2008 Supreme(Pat) 1244
PATNA HIGH COURT
V.N.Sinha, J.
Jaleshwar Chaubey
Versus
State Of Bihar
Decided On : AUGUST 27, 2008
Headnote:Bihar Land Reforms (Fixation of Ceiling Area and Acquisition of Surplus Land) Act, 1961-Section 16(3)-Preemption- Two authorities below categorically found that original Respondent No.5 along with his brother is boundary raiyat of vended plots as both of them have their half share in adjoining plots-Original private Respondent was competent to maintain preemption case even in absence of his as there was only separation and no partition between them-No illegality in appellate and revisional order-Application dismissed. (Paras 5 to 7)
1971 (1) PLJR 888; AIR 1974 SC 171; AIR 1980 SC 1040-Relied upon.
V.N.Sinha, J.
1. Heard learned Counsel for the petitioners and the counsel for private Respondents.
2. Petitioner No. 1 is the son and petitioner No. 2 is the grand son of the purchaser, Most. Kabutari who purchased 1 Bigha 6 Kathas 13 Dhurs of lands in Plot Nos. 1463, 1592, 1700, 1774 appertaining to Khata No. 446 of Village Khajuria, P.S. Barauli, District Gopalganj from Raghunandan Tiwari under registered sale deed dated 27.1.1977. They are aggrieved by the orders passed by the appellate authority dated 21.12.1998, Annexure-3 as also the revisional authority dated 22.5.2000, Annexure-4 whereunder order dated 22.9.1995, Annexure-2 dismissing the pre-emption case filed by original private Respondent No. 5 was set aside in appeal and the appellate order was affirmed in revision. The subject matter of the pre-emption case is the aforesaid 1 Bigha 6 Kathas and 13 Dhurs of land. On 11.1.1943 Ram Subhag Choubey, one of the recorded tenant and father-in-law of Most. Kabutari sold his half share in aforesaid Plot Nos. 1453, 1592, 1700 and 1774, in favour of Raghunandan Tiwari through registered sale deed dated 11.1.1943. Raghunandan Tiwari executed a mortgage deed for part of the aforesaid lands to the extent of 6 Kathas 1 Dhur of Plot No. 1774 in favour of pre-emptor Bhagwat Choubey, Respondent No. 5 and his brother Dharmdeo Choubey vide registered mortgage deed dated 10.8.1953, Annexure-1 to this writ application. The lands mortgaged was redeemed on 29.7.1970 by petitioner No. 1 as also the father of petitioner No. 2 in terms of the redemption note scribed and signed by Dharmdeo Choubey for himself and his brother Bhagwat Choubey on the reverse of page-1 of the registered mortgage deed dated 10.8.1953 and is dated 29.7.1970. It is submitted on behalf of the petitioners that having redeemed the land, the mortgage deed was also returned to petitioner No. 1 and his brother and endorsement to that effect was also made in the redemption note. The lands in question including the mortgaged lands were thereafter transferred by Raghunandan Tiwari in favour of Most. Kabutari vide registered sale deed dated 27.1.1977. The original private Respondent No. 5 being the son of the other recorded tenant and nephew of Ram Subhag Choubey having learnt about the sale deed dated 27.1.1977claiming to be boundary raiyat of each of the four vended plot filed preemption case under Sub-section (3) of Section 16 of the Bihar Land Reforms (Fixation of Ceiling Area and Acquisition of Surplus Land] Act, 1961 (hereinafter referred to as "the Act") impleading Most. Kabutari and the vendor Raghunandan Tiwari. Purchaser refuted the claim on the ground that she being a name lender preemption case is fit to be rejected for failure to implead her husband Thakur Choubey as Opposite Party. The authorities under the Act considered and dismissed the pre-emption claim. The pre-emptor, private Respondent No. 5 approached this Court in C.W.J.C. No. 5899 of 1983 and this Court having heard counsel for the parties under judgment dated 12.1.1995, Annexure-A to the counter affidavit, remanded the matter to the Collector under the Act for fresh consideration of the matter on merits with further direction to decide whether Most. Kabutari was the name lender for her husband Thakur Choubey. Once the matter was remanded, the Collector under the Act reconsidered the matter on the basis of the documents already on record and concluded under orders dated 22.9.1995, Annexure-2 with reference to the mortgage deed dated 10.8.1953 as also the redemption note dated 29.7.1970 recorded over the reverse of page-1 of the mortgage deed itself that the initial sale transaction under registered sale deed dated 11.1.1943 executed by Ram Subhag Choubey in favour of Raghunandan Tiwari was itself a sham transaction and the objectors remained in possession of the subject matter of the sale deed dated 11.1.1943 as also the mortgage deed dated 10.8.1953 throughout and the impugned sale transactio