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1985 Supreme(Raj) 430

RAJASTHAN HIGH COURT
Dwarka Prasad, J.
Mehta Charity Trust Pali & others - Appellant
Versus
Gulam Rasool & others - Respondent
S. B. Civil Revision Petition No. 10 of 1980.
Decided On : 17-04-1985

A person claiming a title adverse to the public trust cannot maintain a suit under Section 22 of the Rajasthan Public Trust Act, 1959 for cancellation of the entries made under Section 21.

Headnote:

PUBLIC TRUST - REGISTRATION - SUIT FOR CANCELLATION OF ENTRY - MAINTAINABILITY - PERSON HAVING INTEREST IN PUBLIC TRUST OR PROPERTY FOUND TO BE TRUST PROPERTY - INTERPRETATION - SECTION 22 OF THE RAJASTHAN PUBLIC TRUST ACT, 1959.

Fact of the Case:

The plaintiffs filed a suit under Section 22 of the Rajasthan Public Trust Act, 1959 for cancellation of the entry No. 133 dated September 12, 1975 recording registry of the Mehta Charity Trust, Pali. The defendants took the objection that the plaintiffs claimed the interest in the land in dispute adverse to the Trust and as such they are not entitled to maintain the suit under Section 22 of the Act.

Finding of the Court:

The court held that a person having interest in the public trust or in any property found to be trust property must be considered to be the interest of a beneficiary or of a person who claims a right to maintain the trust or other interest of similar character. If a person claims that the property is not a trust property and sets up a title adverse to that of the trust, then such a person cannot maintain a suit under Section 22 because interest of such person in the property cannot be held to be interest in trust property.

Issues: Whether a person claiming a title adverse to the public trust can maintain a suit under Section 22 of the Rajasthan Public Trust Act, 1959 for cancellation of the entries made under Section 21.

Ratio Decidendi: The court relied on the decision of the Supreme Court in Abdul Karim Khan v. Municipal Committee, Raipur, where it was held that a person having interest in the public trust or any property found to be trust property must be read in the light of Section 5(2) to the interest of a beneficiary or the interest of a person who claims the right to maintain the trust or any other interest of a similar character. It is not the interest which is adverse to the trust set up by a party who does not claim any relation with the trust at all.

Final Decision: The court held that the suit filed by the plaintiffs was not maintainable under Section 22 of the Rajasthan Public Trust Act, 1959 and dismissed the suit as withdrawn.

JUDGMENT

1. - These two revision petitions arise out of two orders passed by the District Judge, Pali in the same suit deciding issues Nos. 7, 8 and 9 by the order dated October 5, 1979. The learned District Judge decided issue No. 8 and held that the plaintiffs' suit was not barred by limitation. Issues No. 7 and 9 were decided by the learned District Judge by his order dated October 9, 1979 holding that the suit filed by the plaintiffs was maintainable and the suit was not barred by limitation.

2. It appears that the defendant No. 1 the Mehta Charity Trust got the aforesaid Trust registered as a Public Trust under Section 19 of the Rajasthan Public Trust Act, 1959. The Asst. Commissioner, Devasthan Rajasthan by his order dated September 12, 1975 directed that the Trust be registered and in accordance with the finding recorded by him under Section 19 entries were made in the Register of Public Trusts under Section 21 of the Act on September 22, 1975. Noor Mohammed and Mst. Marium contested the title of the Trust in respect of the land in dispute in the present suit, out of which these revision petitions arise but their objections were rejected by the Assistant Commissioner. Noor Mohammed filed an appeal against the order passed by the Assistant Commissioner under Section 19 but the appeal was dismissed by the Commissioner Devasthan Department, Rajasthan, Udaipur on September 27, 1976. Thereafter, the present suit was filed by the Gulam Rasool and Mst. Marium under Section 22 of the Act for cancellation of the entry No. 133 dated September 12, 1975 recording registry of the Mehta Charity Trust, Pali. The defendants in their written statement took several objections and claimed that the land which was alleged to be belonging to the Mehta Charity Trust, was the property of the defendants. They also took the objection that the suit was barred by limitation as the same was not filed within six months from the date of publication of the entry under Section 21 by the Assistant Commissioner and that the plaintiffs cannot get any benefit in respect of limitation, for period upto decision of the appeal, if they did not file any appeal against the order dated September 12,1985 by the Assistant Commissioner. One important objection which was taken by the defendant-petitioners was that the plaintiffs claimed the interest in the land in dispute adverse to the Trust and as such they are not entitled to maintain the suit under Section 22 of the Act. The last mentioned objection is subject matter of issue No. 9. As mentioned above, the learned District Judge decided issue No. 9 in favour of the plaintiffs as also issues Nos. 7 and 8 which relate to the question of limitation.

3. Section 22 of the Act runs as under:

22. Civil Suit against entries made under Section 21-(1) Any working trustee or person having interest in a public trust or in any property found to be trust property aggrieved by any entry made under Section 21 may, within six months from the date of the publication thereof on the notice board of the office of the Assistant Commissioner under Sub-section (1) of Section 21 institute a suit in a civil court to have such entry cancelled or modified;

(2) In every such suit the civil court shall give notice to the State Government through the Assistant Commissioner and the State Government, if it so desires, shall be made a party to the suit;

(3) On the final decision of the suit, the Assistant Commissioner shall, if necessary, correct the entries made in the register in accordance with such decision.

4. After the Assistant Commissioner makes an enquiry in respect of an application for registration of a public trust and when he records a finding that the trust deserves to be registered and passes an order under Section 19 of the Act, thereafter he is empowered under Section 19 of the Act to cause entries to be made in the register of public trust in accordance with his finding recorded under Section 19 and then a notice containing the entrie






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