IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE FOR RAJASTHAN BENCH AT JAIPUR
MAHENDAR KUMAR GOYAL, J.
Rasheed Ahmed, S/o. Shri Hameed – Petitioner
Versus
District Collector, Churu and Ors. – Respondents
S.B. Civil Miscellaneous Application No. 2 Of 2020
Decided On : 05-09-2023
Wakf Act, 1995 - Section 83(9), 89(3) - Suit for declaration - Permanent injunction - Application has been filed by petitioner/plaintiff against judgement passed whereby suit for declaration and permanent injunction has been dismissed – Held, Plaintiff has to stand on its own leg in support of its case and absence or weakness of defence case cannot be a ground to decree suit - Since plaintiff miserably failed to establish subject land to be part of kabristan or wakf property, in considered opinion of this Court, learned Tribunal did not err in dismissing suit - There is another important aspect of matter - Jurisdiction of this Court under Section 83(9) of Wakf Act is not as that of appellate authority; rather, is supervisory in nature - Based on appreciation of evidence on record, does not warrant any interference by Court under its supervisory jurisdiction vide Section 89(3) of Act of 1995 as it is not found to be suffering from perversity or jurisdictional error - Application is dismissed.
JUDGMENT :
1. This civil misc. application has been filed by the petitioner/plaintiff (for brevity, “the plaintiff”) under Section 83 (9) of the Wakf Act, 1995 (for brevity, “the Act of 1995”) against the judgement dated 16.08.2019 passed by the Rajasthan Wakf Tribunal, Jyoti Nagar, Jaipur (for brevity, “the learned Tribunal”) in Suit No.73/2014 CIS No.468/2015 whereby, the suit for declaration and permanent injunction has been dismissed.
2. The relevant facts in brief are that the plaintiff filed a suit against the respondents/defendants stating therein that there is a kabristan, a wakf property, comprising of khasra no.2007/1827 measuring 32 bigha 10 biswa situated in Mohalla Athuna, Churu. It was averred that towards its southern side, there is a strip of land measuring 500 feet x 29 feet belonging to the kabristan situated in between it and the public way which was left vacant for raising construction of shops. Alleging that the defendants have threatened to take possession of this strip of land, the decree of declaration and permanent injunction was prayed for.
3. The defendants did not file any written statement and ex-parte proceedings were drawn against them.
4. After recording evidence of the plaintiff as the defendants did not lead any evidence, the learned Tribunal dismissed the suit vide judgement dated 16.8.2019.
5. Assailing the impugned judgement, the learned counsel for the plaintiff submits that from the jamabandi of the khasra no.2007/1827 Svt. 2067-2070, it is apparent that the subject land is part of kabristan, a wakf property. She contends that the learned Tribunal erred in holding the subject property to be a strip of land as its size was much bigger than the size of strip of land as provided under Section 23 of the Rajasthan Municipalities (Disposal of Urban Land) Rules, 1974. Learned counsel submitted that since, there was no defence evidence, the learned Tribunal ought to have allowed the suit. She, therefore, prays that this civil misc. application be allowed, the judgement dated 16.8.2019 be quashed and set aside and the suit filed be allowed.
6. Heard. Considered.
7. While dismissing the suit, the learned Tribunal has held that though from Ex.2, the jamabandi for Svt. 2067-2070, it was reflected that 32 bighas 10 biswas land comprising of khasra no.2007/1827 was recorded as “gair mumkin kabristan”; but, it is not established from the evidence on record that the subject land measuring 500 feet x 29 feet situated outside the kabristan towards its southern side and in between the public way, was its part. It was further observed that no reason was assigned as to why the subject property being situated outside the boundary of the kabristan could be treated as part and parcel of the kabristan. After going through the material on record, this Court is also satisfied that the plaintiff could not establish that the subject land is part of the 32 bigha 10 biswa land of khasra no.2007/1827 so as to reckon it as wakf property.
8. Submission of the learned counsel for the plaintiff that the learned Tribunal erred in reckoning property as a strip of land being much bigger than the size of strip land as described under the Rules of 1974, is wholly misconceived and does not merit acceptance. Rather, it was specific case of the plaintiff before the learned Tribunal that it was a strip of land. Even otherwise also, whether the subject land falls under the category of “strip of land” or not, is immaterial for decision of the issue involved herein.
9. Contention of the learned counsel for the plaintiff that the learned Tribunal erred in dismissing the suit even in absence of defence evidence, cannot be countenanced as it is trite law that a plaintiff has to stand on its own leg in support of its case and absence or weakness of the defence case cannot be a ground to decree the suit. As already observed, since the plaintiff miserably failed to establish subject land to be part of the kabristan or wakf property, in the conside
Civil courts lack jurisdiction over disputes involving Wakf properties as per the WAKF ACT, sections 83 and 85, which mandate that such matters be determined by the Wakf Tribunal.
Jurisdiction over disputes related to Waqf properties lies exclusively with Waqf Tribunals, barring civil court intervention, as reinforced by the WAQF ACT, 1995 and Supreme Court precedents.
Disputes regarding Wakf property must be addressed solely by a Wakf Tribunal, not by civil courts, as observed under Section 85 of the Wakf Act, reinforcing prior court rulings.
The Wakf Tribunal has the authority to adjudicate disputes concerning Wakf properties under Section 83 of the Wakf Act.
The jurisdiction to resolve disputes related to Wakf properties resides exclusively with the Wakf Tribunal, and the High Court cannot entertain such matters.
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