessed by Sheila Doss
and Mrs. Mary Doss, who were neighbours and teachers and
colleagues of the daughter - respondent no.1. Since, the said
agreement dated 1.6.1982 (Ex.A-3) had not been given effect
to by the respondent no.1, the appellant filed O.S.No. 6331 of           E
1983 on 12.9.1983 in the court of City Civil Judge, Chennai,
for issuance of direction to the defendant/respondent no.1, to
execute a Deed of Rectification and further to restrain her from
interference with the appellant's possession of the suit property.
During the pendency of this suit, Shri B.P. Sandy and the                F
appellant executed a Rectification Deed (Ex.A-6) on 8.10.1983
by which property in Door No.23 was given to the appellant.
The said deed was signed by two witnesses Susan Muthu and
A. Bernard. The respondent no.1/defendant filed suit O.S. No.
415 of 1984 before the same court for declaration that the               G
agreement dated 1.6.1982 (Ex.A-3), an unregistered
document, was null and void, being a forged document, and that
she has under undue influence put her signature on the blank
non-judicial stamp papers.
                                                                         H
    376      SUPREME COURT REPORTS                     [2013] 2 S.C.R.


A       C. The trial court decided both the suits together vide
    judgment and decree dated 21.8.1986 by way of which the
    appellant's suit was decreed and that of respondent no.1 was
    dismissed.

B        D. Aggrieved, the respondent no.1 filed an appeal before
    the learned District Judge, however, it was subsequently
    transferred to the High Court and the High Court has allowed
    both the appeals filed by respondent no.1.

      It may also be pertinent to mention here that during the
C pendency of the appeals, the appellant got the Trial Court
  decree executed through the court and subsequently sold the
  property no.23 to the respondent no.2.

          Hence, these appeals.
D         3. Shri R. Balasubramanian, learned senior counsel
     appearing for the appellant, has submitted that the High Court
     has committed an error in interpreting the statutory provisions
    of law and it was not necessary, that the agreement between
    the parties, tantamount to an agreement to sell, may be a
E   registered document as required under Section 17 of the
     Registration Act or by any provision of the Transfer of Property
    Act and, therefore, the High Court erred in holding the Ex.A-3
    was inadmissible and inoperative in law. Once the document
    (Ex.A-3) had been admitted in the evidence without any
F   objection being raised, its contents were bound to be admitted
    and relied upon. In fact, the said document had been executed
    by the parties in order to give effect to the real intention of their
    father. Therefore, the question of undue influence could not have
    been inferred. The judgment of the trial court ought not to have
G   been reversed by the appellate court. The parties having jointly
    taken a loan, an agreement was reached between the parties
    that in consideration for the appellant paying the entire loan
    taken for the marriage and maintenance of the respondent no.1,
    she would transfer the property stood in her name. Thus, the
H   appeals deserve to be allowed.
    JOSEPH JOHN PETER SANDY v. VERONICA                          377
    THOMAS RAJKUMAR [DR. B.S. CHAUHAN, J.]
     4. Shri Shyam D. Nandan, learned counsel appearing on               A
behalf of the respondent No.1, has submitted that the High Court
has rightly reversed the judgments and decree of the trial court
interpreting and applying the statutory provisions in correct
perspective. It was a clear cut case of undue influence. The
Rectification Deed (Ex.A-6) executed by the father and                   B
appellant .ought not to have been given effect to.

       In the instant case, as the respondent no. 1 was not a party
to the document Ex.A-6, she was not bound by it. Also, the
appellant could not have file the suit for rectification of settlement
deed- Ex.A-1, as there was no mistake in the understanding               C
or execution by the parties. The father of the parties was neither
impleaded, nor examined before the trial court, though he was
still alive at the time of institution of the suit. Even the appellant
failed to examine the witnesses to the document Ex.A-3. He
examined only Shri A. Bernard, the witness of document (Ex.A-            D
6), who had no bearing to the instant case .. Thus, the appeals
lack merit and are liable to be dismissed.
     5. We have considered the rival submissions made by the
learned counsel for the parties and perused the records. Before          E
entering into merits of the case, it is desirable to examine the
legal issues.

LEGAL ISSUES :

I. Section 26 of Specific Relief Act. 1963:                              F
     Section 26 of the Special Relief Act 1963 (hereinafter
referred to as 'Act') provides for rectification of instruments,
where through fraud or a mutual mistake of the parties, an
instrument in writing does not express the real intention, then          G
the parties may apply for rectification. However, clause 4
thereof, provides that such a relief cannot be granted by the
court, unless it is specifically claimed.
     6. In Subhadra & Ors. v. Thankam, AIR 2010 SC 3031,
this Court while deciding upon whether the agreement suffers             H
    378       SUPREME COURT REPORTS                  [2013] 2 S.C.R.


A from any ambiguity and whether rectification is needed, held
  that when the description of the entire property has been given
  and in the face of the matters being beyond ambiguity, the
  question of rectification in terms of Section 26 of the Act would,
  thus, not arise. The provisions of Section 26 of the Act would
8 be attracted in limited cases. The provisions of this Section do
  not have a general application. These provisions can be
  attracted in the cases only where the ingredients stated in the
  Section are satisfied. The relief of rectification can be claimed
  where it is through fraud or a mutual mistake of the
C parties that real intention of the parties is not expressed
  in relation to an instrument.

        A similar view has been reiterated by this Court in State
    of Kamataka & Anr. v. K. K. Mohandas & etc, AIR 2007 SC
    2917.
D
          7. Thus, in view of the above, it can be held that Section
  26 of the Act has a limited application, and is applicable only
  where it is pleaded and proved that through fraud or mutual
  mistake of the parties, the real intention of the parties is not
E expressed in relation to an instrument. Such rectification is
  permissible only by the parties to the instrument and by none
  else.

    II. Undue influence • Section 16 of Contract Act. 1872:

F         Section 16 of the Contract Act provides that a contract is
    said to be induced by "undue influence· where the relations
    subsisting between the parties are such that one of the parties
    is in a position to dominate the will of the other, and uses that
    position to obtain an unfair advantage over the other.
G
        8. In Bishundeo Narain & Anr. v. Seogeni Rai &
    Jagemath, AIR 1951 SC 280, while dealing with the issue, this
    Court held:
          ".... in cases of fraud, 'undue influence' and coercion, the
H         parties pleading it must set forth full particulars and the
   JOSEPH JOHN PETER SANDY v. VERONICA                      379
   THOMAS RAJKUMAR [DR. B.S. CHAUHAN, J.]
    case can only be decided on the particulars as laid. There A
    can be no departure from them in evidence. General
    allegations are insufficient even to amount to an averment
    of fraud of which any court ought to take notice however
    strong the language in which they are couched may be, and
    the same applies to undue influence and coercion."         B

      9. The Privy Council in Poosathurai v. Kannappa Chettiar,
AIR 1920 PC 65, reasoned that it is a mistake to treat undue
influence as having been established by a proof of the relations
of the parties having been such that the one naturally relied C
upon the other for advice and the other was in a position to
dominate the will of the first in giving it. Up to that point
"influence" alone has been made out. Such influence may be
used wisely, judiciously and helpfully. But whether by the law of
India or the law of England, more than mere influence must be
proved so as to render influence, in the language of the law, D
'undue'.
      10. In Ladli Prashad Jaiswal v. The Kamal Distillery Co.
Ltd., Kamal & Ors, AIR 1963 SC 1279, this Court held:
                                                                    E
    "The doctrine of 'undue influence' under the common law
    was evolved by the Courts in England for granting
    protection against transactions procured by the exercise
    of insidious forms of influence spiritual and temporal. The
    doctrine applies to acts of bounty as well as to other F
    transactions in which one party by exercising his position
    of dominance obtains an unfair advantage over another.
    The Indian enactment is founded substantially on the rules
    of English common law. The first sub-section of S.16 lays
    down the principle in general terms. By sub-section (2) a G
    presumption arises that a person shall be deemed to be
    in a position to dominate the will of another if the conditions
    set out therein are fulfilled. Sub-section (3) lays down the
    conditions for raising a rebuttable presumption that a
    transaction is procured by the exercise of undue influence.
    The reason for the rule in the third sub-section is that a H
    380       SUPREME COURT REPORTS                   [2013] 2 S.C.R.

A         person who has obtained an advantage over another by
          dominating his will may also remain in a position to
          suppress the requisite evidence in support of the plea of
          undue influence."

B      11. In Subhash Chandra Das Mushib v. Ganga Prasad
  Das Mushib & Ors., AIR 1967 SC 878, this Court held that the
  Court trying the case of undue influence must consider two
  things to start with, namely, (1) are the relations between the
  donor and the donee, such that the donee is in a position to
C dominate the Will of the donor, and (2) has the donee used that
  position to obtain an unfair advantage over the donor? Upon
  the determination of these two issues a third point emerges,
  which is that of the onus probandi. If the transaction appears
  to be unconscionable, then the burden of proving that the
  contract was not i.nduced by undue influence lies upon the
D person who is in a position to dominate the Will of the other. It
  was further said that merely because the parties were nearly
  related to each other or merely because the donor was old or
  of weak character, no presumption of undue influence can
  arise. Generally speaking the relations of solicitor and client,
E trustee and cestui que trust, spiritual adviser and devotee,
  medical attendant and patient, parent and child are those in
  which such a presumption arises.
        12. In Afsar Shaikh & Anr v. Soleman Bibi & Ors., AIR
F   1976 SC 163, this Court held:
          "The law as to undue influence in the case of a gift inter
          vivos is the same as in the case of a contract. Sub-section
          (3) of Section 16 contains a rule of evidence. According
          to this rule, if a person seeking to avoid a transaction on
G         the ground of undue influence proves-
          (a) that the party who had obtained the benefit was, at the
          material time, in a position to dominate the will of the other
          conferring the benefit, and
H
 JOSEPH JOHN PETER SANDY v. VERONICA                        381
 THOMAS RAJKUMAR [DR. B.S. CHAUHAN, J.]
  (b) that the transaction is unconscionable,                       A

  the burden shifts on the party benefiting by the transaction
  to show that it was not induced by undue influence. If either
  of these two conditions is not established the burden will
  not shift. As shall be discussed presently, in the instant        8
  case the first condition had not been established; and
  consequently, the burden never shifted on the defendant.
  The Privy Council in Raghunath Prasad v. Sarju Prasad,
  (AIR 1924 PC 60) expounded three stages for
  consideration of a case of undue influence. It was pointed
' out that the first thing to be considered is, whether the         C
  plaintiff or the party seeking relief on the ground of undue
  influence has proved that the relations between the parties
  to each other are such that one is in a position to dominate
  the will of the other. Upto this point, 'influence' alone has
   been made out. Once that position is substantiated, the          D
  second stage has been reached - namely, the issue
  whether the transaction has been induced by undue
   influence. That is to say, it is not sufficient for the person
  seeking the relief to show that the relations of the parties
   have been such that the one naturally relied upon the other      E
   for advice, and the other was in a position to dominate the
  will of the first in giving it. Upon a determination of the
   issue at the second stage, a third point emerges, which
   is of the onus probandi. If the transaction appears to be
   unconscionable, then the burden of proving that it was not       F
   induced by undue influence is to lie upon the person who
  was in a position to dominate the will of the other. Error is
  almost sure to arise if the order of these propositions be
  changed. The unconscionableness of the bargain is not the
  first thing to be considered. The first thing to be considered    G
   is the relation of the parties. Were they such as to put one
   in a position to dominate the will of the other"
                                            (Emphasis added)

  13. If there are facts on the record to justify the inference     H
    382       SUPREME COURT REPORTS                    [2013] 2 S.C.R.

A of undue influence, the omission to make an allegation of undue
  influence specifically, is not fatal to the plaintiff being entitled
  to relief on that ground; all that the Court has to see is that there
  is no surprise to the defendant. In Hari Singh v. Kanhaiya Lal,
  AIR 1999 SC 3325, it was held that mere lack of details in the
B pleadings cannot be a ground to reject a case for the reason
  that it can be supplemented through evidence by the parties.

    Ill. ADMISSIBILITY OF A DOCUMENT:

       14. In State of Bihar & Ors. v. Radha Krishna Singh &
C Ors., AIR 1983 SC 684, this Court held as under:

          "Admissibility of a document is one thing and its probative
          value quite another - these two aspects cannot be
          combined. A document may be admissible and yet may
D         not carry any conviction and weight of its probative value
          may be nil.. ..

          Where a report is given by a responsible officer, which is
          based on evidence of witnesses and documents and has
          "a statutory flavour in that it is given not merely by an
E         administrative officer but under the authority of a Statute,
          its probative value would indeed be very high so as to be
          entitled to great weight.

          The probative value of documents which, however ancient
F         they may be, do not disclose sources of their .information
          or have not achieved sufficient notoriety is precious little."

         15. Reiterating the above proposition in Madan Mohan
  Singh & Ors v. Rajni Kant & Anr, AIR 2010 SC 2933, this
  Court held that a document may be admissible, but as to
G whether the entry contained therein has any probative value may
  still be required to be examined in the facts and circumstances
  of a particular case. (See Also : H.Siddiqui (dead) by Lrs. v.
  A.Ramalingam AIR 2011 SC 1492; Laxmibai (dead) thr. Lrs.
  & Anr v. Bhagwantbuva (dead) thr Lrs. & Ors., JT 2013(2) SC
H 362)
   JOSEPH JOHN PETER SANDY v. VERONICA                     383
   THOMAS RAJKUMAR [DR. B.S. CHAUHAN, J.]
IV. ONUS OF PROOF:                                                A
    16. In Thiruvengada Pillai v. Navaneethammal & Anr.,
AIR 2008 SC 1541, this Court held that when the execution of
an unregistered document put forth by the plaintiff was denied
by the defendants, the ruling that it was for the defendants to
                                                                   8
establish that the document was forged or concocted is not a
sound proposition. The first appellate Court proceeded on the
basis that it is for the party who asserts something to prove that
thing; and as the defendants alleged that the agreement was
forged, it was for them to prove it. But the first appellate Court
lost sight of the fact that the party who propounds the document C
will have to prove it. It was the plaintiff who had come to Court
alleging that the first defendant had executed an agreement of
sale in his favour. The defendant having denied it, the burden
was on the plaintiff to prove that the defendant had executed
the agreement and not on the defendant to prove the negative. D
      17. In K. Laxmanan v. Thekkayil Padmini & Ors., AIR
2009 SC 951, this Court held that when there are suspicious
circumstances regarding the execution of the Will, the onus is
also on the propounder to explain them to the satisfaction of
the Court and only when such responsibility is discharged, the E
Court would accept the Will as genuine. Even where there are
no such pleas, but circumstances give rise to doubt, it is on
the propounder to satisfy the conscience of the Court.
Suspicious circumstances arise due to several reasons such
as with regard to genuineness of the signature of the testator, F
the conditions of the testator's mind, the dispositions made in
the Will being unnatural, improbable or unfair or there might be
other indications in the Will to show that the testator's mind was
not free. In such a case, the Court would naturally expect that
all legitimate suspicion should be completely removed before G
the document is accepted as the last Will of the testator.
     18. In Krishna Mohan Ku/ @ Nani Charan Ku/ & Anr. v.
Pratima Maity & Ors., AIR 2003 SC 4351, it was held that when
fraud, mis-representation or undue influence is alleged by a H
    384     SUPREME COURT REPORTS                   [2013] 2 S.C.R.

A party in a suit, normally, the burden is on him to prove such
  fraud, undue influence or misrepresentation. But, when a
  person is in a fiduciary relationship with another and the latter
  is in a position of active confidence the burden of proving the
  absence of fraud, misrepresentation or undue influence is upon
B the person in the dominating position, he has to prove that there
  was fair play in the transaction and that the apparent is the real,
  in other words that the transaction is genuine and bona fide. In
  such a case the burden of proving the good faith of the
  transaction is thrown upon the dominant party, that is to say,
C the party who is in a position of active confidence.
         19. The instant case is required to be exercised in the light
    of the aforesaid settled proposition of law.
         20. There is no dispute that by the settlement deed dated
    27.8.1981, late Shri B.P. Sandy had given House No. 23
D   admeasuring 2413 Sq. Ft. to the daughter - respondent no.1
    and House No. 22 admeasuring 730 Sq. Ft. to the son -
    appellant. None of the attesting witnesses to these documents
    had been examined by either of the parties, to ascertain
    whether late B.P. Sandy, father of the parties, had expressed
E   any intention in respect of the properties before them. Ex.A-6
    dated 28.10.1983 a unregistered document is subsequent to
    Exs.A 1 & A2, by which the father had expressed his will that
    House No. 23 should be given to the son - appellant. The
    appellant has examined one of the attesting witnesses Shri A.
F   Bernard but the High Court came to the right conclusion that
    as the respondent no.1 was not a party to the document, it has
    no effect, whatsoever in law, on the case. Thus, in such a fact-
    situation, it remains to be seen as what is the effect of
    document dated 1.6.1982 Ex.A-3, the Memorandum of
G   Agreement, and as to whether it had been obtained by the
    appellant by undue influence. In the document, it is stated that
    mistakes, in the settlement deed made by their father, having
    been discovered only in the last week of May 1982, the parties,
    have decided to rectify the error and for that purpose, they
H   would execute and register necessary documents to rectify the
    JOSEPH JOHN PETER SANDY v. VERONICA                      385
    THOMAS RAJKUMAR [DR. B.S. CHAUHAN, J.]
mistake. The intention behind such rectification being, to make      A
the appellant entitled to House No.23 and respondent No.1 to             ·'
House No. 22.
     21. Before the trial court, only the parties and Shri A.
Bernard, the attesting witness to the Deed (Ex.A-6), were
examined. The appellant also did not examine his father who          B
was alive till 26.12.1983. The appellant could have taken resort
to the provisions under Order XVIII Rule 16 of the Code of Civil
Procedure, 1908, to examine this witness immediately. The
examination of Shri .A. Bernard, (PW-2) as to the genuineness
of Ex.A-6 was a futile .exercise, as the said document could not     C
have any bearing on the decision of the case.
     22. The trial court had reasoned that, even though the
appellant did not examine the attesting witness of Ex.A-3, the
defendant could have done it and prove the allegations she had       D
made against her brother - appellant, and thus in the process
had wrongly shifted the burden of proof. The Court, further held
that it was the appellant who had wanted to get Ex.A-3
executed, thus, onus to prove was 011 him, had he discharged
the same, only then it could be shifted to the respondent no.1/
defendant.                                                           E
     23. The court further held that as the respondent was an
educated woman and was serving as a teacher, her allegation
of undue influence to sign on blank non-judicial stamp papers,
cannot be relied upon and, thereby concluded that Ex.A-3 was         F
a document executed by her voluntarily and by free will and,
hence, it was binding on her and it was not permissible for her
to say that it was a forged document.
     The learned trial court had also taken note of a letter dated
 19.7.1983 (Ex.B-3) written by the father of the parties to          G
_respondent no.1 in which it was stated that he had given her
 House No. 23. However, the said letter was simply brushed
 aside by the court without giving any reason whatsoever.
   24. The High Court while dealing with the above issues,
came to the conclusion that Ex.A-6 was totally incongruous to        H
    386      SUPREME COURT REPORTS                  (2013) 2 S.C.R.


A the natural human conduct and if the settlor i.e. the father of the
   parties, had so intended to rectify the mistake, he could have
  very well registered the rectification deed. The court further held
  that once the Trial Court came to the conclusion that Ex.A-6 was
  not worth of acceptance, it was not permissible for it to grant
B an equitable relief of rectification of deed. After relying upon a
  large number of judgments of this Court, the High Court further
  came to the conclusion that it was a case of undue influence
  and as on the date of executing the alleged document Ex.A-3,
  the respondent no.1 was unmarried and was dependent on her
c father and brother for settling her marriage and for sustenance,
  as her marriage was solemnised only on 1.6.1983. The
  respondent no.1 having contended that the plaintiff was in a
  position to dominate her will, thus, the document Ex.A-3 was
  termed as an unconscionable. It was a case, wherein, after
  obtaining the signatures 4 0f the respondent no. 1 on some
0
  papers, the document had been scribed. With respect to the
  document, the High Court held that the said document Ex.A-3
  being a typed document, ought to have contained the name of
  the person who had scribed it. It further reasoned that the
E language used therein suggests that it was drafted by an expert
  in the field and thus, the whole document is clouded with
  suspicion and unexplained circumstances.
       25. The High Court further held that Ex.A-3 being an
  unregistered document, could not have been relied upon and
F it had wrongly been admitted. In our opinion, such a view may
  not be legally correct. However, reversal of the said finding
  would not tilt the balance in favour of the appellant.
       26. In view of the law referred to hereinabove, it is crystal
  clear that even though the document may be admissible, still
G its contents have to be proved and in the instant case, as the
  appellant did not examine either the attesting witnesses of the
  document, nor proved its contents, no fault can be found with
  the judgment impugned before us. Section 26 of the Act,
  provides for rectification of a document if the parties feel that
H they have committed any mistake. Also, ii was only, the father
   JOSEPH JOHN PETER SANDY v. VERONICA                        387
   THOMAS RAJKUMAR [DR. B.S. CHAUHAN, J.)
of the parties who could have sought rectification of the deed. A
Mere rectification by parties herein does not take the case
within the ambit of Section 26 of the Act. Taking note of the
statutory provisions of Section 16 of the Contract Act and the
parameters laid down by this Court for application of doctrine
on undue influence, the High Court has reached a correct B
conclusion.
    27. In view of the above, we reached the following
inescapable conclusions:
     (i) Neither of the party has examined the attesting witness      C
to document Ex.A-3. As such a witness could have explained
the conduct of the parties and deposed as to who had prepared
the document Ex.A-3.
                                                                              !'
     (ii) It is evident from the language of the deed (Ex.A-3) that       !
it has been prepared either by a lawyer or a deed writer.             D
     (iii) The said document (Ex.A-3) does not bear either the
signature, or the address of the scribe. The appellant has also
not examined the scribe, nor has he disclosed who such person
was. This would have revealed the correct position with respect
to whether the respondent no.1 had signed blank papers, or            E
whether she had come to him for the execution of the document
with the attesting witnesses and appellant. Additionally, the
scribe could have explained who had bought the non judicial
stamp paper for the document Ex. A-3.
      (iv) The consideration for executing document (Ex.A-3)          F
 seems to be the redemption of the property mortgaged jointly
 by both the parties, to one Advocate Krishnaswamy, with whom
 the deeds of title Ex.A1 and Ex.A2 had been kept as security.
 The said mortgagee has not been examined by the appellant
 to show as to whether the respondent No.1 was also a party to        G
 the mortgage and who had placed the title deed of her property
 with him.
      (v) In his examination-in-chief, the appellant had made a
 false statement that he was not made aware of the settlement         H
         388     SUPREME COURT REPORTS                 [2013] 2 S.C.R.

     A deed Ex.A-1 till 26th June of 1982, as it was given to him by
       his mother on that date before her death. Such a statement
       stands completely falsified, as the document Ex.A-1 reveals,
       that he had been put in possession by his father, with the
       permission of respondent No.1 , as the property in Door No.23
     B had been given to her and it was made clear that the
       respondent No .1 had absolute right of enjoyment to the said
       property.
           (vi) Document Ex. 83 dated 29th July 1983 is subsequent
      to document Ex.A-6, wherein settlor Mr. Sandy had written to
    C respondent No.1 that he had given Door No.23 to her. Thus,
      the settlor never intended otherwise.
              (vii) The document Ex.A3 shows that the mistake was
        discovered in the last week of May 1982. So it was agreed to
         rectify the error, therefore the parties undertook the same as
    · D a rectification under Section 26 of the Act. In the written
        statement filed by the appellant, in the suit filed by the
        respondent No.1 , Paragraph no. 7 & 9 refers to the mistake
        and also, the rectification. Thus, the document Ex.A-3 cannot
        be read as an "agreement to exchange." It can be read only
     E as a rectification deed, which could have been done only by
        the settlor and not by the contesting parties.
           (viii) Considering the respective area of the properties
      bearing nos.22 and 23, the contract can definitely be held
    F "unconscionable".
             28. In view of the above, we are of the considered opinion
        that appeals are devoid of any merit. The same are accordingly
        dismissed. No costs.
        CIVIL APPEAL NOs. 2184-2185 OF 2004
    G
             These appeals are. squarely covered by th~ aforesaid
        decision in the main matters i.e. C.A No. 2178-2179 of.2004.
        The same are, accordingly, dismissed.
        R.P.                                     Appeals dismissed.
    H

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