G. T. NANAVATI, S. H. SHETH, J.

( 1 ) THIS petition raises a number of questions of law of wide importance under The Gujarat Rural Debtors Relief Act 1976 which came into force on 15/08/1976. The Act wiped off the debts of certain categories of debtors and scaled those of certain other categories Respondents Nos. 1 and 2 claimed to be marginal farmers or small farmers within the meaning of those expressions assigned to them under the Act and applied to the Debt Settlement Officer for extinguishment of the debt which they owed to the petitioner. It is alleged that respondents Nos. 1 and 2 sold off survey No. 368 on 12/08/1977- that is to say after the Act came into force. On 14/12/1978 the Debt Settlement Officer held that respondents Nos. 1 and 2 were small farmers on the appointed day within the meaning of that expression assigned to it under the Act and therefore were debtors within the meaning of the Act. After having considered the merits of the case he declared that the entire debt which respondents Nos. 1 and 2 owed to the petitioner was extinguished. As a consequence of the declaration which he made he ordered the petitioner to deliver possession of the land which was mort- g

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