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2004 Supreme(AP) 1532

Andhra Pradesh High Court
Judges : G.YETHIRAJULU
Mahboob Khan - Appellant
Versus
Mohd.Khaja - Respondent
CRP.No.1517/04
Decided On : 12-23-04
Advocates Appeared :
Mr.K. Manik Prabhu,Mr.V. Ravinder Rao

Headnote:WAKF ACT, 1995, Secs.83 & 85 r/w Sec.6 - Wakf property - Jurisdiction of civil Court - Suit filed for perpetual injunction - Trial Court dismissing suit on ground of jurisdiction - Appellate Court modified order of trial Court holding that suit property is Wakf property and therefore plaint has to be returned for presentation before Tribunal instead of dismissing suit.

       Wakf Tribunal is only forum for determination of any disputes, question or other matter relating to a Wakf or Wakf property, including suits for perpetual injunction and Civil Court has no jurisdiction to entertain any suits for determination of any dispute relating to Wakf or Wakf properties - Revision petition, dismissed - Order of appellate Court, confirmed.

G. YETHIRAJULU, J.

( 1 ) THIS revision petition is filed under Section 115 of the Code of Civil procedure against the order of the iii Additional District Judge (FTC), Nirmal dated 18-11-2002 in A. S. No. 50 of 2002 confirming the order of the Junior Civil judge, Bhainsa dated 31-1-2001 passed in o. S. No. 82 of 1997 ordering return of the plaint on the ground that the Civil court has no jurisdiction to entertain the suit relating to a dispute of wakf property and that the Wakf Tribunal has the jurisdiction to entertain the same.

( 2 ) THE petitioner is the plaintiff in O. S. No. 82 of 1997. He filed the suit for perpetual injunction restraining the respondents from interfering with his possession and enjoyment of a graveyard situated in S. No. 330/2 admeasuring 28 guntas. According to the plaintiff, the suit land was originally a part of bigger extent belonging to his paternal grandfather Sri Abdullah Khan. The said abdullah Khan donated one acre land towards a Mosque. Some extent was acquired for location of Bus Station and the remaining land is the suit land reserved for the family burial ground. His ancestors were buried in the suit land and it has been notified as a wakf through a Government notification dated 4-1-1990 at Serial No. 7602. The defendants who have no right are trying to encroach upon the land. The Trial court dismissed the suit holding that the petitioner is not entitled for the relief of perpetual injunction not only on the ground of jurisdiction, but also on factual position. The Appellate Court taking into consideration the points whether the suit property is a wakf property, whether the suit dispute is a dispute covered by Section 85 read with section 6 of the Wakf Act, 1995 (for short the Act ) and the legal position placed before it, observed that under Section 83 of the act the Wakf Tribunal is a Civil Court and the procedure laid down in the Code of civil Procedure for trial of the suit or for execution of a decree is also extended to the Tribunal under sub-sections (5) and (8) of Section 83, and that the Tribunal can entertain the suit under Section 6 of the Act to deal with the question; therefore, the plaint has to be returned to the plaintiff for presentation before the Tribunal instead of dismissing the suit. The Appellate Court therefore modified the order of the Junior civil Judge and it reads as follows; a notice is ordered to the plaintiffs Counsel that the plaint is intended to be returned on 20-11-2002, at 10-30 a. m. , on the ground of lack of jurisdiction in Civil Court and the plaintiff is at liberty to make an application as required under Order 7 Rule 10 (a) (2) of the Code of Civil Procedure.

( 3 ) THE learned Counsel for the petitioner contended that the order of the appellate Court directing return of the plaint is erroneous and contrary to the provisions of the Act. There is no dispute that the suit schedule property is a wakf property and the suit was filed for perpetual injunction. A suit before a Civil court is not barred under Sections 6 and 85 of the Act.

( 4 ) IN the light of the contentions raised by each party, the point for consideration is: whether the Civil Court has no jurisdiction to entertain the suit for perpetual injunction against a wakf property and whether the suit has to be filed before the Tribunal constituted under the Wakf Act, 1995? point:

( 5 ) BEFORE answering the point, I would like to refer to the relevant provisions of the wakf Act, 1995. Section 6 of the Act deals with the disputes regarding wakfs and section 7 with regard to the power of the tribunal to determine disputes regarding wakfs. Section 83 deals with the Constitution of Tribunals, etc. , Section 85 deals with bar of jurisdiction of Civil Courts. Sections 6, 7, 83 and 85 of the Wakf Act, 1995 read as under: section 6. Disputes regarding Wakfs: (1) if any question arises whether a particular property specified as Wakf property in the list of Wakfs is Wakf property or not or whether a Wakf sp





















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