IN THE HIGH COURT OF ANDHRA PRADESH AT AMARAVATI
M. GANGA RAO, J.
Yelala Narasimha Reddy – Appellant
Versus
The State of Andhra Pradesh and Ors. – Respondents
Writ Petition No. 1340 of 2020
Decided On : 05-01-2021
Registration Act, 1908 - Section 22-A(1), 22-A(1)(c) - Waqf Act, 1995 - Section 51 - Writ of Mandamus - Writ petition is filed to issue a writ of Mandamus declaring impugned letter/order of 4th respondent – Held, when revenue, endowments, wakf and registration authorities arbitrarily including private patta land in prohibited property list maintained under Section 22-A of Act, with fond hope that authorities would delete land, which is erroneously included in prohibited property list, considering evidence available on record and orders and judgments of High Court, to reduce litigation before this Court, authorized authorities to do exercise of deletion and inclusion of landed properties in prohibited property list - Again, authorities, arbitrarily, contrary to evidence on record and judgments of High Court, under guise of judgment in writ appeal, indiscriminately included land/landed properties in prohibited property list, thereby litigation increased before this Court, instead of reducing litigation - However, order passed in writ appeals was modified by Hon'ble Apex Court and matter is remanded back to this Court for fresh consideration and same is pending adjudication - Authorities could not blindly include private landed property in prohibited property list - Since 1940, several registered transactions took place in respect of subject property and suit filed by 4th respondent-Wakf Board was dismissed and it is fully-developed residential area - Litigation no longer be continued in one form or other and it is better to put an end to dispute - Inclusion of subject property in prohibited property list maintained under provisions of Section 22-A(1)(c) of Act, is illegal, arbitrary and contrary to evidence available on record - Writ petition is allowed.
ORDER :
M. Ganga Rao, J.
1. This writ petition is filed to issue a writ of Mandamus declaring the impugned letter/order of the 4th respondent in F. No. 01/Prot/AP/Genl/2016, dated 16.11.2016 insofar as including the land in Sy. No. 320 of Parimala Nagar, Kallur Village and Mandal, Kurnool District (now 76th ward of Kurnool City) in the prohibitory list under Section 22-A(1) of the Registration Act, 1908 (for short 'the Act') though the 4th respondent claim was dismissed in O.S. No. 27/1969 by the Additional Subordinate Judge, Kurnool by judgment and decree dated 26.02.1970 and orders of the erstwhile High Court of Andhra Pradesh in W.P. No. 10631/1992 dated 28.12.1992 and number of subsequent orders of this Court, Civil Courts and Wakf Tribunal, as being illegal and arbitrary and consequently to set aside the impugned notification insofar as inclusion of the aforesaid land in Sy. No. 320.
2. The case of the petitioner is that he purchased plot bearing No. 89 admeasuring 143.61 Sq. yards in Sy. No. 320 of Parimala Nagar, Kallur Village and Mandal, Kurnool District (now 76th ward of Kurnool City) from his vendor by name V. Vishnu Vardhan Reddy for a valuable consideration. Since then, he has been in continuous possession and enjoyment of the subject property without any interruption from anybody. The letter of the 4th respondent dated 16.11.2016 restraining the 3rd respondent from registration of the document in respect of the land situated in Sy. No. 320 on the ground that the land is a Wakf property, is illegal. The issuance of order by the 4th respondent is contrary to the judgment and decree passed in O.S. No. 27 of 1969 dated 26.02.1970 by the Additional Subordinate Judge, Kurnool. The suit was filed by the Wakf Board, Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad, represented by its Regional Officer, Anantapur, for recovery of the plaint schedule property, wherein the Survey No. 320 is included and after detailed trial, the suit was dismissed. The Court observed that all the documents filed before the trial Court shows that the lands were sold to the defendants or to their predecessors in 1940, 1943 and the lease deed also goes to show that it was executed in 1915; the plaintiff does not know when the institution lost its possession and who endowed the property; and all the alienations in respect of all the four items were effected prior to 1947, holding that the suit is dismissed on the ground it is barred by limitation. The said judgment and decree have become final. The erstwhile High Court of Andhra Pradesh allowed W.P. No. 9228 of 2013 by order dated 28.03.2013 holding that the Wakf Board can no longer assert any right over the land in Survey Nos. 317 and 320 and the action of the Sub-Registrar, Kallur Village in refusing to register the document presented by the petitioners therein in respect of the subject land cannot be sustained. In view of the decree and judgment in O.S. No. 27 of 1969 dated 26.02.2017 passed by the Additional Subordinate Judge, Kurnool and orders passed in W.P. No. 9228 of 2013 dated 28.03.2013, the impugned letter of the 4th respondent dated 16.11.2016, is arbitrary and liable to be set aside.
3. The 2nd respondent filed counter stating that the 4th respondent addressed a letter dated 16.11.2016 to the Commissioner and Inspector General of Registration and Stamps Department, Andhra Pradesh, as per the decision of the Full Bench of common High Court passed in Writ Appeal Nos. 343 of 2015 and batch dated 23.12.2015, requesting the registration authorities as per the provisions of Section 22-A(1)(c) of the Act not to entertain any registrations in respect of the land situated in Survey No. 320 of Kallur Village. As per Section 51 of the Waqf Act, 1995, the alienation of wakf properties is prohibited. The land in question is prohibited for registration under Section 22-A(1)(c) of the Act. As per the Full Bench decision, the 4th respondent is the competent authority to communicate the list of Wakf properties to the registr
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