No black and white photographs in pleadings without prior permission of Court: SC directs Registry

Supreme Court: While dealing with a civil special leave petition against a decision of the Bombay High Court, the Division Bench of Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan, JJ. upon noting that for long time the parties are placing on record black and white photocopies of photographs, mostly which are blurred, directed the Registry to not entertain hitherto any black and white photographs without prior permission of the Court.

The said direction came when the Court was hearing a matter relating to land.

In the matter at hand, the Court noted that the petitioners filed a compliance affidavit, responding to the averments made by the Collector in his affidavit, wherein it was stated that “the measurement etc. are certified by the Government Engineers and based on their professional assessment…”. The Court noted that the relied upon the measurements carried out by a team of experts from Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology at Surat, wherein, the plinth area of the apartment offered to the petitioners is not 50 sq. ft. The Court also noted that the basic civic amenities are conspicuously missing. Hence, the Court giving more credence to the report submitted by the experts of Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology at Surat, constituted a joint team to carry out fresh measurements, which will be duly video-graphed. The Court also directed the joint team to certify the amenities available and functional in the apartment offered to the petitioners.