1952 Supreme(Raj) 62
Rajasthan High Court
Wanchoo C.J. and Bapna, J.
Thakur Bishan Singh - Appellant
Versus
The Slate of Rajasthan - Respondents
D.B. Civil Misc. (Writ) Case No. 48 of 1951
Decided On : March 07, 1952
Murlimanohar and Prakash Chandra, for applicant; Mansha Ram, for State
Headnote:Marwar Courts of Wards Act, sec. 7 (1) (b) (ii)— Word and means or.Marwar Court of Wards Act, sec. 7 (/) (6) (ii) — Applicability — Note by Minister that Jagirdar should be declared incapable is merely advice and does not amount to order of declaration.Constitution of India, Arts. 166 and 163—Ministers note for talcing action does not amount to executive order of Governor or Rajpramukh.
The word and used in the second clause of sec. 7 (1) (b) of the Marwar Court of Wards Act has been used in a disjunctive sense and means or. Therefore, in order to disqualify a Jagirdar, all that is necessary is that he should either be convicted of a non-bail-able offence or be unfitted by vicious habits or bad character for the management of his property.
A note by a Minister that a particular Jagirdar is liable to be declared unfitted to manage his Thikana and that he should be declared unfit to manage his Thikana and that the Revenue Secretary should take immediate steps to issue necessary orders, cannot be taken to amount as an order declaring a Jagirdar as unfit to manage his Thikana. It is only a note, tendering advice to the Raj Pramukh and ordering the Revenue Secretary to take necessary steps in the matter.
The Ministers only aid and advise the Governor or Rajpramukh and the orders of the Governor or Rajpramukh are taken in the name of the Governor or Rajpramukh. A note by a Minister that a certain action should be taken does not amount to an executive order of the Governor or Rajpramukh taking the action.
2. The applicants case is that in November, 1948, the Government of the former State of Jodhpur placed the Jagir of Nimbol under the management of the Court of Wards on certain grounds. Representations were made against that order, and eventually in September, 1950, the Government of Rajasthan set aside the order of the Government of the former State of Jodhpur, and released the Thikana from the management of the Court of Wards, and handed back the possession to the applicant. Thereafter, on the 18th of June, 1951 the Government of Rajasthan again took over the management of the estate under sec. 7 (1) (b) of the Marwar Court of Wards Act. The contention of the applicant is that the order of the Government of Rajasthan under sec. 7 (1) (b) is in excess of their jurisdiction, and should, therefore, be set aside.
3. The application has been opposed on behalf of the State, and it is contended that the order in question is within the jurisdiction of the State of Rajasthan, and there has been no exceeding of their jurisdiction.
4. The Marwar Court of Wards Act provides under sec. 7 (1) the conditions under which Jagirdars shall be deemed to be disqualified to manage their own property. We are concerned in this case, with sec. 7 (1) (b) (ii), as the learned Government Advocate has based his case on that section. It reads as follows :—
"Jagirdars shall be deemed to be disqualified to manage their own property when they are persons declared by the Darbar to be in-capable of managing, or unfitted to manage, their own property owing to their having been convicted of a non-bailable offence and being unfitted by vicious habits or bad character for the management of their own property."
The letter of the Revenue Secretary, which is being assailed and on the basis of which superintendence was assumed by the Court of Wards is in these terms :
"I am directed to say that after the release of Thikana Nimbol the Thakur has attempted to dissuade the prosecution witnesses from giving evidence against his sons and other persons of the Thikana and in the event of unfavourable evi-dence he threatens them with disastrous consequences. There is a dispute between the Thakur and his public in the matter of recovery of Kharda cess, and the Thakur encourages his sons and his Kamdar etc. to do such criminal acts. As a sequence to which a criminal case for cutting the nose of one Shri Loon Karan against them is being tried in the Sessions Court. It is, therefore, quite clear that the Thakur of Nimbol could not prevent his sons and Kamdar from doing violent action and this shows the incapability of the Thakur to manage his Thikana afairs in accordance with the provisions of sec. 7 (b), Marwar Court of Wards Act, and consequently the Thakur deserves to be declared incapable to manage his Thikana affairs. Besides, the Thakur exerts undue influence in the proper discharge of justice and administration. It is, therefore, necessary that Thikana Nimbol may be taken under the superintendence of Court of Wards and the Thakur be declared incapable to manage his Thikana affairs."
5. The applicant wanted to show that the recitals in this order were incorrect; but, in our opinion, it is not the function of the Court to go into the correctness or otherwise of the recitals contained in the order. All that the Court has to see is whether the order sought to be challenged is valid on those recitals, accepting them on their face value.
6. Learned counsel, however, argues that in order that sec. 7(1) (b) (ii) may apply, it is not enough that a jagirdar should be unfitted by vicious habits or bad character for the