SupremeToday Landscape Ad
Back
Next
Judicial Analysis Court Copy Headnote Facts Arguments Court observation
Listen Audio Icon Pause Audio Icon
judgment-img

1951 Supreme(Raj) 219

Rajasthan High Court
Wanchoo C.J, and Bapna, J.
Jeewan Ram - Appellant
Versus
The State of Rajasthan - Respondents
D.B. Civil Miscellaneous (Writ) case No. 34 of 1951
Decided On : December 03, 1951

Advocates Appeared:
Messrs. Lakshmi Narain and Bal Krishna for applicant; L.N. Chagani, for state

Headnote:Constitution of India, Art. 19(5) — Restrictions on acquisition of properly— Requisition of property within competence of State.Rajasthan Premises (Requisition and Eviction) Ordinance, 1949 — Ordinance valid.Rajasthan Premises (Requisition and Eviction) Ordinance, 1949—Competent authority acts as quasi judicial tribunal.Constitution of India, Art. 226 — High Court, power of— Wider than those for 11 for cement of common law rights.Province of Bombay vs. Khushaldas (A.I.R. 1950 Supreme Court 222) held inapplicable in the circumstances of the present case.Rajasthan Premises (Requisition and Eviction) Ordinance, 1919, sec. 3 (3)—Exact purpose to be specified in notice—Name of officer or office for which premises required to be mentioned.Constitution of India, Art. 226 — Alternative remedy—If inferior tribunal acts without or in excess of jurisdiction— High Court will issue writ though there be alternative remedy.

       It is within the competence of the State Legislature to pass a law relating to requisitioning of property. The fact that the law relating to requisition is a permanent law does not mean that the requisition would also be permanent.

       The procedure provided for requisition and the provision of appeal that exists in sec. 5 of the Ordinance show that the compe-tent authority acts as a quasi judicial tribunal under the Ordinance.

       The power of High Court under Art. 226 of the Constitution for enforcing fundamental rights is very wide, and is not restricted to the issuing of the well-known writs under the common law. A fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution may be put in jeopardy by the executive and the High Court has been empowered to issue to any person or authority and in an appropriate case even to the Government, directions, orders or writs for the enforcement of rights conferred by part III of the Constitution.

       In order to give the foundation for the jurisdiction of the competent authority it is necessary for the competent authority to specify the exact purpose for which the premises are required in the notice under sec. 3 (3) and if that is not done, there is no foundation for the jurisdiction of the competent authority and ail subsequent proceedings are null and void. Even if the applicant does not make it a grievance that he had not been informed of the exact purpose it would not confer jurisdiction on the authority.

       It is not enough to say in the notice that the premises are required for Government servants or officers. If they are required for a Govern-ment servant, the name of the officer or official must be mentioned. If they are required for an office, the name of the office should be given.

       Where an authority or tribunal is acting without or in excess of its jurisdiction the court would issue a writ of prohibition, even though there might have been an alternative remedy which might not have been availed of, for the Court having come to know of want or excess of jurisdiction would not allow the authority or tribunal to carry on further in the same manner.

Wanchoo, C.J.—This is an application by Jeewan Ram under Article 226 of the Constitution of India for the issue of a writ or order in the nature of mandamus or prohibition or any other suitable writ against the state of Rajasthan and the Collector of Churu.

2. The application has arisen out of an order by the Collector under the Rajasthan Premises (Requisition and Eviction) Ordinance, 1949 (No. XI of 1949). The Collector has passed an order under sec. 3, sub-sec. (4), of the Ordinance requisitioning the house of the applicant. The validity of the order has been challenged on various grounds. In the first place, it is submitted that the Ordinance could not remain in force after the 26th of January, 1950, and, therefore, the Collector had no authority to Act under it. In the second place, it is urged that the Ordinance is void, as it contravenes Article 19(1)(f) of the Constitution of India, and imposes unreasonable restrictions on the exercise by the applicant of his right to acquire, hold and dispose of property. In the third place, it is submitted that as the Ordinance has not received the sanction of the President under Art. 31 (6), it is void in view of the provisions of Art. 31(2). Lastly, it is urged that the Collector had no jurisdiction to pass the order in question, because he did not lay the foundation for such jurisdiction.

3. The application has been opposed on behalf of the state, and all the grounds urged by the applicant have been traversed.

4. So far as the first contention of the applicant is concerned, we have not been able to understand how the coming into force of the Constitution of India on the 26th of January, 1950, has, by that very fact alone, brought the Ordinance to an end. It is true that under Article 385 of the Constitution, the Rajpramukh now promulgates laws by means of Acts; but this Ordinance was promulgated in August, 1949, and, therefore, Article 385 has no application to it. Further, all the existing laws in force have been specifically continued in force under Article 372 of the Constitution, and this Ordinance also, therefore, continued in force after the 26th of January, 1950, unless repealed as provided by law. There is no force, therefore, in this contention.

5. We are further of opinion that there is no force in the second contention that the Ordinance is an unreasonable restriction on the right given to the applicant under Art. 19 (1)(f) of the Constitution. That Article guarantees the fundamental right of acquiring, holding and disposing of property. The restrictions which can be imposed on that right are mentioned in Art. 19(5). Restrictions can be placed on this right, provided they are reasonable restrictions in the interests of the general public or for the protection of the interests of any Scheduled Tribe. Item 36 of List II (State List) of the Seventh Schedule specifically provides for requisitioning of property by a State for all purposes except for the purposes of the Union. Item 42 of List III (Concurrent List) also provides for legislation with respect to principles on which compensation for property requisitioned for the purposes of the Union or of a State or for any other public purpose is to be determined, and the form and the manner in which such compensation is to be given. It is, therefore, within the competence of the State Legislature to pass a law relating to requisitioning of property. The preamble to Ordinance No. XI shows that the Ordinance has been passed by reason of the shortage of accomodation in Rajasthan, and power has been given to requisition any premises for any public purpose. It cannot, in our opinion, be said that such requisition is an unreasonable restriction on the right to acquire, hold or dispose of the property. It has been urged that the Ordinance is a permanent Ordinance, and, therefore, the State can requisition any premises for ever. The fact, however, that the Ordinance is a permanent law does not mean that the requisition would always be mad



























Click Here to Read the rest of this document

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
Judicial Analysis

SupremeToday

SupremeToday Portrait Ad
supreme today icon
logo-black

An indispensable Tool for Legal Professionals, Endorsed by Various High Court and Judicial Officers

Please visit our Training & Support
Center or Contact Us for assistance

qr

Scan Me!

India’s Legal research and Law Firm App, Download now!

For Daily Legal Updates, Join us on :

whatsapp-icon Back to top