Matters to which affidavits shall be confined
Full Text
(1) Affidavits shall be confined to such facts as the deponent is able of his own knowledge to prove, except on interlocutory applications, on which statements of his belief may be admitted: provided that the grounds thereof are stated.
(2) The costs of every affidavit which shall unnecessarily set forth matters of hearsay or argumentative matter, or copies of or extracts from documents, shall (unless the Court otherwise directs) be paid by the party filing the same.
Plain English Summary
Commands that affidavits must be strictly confined to facts within the personal knowledge of the deponent, allowing statements of belief on interlocutory applications only when the exact grounds are stated, and penalizing hearsay or argumentative affidavits with costs.
Key Legal Elements
- Personal Knowledge Rule (Sub-rule 1): Foundation of sworn evidence in substantive proceedings.
- Interlocutory Exception: Statements of belief admissible ONLY if the source of information/grounds are explicitly disclosed.
- Defective Verification Consequences: An affidavit without proper verification distinguishing knowledge from belief is void in law.
- Costs Sanction against Argumentative Affidavits (Sub-rule 2): Penalizing parties who turn affidavits into written arguments or hearsay.
Practical Note
The Golden Rule of Affidavit Verification: 1. Landmark Rulings - State of Bombay v. Purushottam Jog Naik (AIR 1952 SC 317) & A.K.K. Nambiar v. Union of India (1969) 3 SCC 864: The Supreme Court held that the verification clause of an affidavit must clearly specify which paragraphs are true to the deponent's personal knowledge and which are true to information received and believed to be true (stating the source). An affidavit with defective verification is no affidavit in the eye of law and must be discarded. 2. Courtroom Attack: If the opposing party's affidavit reads 'Paras 1 to 15 are true to my knowledge and belief', attack it: 'The verification violates Order XIX Rule 3 CPC as it jumbles knowledge and belief without stating the source of information; it must be rejected in limine'.
हिंदी पाठ
(1) शपथपत्र ऐसे तथ्यों तक ही सीमित रहेंगे जिन्हें शपथग्रहीता (Deponent) अपने स्वयं के ज्ञान (Own knowledge) से साबित करने में समर्थ है, सिवाय अंतर्वर्ती आवेदनों (Interlocutory applications) के, जिन पर उसके विश्वास के कथन (Statements of belief) इस शर्त पर स्वीकार किए जा सकेंगे कि उनके आधार (Grounds) उल्लिखित किए गए हों।
(2) ऐसे प्रत्येक शपथपत्र के खर्चे, जिसमें अनावश्यक रूप से अनुश्रुत बातें (Hearsay) या तर्कपूर्ण बातें (Argumentative matter) अथवा दस्तावेजों की प्रतियां या उद्धरण दिए गए हों, उस पक्षकार द्वारा चुकाए जाएंगे जिसने उसे दाखिल किया है (जब तक कि न्यायालय अन्यथा निदेश न दे)।