P. C. Purushothama Reddiar vs S. Perumal on 2 December, 1971
In the P.C.
Purushothama Reddiar vs. S. Perumal, reported in AIR 1972 SC 608 the
court was concerned with some police reports, the correctness of which is
presumed under s. 35 of the Evidence Act. Therefore if such report was admitted,
the contents of the document were proved on such presumption. But in other
circumstances, proving a document is completely different from proof of its
contents. If a particular document says that according to the author of the
document, the valuation of property B is Rs. X, when the document is admitted
the fact that the author made that statement is proved. But whether the property
is valued at Rs. X is not proved, unless it is shown that the author of the
document is such an infallible expert that the statement proves the fact.
In this case admittedly the valuer was not called or to be treated as an expert.
Therefore the report per se is not to be taken as authoritative. Therefore, the
materials on which the conclusions in the document were arrived at, lease deeds,
rents paid in comparable properties had to be established by establishing the
documents forming the basis of the report and proving other facts by cogent
evidence.