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2018 Supreme(Bom) 1108

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
A.M. DHAVALE, J.
Pushpalata Narayan Thorbole - Appellant
Versus
Purshottam Dattatray Prabhu & Ors. - Respondents
Second Appeal No. 448 of 2014
Decided On : 12-10-2018

Advocates Appeared:
For the Appellant : Mr. P.G. Sabnis i/b Gangadhar J. Sabnis.
For the Respondents: Mr. A.R. Khandeparkar i/b Khandeparkar & Associates.

Headnote:

Tenancy and Agricultural Lands Act, 1948 - Section 32M, 88B and 4 - BT & AL Act - Section 70, 74, 85 and 43 - Confirming the judgment and decree - Vacant possession - Declaration and perpetual injunction - Challenge the grant - Present Appellant had filed Regular Civil Suit in court of Civil Judge against present respondents - Subject matter of suit were two agricultural lands viz - (i) Survey admeasuring (ii) Survey No- admeasuring (fallow land) - Plaintiff averred that suit land was of defendant Nos-1 and 2 as ancestral land - It was not in their cultivation - It was cultivated by plaintiffs husband as a tenant - Defendants appeared in proceedings but they were told that said proceedings were withdrawn by plaintiff - contentions regarding tenancy and issuance of 32M certificate are false - Suit lands were always in possession of defendants and their cultivation is also recorded in revenue record - Hence suit should be dismissed with costs - Held it is held that decree passed by court without jurisdiction over subject-matter or on other grounds which goes to root of its exercise or jurisdiction lack inherent jurisdiction it is a coram non judice - A decree passed by such a Court is a nullity and is non est - It was held that decree passed by civil court can be assailed by appellant in execution - It is apparent that both lower courts relied on judgment cited before them and did not take pains to find out case law on issue of scope and effect of grant of 32M certificate - Both judgments therefore cannot be sustained and needs to be set aside suit for possession viz - Regular Civil Suit filed by plaintiff is decreed and defendants are directed to hand over possession of suit lands to plaintiff after one month from of this judgment - Appeal is allowed

JUDGMENT :

1. This second appeal is filed by the original plaintiff assailing the judgment and decree dated 1.4.2014 passed in Regular Civil Appeal No. 145 of 2001 by the Principal District Judge, Sindhudurg, confirming the judgment and decree dated 21.7.2001 passed in Regular Civil Suit No. 93 of 1995 by the Civil Judge, J.D. Kudal. The matter relates to the scope and evidentiary value of 32M certificate.

2. The present Appellant had filed Regular Civil Suit No. 93/1995 in the court of Civil Judge, J. D. Kudal against the present respondents. The subject matter of the suit were two agricultural lands, viz. (i) Survey No. 95/6, admeasuring 95 R + 30 R (fallow land), (ii) Survey No. 85/3, admeasuring 21.5 R + 3.5 R (fallow land). The plaintiff averred that the suit land was of defendant Nos. 1 and 2 as ancestral land. it was not in their cultivation. It was cultivated by the plaintiff's husband Narayan as a tenant. As per the provisions of Bombay Tenancy and Agricultural Lands Act, the land was sold to the plaintiff's husband Narayan on payment of price fixed by the competent authority and on 31.12.1993 a certificate under S. 32(m) was issued in his favour. However, the effect of 32 (m) certificate remained to be given in the revenue record. After the death of Narayan, the property came in possession of the plaintiff. She was cultivating paddy crops. Defendant Nos. 1 and 2 were not concerned with the suit land. In spite of these facts, defendant Nos. 1 and 2 on 10th August, 1995 tried to claim ownership over the suit property by visiting the suit land. The plaintiff, therefore, claimed declaration and perpetual injunction to restrain the defendants from disturbing possession of the plaintiff. In the alternative, it was claimed that if the defendants were found in possession of the suit land, the vacant possession of the same should be given to the plaintiff.

3. Defendant Nos. 1 and 2 by written-statement vide Exhibit 20 opposed the suit. They denied that the plaintiff's husband was ever tenant in the suit land. They were not aware about any 32G proceeding being conducted and about issuance of 32M certificate. Since the issue of tenancy was raised, the civil court has no jurisdiction and the issue should be referred to the tenancy court. There are fruit bearing big trees like mango, jack fruits and other in the suit land. The defendants have cut those trees with the permission of forest department. The suit lands are either orchard or fallow land. There was no growing of paddy crop in the suit land. Defendant No. 3 Laxman was appointed by defendant Nos. 1 and 2 as watchman. In April, 1960 his name was wrongly mutated in the revenue record as tenant. The said mutation was cancelled. Thereafter, the plaintiff's husband had wrongly obtained Mutation Nos. 1418 and 1419 to record his name as tenant, but those were cancelled with a direction to the plaintiff to get his tenancy rights determined under S. 70(b). The plaintiff had filed tenancy proceeding bearing No. 157 of 1994 before the Nayab Tahsildar. The defendants appeared in the proceedings, but they were told that the said proceedings were withdrawn by the plaintiff. The contentions regarding tenancy and issuance of 32M certificate are false. The suit lands were always in the possession of the defendants, and their cultivation is also recorded in the revenue record. Hence, the suit should be dismissed with costs.

4. Defendant No. 3 has filed separate written-statement (Exhibit 48) and challenged the claim of plaintiff and claimed that he was working as a watchman for defendant Nos. 1 and 2 in the suit land. He was paying to the defendants some agriculture produce like coconuts and paddy. Defendant Nos. 3's brother Laxman was tenant of the suit land and his name was illegally deleted, without holding any proceeding. The learned Civil Judge framed issues regarding ownership and possession of the plaintiff and about the legality of 32M certificate.

5. The plaintiff examined her brother-






























































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