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2013 Supreme(Del) 708

High Court of Delhi
BADAR DURREZ AHMED & SIDDHARTH MRIDUL, JJ.
Mrs. Kiran Diwania
Versus
Financial Commissioner, Delhi & Others
LPA No. 1073 of 2011
Decided on : 01-07-2013.

Advocate Appeared:
For the Appellant:Raj Singh Mathur, B.S. Kharb, Advocates.
For the Respondents:R1-R4, Ms. Anjana Gosain, R5, Sumit Chandra, Advocates.

Headnote:

Delhi Land Revenue Act, 1954 - Section 23, 26, 66 - Delhi Land Reforms Act, 1954 - Section 20, 22, 186 - Appeal - Bhumidhari rights - Will - Succession - Testator was a Bhumidhar - Both parties are claiming their respective Bhumidhari rights through her - Execution of will in favour of plaintiff - Respondent got the half share mutated in his favour - When the application for mutation was made by Respondent, there was no rival application - Application from appellant came much later - Existing mutation in favour of Respondent would hold the field - False statement was made at the time of mutation that S had no children - Held, genuineness of the Will in favour of plaintiff is no longer in issue - Issue is with regard to the transfer / succession of the Bhumidhari rights - Issues will be tried afresh - Deputy Commissioner, examining the matter under Section 26 of the Delhi Land Revenue Act may take resort to Section 186 of the Delhi Land Reforms Act and frame an issue on the question of title and submit the record to a competent civil court for a decision on that issue only - Revenue court cannot decide issues of title - Appeal is disposed of by modifying the impugned order.

Judgment :-

Badar Durrez Ahmed, ACJ.

1. This Letters Patent Appeal is directed against the judgment dated 08.11.2011 delivered by a learned single Judge of this court in W P (C) 7837/2008 (Kiran Diwania v. Financial Commissioner and Others). The matter pertains to the entry in the record of rights in respect of 50 bighas, 16 biswas of land in village Galibpur, Delhi. The appellant claims that her name alone should have been recorded in the record of rights under the Delhi Land Revenue Act, 1954. She claims that her name should have been so recorded on the basis of a Will dated 19.06.1967 which had been probated by virtue of an order of the District Judge, Delhi on 26.03.1993. The said W ill was executed by Smt. Manbhari, who is the maternal grand mother of the appellant. Smt. Manbhari was married to Shri Ami Lal. Shri Ami Lal passed away in 1930 prior to the enactment of the Delhi Land Reforms Act, 1954. His widow (Smt. Manbhari) was regarded as a Bhumidharunder the Delhi Land Reforms Act. Smt. Manbhari died on 19.05.1968 leaving behind her daughter (Smt. Sunder) as her sole surviving heir. The appellant (Kiran Diwania) is the daughter of Smt. Sunder. The appellant also has a sister by the name of Ratan Bala. Shri Suraj Bhan (Respondent No.5) claimed that his name ought to be recorded in the record of rights under the Delhi Land Revenue Act inasmuch as he claimed under an alleged Will dated 12.09.1979 allegedly executed by Smt. Sunder, who, according to him, had inherited the rights as a Bhumidharfrom her mother (Smt. Manbhari). Thus, while the appellant Kiran Diwania claims her right under the W ill dated 19.06.1967 executed by Smt. Manbhari, Suraj Bhan (Respondent No.5) claims his right under the alleged W ill dated 12.09.1979 allegedly executed by Smt. Sunder in his favour.

2. It would be pertinent to point out that the present appeal has arisen out of the revenue proceedings under the Delhi Land Revenue Act. It is not in dispute that upon the death of Ami Lal, Smt. Manbhari was the Bhumidharin respect of the land in question. Smt. Manbhari died on 19.05.1968. Prior to her death, she had executed a W ill on 19.06.1967 which was probated by a District Judge in Delhi on 26.03.1993. It may be relevant to point out that at the point of time when the Will was executed by Smt. Manbhari in favour of her grand-daughter (Kiran Diwania), the appellant herein, the latter was a minor and her guardian was her mother Smt. Sunder. In 1969-70, consolidation proceedings had been undertaken in, inter alia, the said village Galibpur. As per the KhatauniPamaishof 1969-70, the name of the Bhumidhar, in respect of the said holding, was shown as “Smt Sunder dukhtar Manbhari, Widhwa Ami Lal” (Smt. Sunder, daughter of Manbhari, widow of Ami Lal).

3. It is alleged by Shri Suraj Bhan that Smt. Sunder, prior to her death on 27.06.1980, had executed a W ill on 12.09.1979, by virtue of which, he inherited all the rights, title and interest of Smt. Sunder in the land in question. At this juncture, it may be pointed out that, while the Will executed by Smt. Manbhari has been proved by virtue of the probate order dated 26.03.1993, the alleged Will of Smt. Sunder has not been probated nor is it claimed to be a registered Will. In fact, Suraj Bhan (Respondent No.5) had moved an application being MPC No.47/2001 in Probate Case No.106/1991 under Section 263 of the Indian Succession Act, 1925 for revocation of the letter of administration granted in favour of Smt. Kiran Diwania in respect of the estate of Smt. Manbhari along-with the W ill dated 19.06.1967. That application was rejected by an order dated 15.03.2003 passed by the learned Additional District Judge, Delhi. W hile doing so, the learned Additional District Judge, noted as under:-“16. It has been proved on record and it has not been disputed by the applicant that he was not the legal heir either of Manbhari or Smt. Sunder. Smt Sunder is the daughter of Smt. Manbhari. Non-applicant Smt. Kiran Diwania a























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