The double tick on a WhasApp message can be proof of receipt said a court in Delhi. The court was hearing a plea in which a man had served notice to his daughter-in-law, her parents and friend through WhatsApp. Once he saw the double tick, he took a screenshot and print out of the same and submitted to the court as proof of notice being served.
This was accepted by the senior civil judge cum rent controller Sidharth Mathur at the court in Rohini, Delhi. On May 6 a resident of Model Town filed an appeal in the court seeking that his son, daughter-in-law, her parents and friend be restrained from entering into his property.
When the man was told by the court to serve the notice, he expressed fear that they would barge into his house. The court then told him to serve the notice on WhatsApp. He went ahead and did so and when he saw the double tick on the chat, he took a colour print out.
The court in its order said the man served the notice to his son, who lives in Janakpuri, by hand. On May 8, he submitted all the colour printout copies of notices to the court. “These defendants, thus, certainly have acquired knowledge of the summons and the hearing today.”
“I have gone through the record. The conveyance deed… of the suit property is in the name of plaintiff which makes him the exclusive owner… The defendants are restrained from trespassing into the suit property without due process of law till the next date of hearing. Though the defendants No. 1 to 4 have been served via WhatsApp, but still I deem it appropriate that they be served once again.”
