Hari Lal Agrawal, J.

1. This application under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution of India has been filed for quashing the order of the Consolidation Officer, Dumraon, dated 18-10-1978 (Annexure 7) passed in Consolidation Case No. 38 of 1978, affirmed on appeal by the Deputy Director (respondent No. 3) and in revision by the Director of Consolidation, Bihar (respondent No. 2) by their orders contained in Annexures 8 and 9 respectively.

2. The area involved in this proceeding is about 40 bighas which was sold to the petitioner by respondent No. 5, the father of respondents 6, 7 and 8, namely, Maharaj Kumar Vishwanath Singh of Dumraon, acting as natural guardian of his aforesaid three minor sons, for a sum of Rs. 20,000.00 by a registered sale deed dated 6-5-1959 (Annexure 2). It is this property that the petitioner has lost in the consolidation proceeding.

3. Briefly stated, the facts giving rise to the proceeding are as follows. Maharaja Keshav Prasad Singh, the Maharaja of Dumraon, bad two sons, namely, Sri Ram Ran Vijay Prasad Singh and Maharaja Kumar Vishwanath Singh, respondent No. 5, Sri Ram Ran Vijay Prasad Singh had only one son, namely, Maharaja Kamal Singh, a