SupremeToday Landscape Ad
Back
Next
Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation
Listen Audio Icon Pause Audio Icon
judgment-img

2014 Supreme(Bom) 2148

IN THE HIGH COURT OF BOMBAY AT AURANGABAD BENCH
R.M. Borde, V.K. Jadhav, JJ.
Hasan Bin Salam - Appellant
Vs.
Madhavrao - Respondent
L.P.A. No. 42 of 2002 in W.P. No. 463 of 2002
Decided On: 21.08.2014

Advocates:
Advocate Appeared:
For the Appellant: S.V. Warad
For the Respondent: S.M. Kulkarni

Headnote:Hyderabad Tenancy and Agricultural Lands Act, 1950 - Section 98 Period of limitation Determination of. Since no period of limitation is prescribed for moving an application under Section 98 of the Act, same can be filed at anytime before the authority having jurisdiction to entertain it. So far as limitation for entertaining application under Section 98 of the Act is concerned, said section does not provide for bar of limitation. Issue raised by appellant in the instant appeal is no more res intigra in view of judgment delivered by the Court (Justice R.M. Borde) in the matter of Limbaji Shankar Munde v. Bhaurao Baliram Munde, 2010 (3) Mh LJ 138 : 2010 (2) All MR 179. The Court relying upon the judgment of the Apex Court in the matter of Ram Chand v. Union of India, (1994) 1 SCC 44, has turned down the contention raised by petitioner in the writ petition as regards bar of limitation. The observations made by the Supreme Court are quoted in the judgment thus :

       "In the absence of any specific limitation provided thereunder, necessary implication is that the general law of limitation provided in the Limitation Act (Act 2 of 1963) stands excluded. The Division Bench, therefore, has rightly held that no limitation has been prescribed and it can be executed at any time, especially when the law of limitation for the purpose of this appeal is not there. Where there is statutory rule operating in the field, the implied power of exercise of the right within reasonable limitation does not arise. The cited decisions deal with that area and bear no relevance to the facts."

       Hyderabad Tenancy and Agricultural Lands Act, 1950 - Sections 98(c) and 32 Eviction of co-ex-landlord Challenge to validity of. When co-ex-landlord was evicted from the disputed land and application by him was moved under Section 98 of the Act for remedy, it was rightly rejected because remedy therefor was available under Section 32 of the Act.

Judgment

1. Appellant/ex-landlord of the disputed agricultural land, is praying for quashment of the order passed by the learned Single Judge in Writ Petition No. 463/2002 decided on 31-1-2002. Respondent initiated proceeding under section 98(c) of the Hyderabad Tenancy and Agricultural Lands Act for dispossession of appellant herein who was in unauthorised possession of agricultural land. According to respondent, his father was tenant of the agricultural land owned by appellant herein. Father of respondent was declared as protected tenant and ownership of the land stood transferred in view of provisions of section 38-E of the Act in favour of tenant i.e. father of petitioner on 25-5-1957. It is not disputed that tenant deposited the price of the land and as such, ownership of the land stood transferred in favour of father of respondent. It is further pointed out that father of respondent was in possession of the suit land however, later on he came to be dispossessed by the ex-landlord i.e. appellant herein. On demise of father of respondent, he initiated proceeding in the office of Additional Tahsildar, Parbhani, for recovery of possession of agricultural land under section 98 of the Act.

2. Initially, the additional Tahsildar allowed the application tendered by respondent and issued direction in respect of handing over of possession of land to respondent-tenant. The order passed by the Additional Tahsildar, Parbhani was subject-matter of challenge at the instance of appellant-ex-landlord to the Deputy Collector, Land Reforms, Parbhani. The Deputy Collector by order dated 4-6-2001 set aside the order passed by the Tahsildar and dismissed the application presented by tenant. While dismissing the application, the Deputy Collector directed cancellation of tenancy rights of the tenant. The order passed by the Deputy Collector, Land Reforms, Parbhani, was subjected to challenge by tenant before Maharashtra Revenue Tribunal. The tribunal allowed revision application tendered by tenant and set aside the order passed by the Deputy Collector and restored the order passed by the Additional Tahsildar. The order passed by the Maharashtra Revenue Tribunal was subject-matter of challenge in writ petition at the instance of appellant herein. Writ petition has been dismissed by the learned Single Judge of this Court by order dated 31-1-2002.

3. Learned counsel for appellant vehemently contended that order passed by the learned Single Judge is erroneous and liable to be quashed and set aside. It is the contention of appellant that the application under section 98 of the Act tendered by respondent-tenant to the Tahsildar was not entertainable and the only remedy available to the tenant was under section 32 of the Act. It is further contention of appellant-ex-landlord that even otherwise application tendered by tenant under section 98 of the Act after lapse of about 45 years from the accrual of cause of action is not entertainable.

4. Both the contentions raised by appellant were considered by the learned Single Judge of this Court and those have been rightly discarded. So far as the first contention raised by appellant that application under section 98 of the Act is not entertainable and the only remedy available to the tenant is to present an application under section 32 of the Act within a period of two years from the date of dispossession is devoid of any substance. It is not disputed that father of tenant has been declared owner of the land under section 38-E and by virtue of provisions of the Act, ownership of land has been statutorily transferred on 25-5-1957. After statutory transfer of the land in favour of the declared tenant, his (tenant's) status is transformed into full ownership and the landlord who later on claimed to have resumed possession of the land shall have to be branded as a person in unauthorised possession and a trespasser. The remedy under section 32 of the Act is available in the event relationship between the parties is

















Click Here to Read the rest of this document

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Judicial Analysis

SupremeToday

SupremeToday Portrait Ad
supreme today icon
logo-black

An indispensable Tool for Legal Professionals, Endorsed by Various High Court and Judicial Officers

Please visit our Training & Support
Center or Contact Us for assistance

qr

Scan Me!

India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!

For Daily Legal Updates, Join us on :

whatsapp-icon Back to top