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2014 Supreme(Bom) 1092

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY (NAGPUR BENCH)
A.P. BHANGALE, J.
Hariram s/o. Madari Atraye & Anr.
Vs.
Uddal s/o. Dayaram Lilhare & Anr.
Second Appeal No. 458 of 2013
Decided on: 9.5.2014

Advocates Appeared:
Shri J.N. CHOUDHARI, Counsel for Appellants.
Shri R.K. BORKAR, Counsel for Respondents.

Headnote:EASEMENTS ACT, 1882 - Section 15 - Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966, Section 165 - Claim of right of way. - Where first appellate Court allowed plaintiff to use approach way by noting as per entries in wajib-ul-arz therefore demand of separate proof of these entries, liable to be rejected. - District Judge, Gondia, also considered the same ruling and the entry recorded in village record known as wajib-ul-arz in the case in hand. In Nanda’s case Appeal No. 89 of 1979 decided on 18.4.1991 also, the entry made as wajib-ul-arz was considered and after considering the village record in the form of wajib-ul-arz, this Court had decided Second Appeal to hold that entries in wajib-ul-arz are made "final and conclusive" after public enquiry contemplated under Section 165 of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code 1966, and they do not require independent proof. Demand of separate proof of these entries would also defeat the very object of maintaining the "wajib-ul-arz". The defendants, therefore, need to honour village record and ought not to obstruct the use of dhural approach way as stated in the plaint in a manner specified in Exh. 88.

JUDGMENT

This second appeal is directed against judgment and order dated 23.7.2013, passed by learned Principal District Judge, Gondia, in Regular Civil Appeal No. 160 of 2012, which was partly allowed. The judgment and decree passed by the trial Court was set aside and present appellants/defendants were restrained from obstructing the way of present respondents/plaintiffs in between their houses and school building, as per entry recorded in wajib-ul-arz Exh.88. The appellants/defendants were directed to remove the obstruction, if any, on the suit way i.e. as per entry recorded in Exh.88. The first appeal arose from judgment and decree dated 30.7.2012, passed by learned Civil Judge Junior Division, Tirora, in Regular Civil Suit No. 3 of 2006. The suit was dismissed.

2. The facts of the case in a nutshell are, thus:

The respondents/plaintiffs had instituted the suit on the ground that present respondents/plaintiffs are the owners of the agricultural land bearing Survey No. 351, admeasuring about 0.20 HR and Survey No. 352, admeasuring about 0.80 HR situated at village Bhombodi, Tahsil Tirora, while agricultural land bearing Survey No. 376, admeasuring 0.75 HR is owned and possessed by present appellants/defendants. The land of present appellants/defendants is adjacent on West side of respondents/plaintiffs' land. According to respondents/plaintiffs, one Bhombodi-Mundipar Road is adjacent on West side of appellants/defendants’ land. The respondents/plaintiffs were using approach way from their field to Bhombodi-Mundipar Road on West side of the land Survey No. 376 owned and possessed by appellants/defendants. Thus, respondents/plaintiffs were using twelve feet wide approach way through appellants/defendants’ land to approach Bhombodi Mundipar Road since time immemorial peacefully and without any interruption.

3. Thus, it is the case of respondents/plaintiffs that appellants/defendants have no any right to disturb or to obstruct use of the easement way for the respondents/plaintiffs to approach their land from Bhombodi-Mundipar Road adjacent on West side of appellants/defendant's land. Since appellants/defendants started creating obstruction, respondents/plaintiffs had to complain with Tahsildar, Tirora. The Tahsildar, Tirora issued order dated 17.2.2004 about existence of the easement way for respondents/ plaintiffs, through appellants/defendants’ land, to approach their field from Bhombodi-Mundipar Road. The respondents/plaintiffs, therefore, sought permanent mandatory injunction against appellants/defendants to remove obstruction so as to enable respondents/plaintiffs to use their way to approach their field from Bhombodi-Mundipar Road through appellants/defendants' field. It is urged that as owner and possessor of the adjacent field respondents/plaintiffs were entitled to use the approach way as pleaded.

4. The trial Court upon evidence found that respondents/plaintiffs have failed to prove their easementary right of way through field of appellants/ defendants i.e. Surve No. 376 as also easement of necessity, obstruction by appellants/defendants. Thus, the prayers made by respondents/plaintiffs were rejected by the trial Court. Unsuccessful respondents/plaintiffs in the trial Court preferred appeal. The first appellate Court partly allowed the appeal. Hence, this second appeal.

5. From the impugned judgment and record it appears that learned first appellate Judge went through the evidence, examined it and found that after due enquiry the Tahsildar had issued order dated 17.2.2004 about the existence of easement way. That being so, it is held by the first appellate Court that respondents/plaintiffs had proved their right of the approach way through the field of appellants/defendants as indicated in the plaint map and, therefore, the judgment and order passed by the trial Court to that extent was set aside by partly allowing the appeal to enable respondents/plaintiffs to use their approach way between their houses and school building










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