New Delhi | July 22, 2025
In a significant ruling that sharpens the legal framework around inheritance disputes, the Supreme Court of India has held that a registered will carries an inherent presumption of genuineness, and the burden of disproving its validity rests squarely on the person who challenges it.
The decision came in a long-standing family property dispute where the authenticity of a decades-old registered will was questioned by the deceased’s relatives. The apex court ruled in favor of the will’s beneficiary, restoring the trial court’s verdict that had earlier upheld the document as legitimate.
Background: A Family Divided Over a Will
The dispute revolved around agricultural land originally owned by one Metpalli Rajanna, who had executed a registered will in 1974. The will distributed the property among his second wife, Lasum Bai, and two children from his first marriage. After his death in 1983, disagreements arose within the family regarding the legitimacy of the will and the nature of a verbal partition agreement that followed.
Although a trial court validated the will, a later ruling by the Andhra Pradesh High Court cast doubt on its genuineness, siding with Rajanna’s children from the first marriage. This prompted an appeal to the Supreme Court.
Supreme Court’s Verdict: Registration Strengthens Validity
A bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta reversed the High Court ruling, stressing that:
“A registered will, unless proven otherwise, must be presumed to be genuine and duly executed in accordance with law.”
The Court underlined that once the will is shown to be registered and properly signed, the onus shifts to the objector to establish any claims of undue influence, fraud, coercion, or fabrication.
Additionally, the Court affirmed the existence of a verbal family partition soon after the testator’s death, giving further weight to the trial court’s findings.
Legal Implications: A Stronger Shield for Registered Wills
This ruling reinforces two crucial legal principles:
• Registration creates legal presumption: A registered will is not just procedural it has evidentiary strength.
• Challengers must bring proof: The Court will not entertain vague or speculative allegations against a registered document.
This offers clearer guidance in estate planning and will litigation, especially in cases where oral settlements and old documents complicate matters.
Case Titl:e Metpalli Lasum Bai (Deceased) & Ors. v. Metpalli Muthaiah & Ors.
