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1955 Supreme(Pat) 153

PATNA HIGH COURT
Rai and Sinha JJ.
Mohammad Afaque
Versus
State Of Bihar
Miscellaneous Judicial Case No. 649 of 1955 ;
Decided On : DECEMBER 22, 1955

The words "trees, forests, fisheries, jalkars, hats, bazars and ferries and all other sairati interests", occurring in Section 4(a) of the Bihar Land Reforms Act, 1950, must have reference to lands which, by virtue of the Act, vested in the State.

Headnote:

BIHAR LAND REFORMS ACT - SECTION 4(A) AND 4(G) - INTERPRETATION - SAIRATI INTERESTS - WHETHER INCLUDE MELA - WHETHER COLLECTOR CAN TAKE POSSESSION OF MELA UNDER SECTION 4(G) - HELD, NO.

Fact of the Case:

The petitioner, Chaudhry Mohammad Afaque, filed a petition under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution of India, challenging the order of the Additional Collector, Purnea, dated 8-11-1955, by which the State of Bihar took possession of the Islampur Mela Yusufganj, held on portions of plots Nos. 5 and 10 of khata No. 2, khewat No. 1, and portion of plot No. 7 of khata No. 64, khewat No. 1. The petitioner claimed that he had been in possession of the lands in question since 1925 and had been holding the mela since then. The State of Bihar claimed that the mela was held on behalf of the Islampur Waqf Estate, which had vested in the State under the Bihar Land Reforms Act, 1950.

Finding of the Court:

The court held that the provisions of Section 4(a) and 4(g) of the Bihar Land Reforms Act, 1950, did not authorize the Collector to take possession of the mela in question. The court interpreted the words "trees, forests, fisheries, jalkars, hats, bazars and ferries and all other sairati interests", occurring in Section 4(a) to refer to lands which, by virtue of the Act, vested in the State. The court held that the word "mela" did not find place in Section 4(a) and even if it could be covered within the expression "all other sairati interests", it must have been derived from the lands in direct possession or control of the proprietor or tenure-holder, whose estate had vested in the State. The court further held that the provisions of Section 4(g) also supplied the key to the interpretation of Section 4(a), and that the right given to the Collector under Section 4(g) to take possession was confined to lands and buildings and to nothing more.

Issues: Whether the provisions of Section 4(a) and 4(g) of the Bihar Land Reforms Act, 1950, authorized the Collector to take possession of the mela in question.

Ratio Decidendi: The court held that the words "trees, forests, fisheries, jalkars, hats, bazars and ferries and all other sairati interests", occurring in Section 4(a) of the Bihar Land Reforms Act, 1950, must have reference to lands which, by virtue of the Act, vested in the State. The court further held that the provisions of Section 4(g) also supplied the key to the interpretation of Section 4(a), and that the right given to the Collector under Section 4(g) to take possession was confined to lands and buildings and to nothing more.

Final Decision: The court allowed the petition and quashed the order of the Additional Collector dated 8-11-1955, and all other acts in pursuance of the said order.

Judgment

Sinha, J.

1. The petitioner, Chaudhry Mohammad Afaque, has filed this application under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution of India, and has prayed for issue of appropriate orders, directions or writs against the opposite party.

2. The petitioner is the holder of intermediary interest and also 700 bighas of raiyat kasht lands under different proprietors, including Islampur Waqf Estate, and he has been cultivating the raiyati lands and also some bakasht lands, A short genealogy of the petitioners family will not be out of place to understand the case:

CHAUDHRY ABDUL AZIZ

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Chaudhry Mohd. Chaudhry Mohd. Chaudhry Mohd.

Yusuf Yunus Ayub

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Chaudhry Mohd. Afaque Chaudhry Mohd.

(Petitioner) Yaqub.

This genealogy does not purport to be exhaustive. It appears that Chaudhry Abdul Aziz was possessed of some properties, and, in 1908, he made settlement of about 20 bighas of land in villages Islampur Chopra Jhar. There is ho dispute in this proceeding in regard to this land.

On 14-4-1909, Abdul Aziz, had created a waqf-al-aulad in respect of all his properties. Abdul Aziz died in 1916, and he was succeeded by his son, Mohammad Yusuf, father of the petitioner, as Mutwalli, and the other two brothers of Moham-mad Yusuf became Naib Mutwallis, according to the terms of the Waofnama. On 8-2-1923, the Mutwalli, namely, Mohammad Yusuf, settled lands comprised in khata No. 2, parts of plot No. 5 and plot No. 10, with one Dolo for nine years under a registered deed of settlement, along with other lands, including khata No. 64, plot No. 7 (part) and plot No. 9 (part), and khata No. 63, plot No. 8 (part), totalling an-area of 40 bighas 1 katha 11 dhurs, at a rental of Rs. 40/-.On 14-9-1925, more than two years alter, the said Dolo sold the said 40 bighas 1 katha 11 dhurs to the petitioner, who was then minor, under a registered document for a consideration of Rs. 1,500/-. On 19-3-1938, the Mutwalli settled an area of 113 bighas 14 kathas 6 dhurs with the petitioner, including khata No. 2, plot No. 5 (part) and plot No. 10 (part), and other lands for a rental or Rs. 35/6/-.

There was another settlement with the petitioner in the same year by the Mutwalli in respect of 107 acres and odd which included khata No. 2, plot No. 5 (part) and plot-No. 10 (part). There was a third settlement of 10 acres and odd with the petitioner and the rental of these two pieces of land (107 acres and odd and 10 acres and odd) was fixed at Rs. 75/8/-. It is stated that the petitioner has been in possession all along since the dates of purchase and settlements and that he has built on portions of plots Nos. 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10 his residential houses, cut-houses, private mosque, cattle-shed etc.

3. Abdul Aziz, the founder of the Waqf, re-mained Mutwalli from 1909, the date of the creation of the Waqf, till sometime in 1916. Mohammad Yusuf was the Mutwalli after the death of Abdul Aziz in 1916 up to 26-4-1955. During his tenure as Mutwalli, one Mohammad Sahib was appointed a Receiver by the Subordinate Judge, Pur-nea, in 1939 in execution case No. 196 of 1933. The receivership terminated sometime in March, 1940, when he was discharged, and Mohammad Yusuf was appointed Receiver for a short-while. Thereafter, for about a year, one Fazlur Rahman was appointed Manager, with the consent of the parties, on 26-7-1940. Mohammad Ayub succeeded to the Mutwalliship on 26-4-1955, on the death of Mohammad Yusuf. According to the petitioners case, there was ill-feeling between Mohammad Yusuf and Mohammad Ayub, and there were several criminal and civil litigations between them.

It is also stated that he has always been in possession of the lands purchased by him and sett























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