IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE FOR RAJASTHAN BENCH AT JAIPUR
GANESH RAM MEENA, J.
Rajkumar S/o Shri Dulli Chand – Appellant
Versus
Heeranath S/o Nenunath – Respondent
S.B. Civil Writ Petition No. 978 of 2020
Decided on : 20-10-2023
Rajasthan Tenancy Act - Land Dispute - 88, 188, 183 - The court discussed the provisions of sections 88, 188, and 183 of the Rajasthan Tenancy Act, 1955, which were invoked by the petitioners/plaintiffs in a land dispute case. The court emphasized the importance of concurrent findings of fact recorded by the Revenue Courts and cited legal precedents to support its decision not to interfere with the lower court's findings.
Fact of the Case:
The petitioners filed a suit under sections 88, 188, and 183 of the Rajasthan Tenancy Act, 1955 for declaration and permanent injunction against the respondents in a land dispute. The trial court and appellate courts dismissed the suit, leading to the present writ petition.
Finding of the Court:
The court found that the lower courts had minutely examined the record, evaluated the evidence, and made concurrent findings of fact, which did not exhibit any infirmity. The court emphasized the importance of not substituting its own conclusions for those reached by the lower courts.
Issues: The issues revolved around the possession and recording of land in the revenue record as 'gair khatedar' and the legality of the orders passed by the Revenue Courts.
Ratio Decidendi: The court's decision was based on the principle of not interfering with concurrent findings of fact unless there is a grave dereliction of duty or flagrant abuse of fundamental principles of law or justice.
Final Decision: The writ petition was dismissed, and consequently, the stay application and pending application(s) were also dismissed.
JUDGMENT :
1. The petitioners/plaintiffs has filed the present writ petition with a challenge to the judgment dated 20.06.2019 passed by the Board of Revenue, Rajasthan, Ajmer (for short ‘the Second Appellate Authority’), the judgment dated 16.12.2014 passed by the Court of Revenue Appellate Authority, Ajmer (for short ‘the First Appellate Authority’) and the judgment and decree dated 13.12.2002 passed by the Court of Sub Divisional Officer, Masuda (Ajmer) [for short ‘the trial court’].
2. The facts in brief of the matter are that the petitioners/plaintiffs filed a suit before the trial court under sections 88, 188 and 183 of the Rajasthan Tenancy Act, 1955 (for short ‘the Act of 1955’) for declaration and permanent injunction against the respondents/defendants in regard to land bearing Khasra No. 494 situated at Village Sikhrani, with the contention that a part of land of Khasra No. 494 was allotted to his father on 05.06.1968. It was further stated that the land was cultivated by the father of the petitioners Dulli Chand during his life time and after his death his legal representatives i.e. plaintiffs and defendant No.5 were having joint cultivatory possession over the land. It was further stated that even after allotment of the land in favour of the father of the petitioners and they being in continuous possession over the land, the name of their father was not recorded in the revenue record as a ‘gair khatedar’.
3. The written statement was submitted by the respondents/defendants denying the averments made in the plaint.
4. On the basis of the pleadings, the trial court framed as many as eight issues and after recording the evidence of the parties and hearing them dismissed the suit vide judgment dated 13.12.2002.
5. Aggrieved by the judgment dated 13.12.2002 passed by the trial court, the petitioners/plaintiffs preferred an appeal before the First Appellate Court and the same was dismissed vide judgment dated 16.12.2014.
6. The judgment dated 16.12.2014 was challenged by the petitioners/plaintiffs before the Second Appellate Authority by way of filing the second appeal and the second appeal was also dismissed vide judgment dated 20.06.2019.
7. Counsel for the petitioners/plaintiffs submits that the orders passed by the Revenue Courts are illegal, perverse and contrary to the material available on the record. Counsel further submits that even after allotment of the land in favour of the father of the petitioners, the name of their father was not recorded in the revenue record as a ‘gair khatedar’, though his name is entitled to be recorded as a ‘gair khatedar’.
8. Heard and considered.
9. Counsel for the petitioners has tried to convince this Court by making submissions on the factual matrix but could not point out any illegality in regard to jurisdiction of the Court concerned or any failure of the Court in the procedure prescribed under the law while disposing of the suit and the appeals.
10. The arguments of the counsel appearing for the petitioners submitting that there are erroneous findings recorded by the trial court and affirmed by the Appellate Courts. This Court after perusing the judgments passed by the Revenue Courts would like to observe that on all the issues framed before the trial court on the basis of the pleadings of the parties, the learned trial court while recording the finding on each issue minutely examined the record, evaluated the evidence and then after detailed deliberations, the same has been decided. Thus, no infirmity can be found with the findings recorded by the trial court.
11. Further this Court is of the view that the concurrent findings of fact recorded by the three Revenue Courts are not required to be interferred with as there is no infirmity in the same and requires no interference by this Court as has been held by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in the case of Kondiba Dagadu Kadam Vs. Savitribai Sopan Gujar & Ors., reported in (1993) 3 SCC 722, para para 5 of which is as under:
The central legal point established in the judgment is the importance of not substituting the court's own conclusions for those reached by the lower courts, especially when there are concurrent findi....
The court upheld the concurrent findings of the revenue Courts and emphasized the limited jurisdiction of the court in issuing directions under a writ petition.
The Board of Revenue exceeded its jurisdiction by reversing the Revenue Appellate Authority's well-reasoned findings based solely on the non-production of evidence, which was not a deliberate act of ....
The importance of evidence in establishing possession prior to 1955 and the need for proper evaluation of evidence by the Board of Revenue.
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