Ramaswami, J.

1. In these two applications, which have been heard together an important question of law arises, viz., whether the Bihar Land Reforms Act is upon its true construction intended to apply to the Zamindari estate of companies incorporated under the Indian Companies Act of 1913.

2. In Miscellaneous Judicial case No. 242 the petitioner is an incorporated company called Raja Janakinath Roy and Narendranath Roy & Co. Ltd. The Company was registered in the year 1933 and its head-office is located at Calcutta. One of the objects of the company was to own and deal in Zamindari land and house properties in the State of Bengal and Bihar. It is alleged on petitioners behalf that on 6-11-1951, the State of Bihar acting under its authority under Sec.3(1), Bihar Land Reforms Act, issued a notification declaring that the proprietary estates of the petitioner have passed to and become vested in the State of Bihar. On 8-6-1952, the State Government issued notice to the petitioner under Sec. 4 (g) of the Act requiring that the possession of the properties should be given to the Collector on the date specified in the notice. The petitioner was also ordered under Sec. 40 of the Ac