In Brief
In this succession dispute, the Supreme Court examined whether a registered 'Will Deed' was validly executed under the Indian Succession Act, 1925. The respondent claimed the testator (an illiterate woman named Suhagwanti) had executed a will leaving the disputed tenement to her. Although the document bore signatures of two witnesses and an advocate, the Court found grave doubt about its true nature and whether the testator understood what she was signing. Critically, no attesting witness testified, and the document was oddly styled as a 'Will Deed' rather than a proper will. The Court held the propounder had failed to prove valid execution under Section 71 of the Evidence Act, and allowed the appeal, voiding the will."
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