Sir George Rankin:-

In this case six appeals have been consolidated. They are brought from a decision of the High Court of Bombay dated 4th October 1934, in suits by the appellant for ejectment of the respondents from the lands of their tenancies under him. In each case the basis of the claim was that the tenancy is an annual tenancy determinable at the end of the agricultural year, namely 31st March, upon three months' notice. The lands in question are arable land in the inam village of Khed Digar. This village is in the Shahada Taluka of the West Khandesh District in the Presidency of Bombay, and lies upon the extreme northern boundary of the Deccan where it abuts upon the Barwani State. The total area of the village would appear to be under 1400 acres and the population about 400 persons of whom a little more than a quarter are Bhils.

The appellant is the inamdar of the village and traces his title back to an inam grant by the Maratha Ruler in 1798. This title was confirmed by the British Government in 1843 and in 1880 a sanad was granted by the Government of Bombay to the appellant's father showing that, subject to the deduction of some 120 acres alienated by grants of earlier da