Rajasthan High Court
Chhangani, J.
Nenu Ram - Appellant
Versus
Smt. Jaswanti & Co. - Respondents
S.B. Civil Reference No. 62 of 1959
Decided On : February 19, 1960
2. The facts giving rise to this reference may be broadly stated as follows: — Shri Nenuram originally filed a suit on 10th February, 1958. against the defendant Smt. Jaswanti and others in the court of the Civil Judge, Beawar for a declaration that the plaintiff, his agents, servants and assignees had a right or way and user with regard to certain agricultural holdings and for grant of a mandatory injunction restraining the defendants and their agents, etc. from obstructing in any way with the plaintiffs and his servants in the exercise of their right of way.
3. After the Rajasthan Tenancy Act, 1955 came into force in that part of the State, the Civil Judge held the view that the suit is triable by a revenue court and he by his order dated 9th May, 1958 transferred the case to the court of the Sub-divisional Officer & Assistant Collector, Beawar. The Assistant Collector, Beawar did not agree with the opinion expressed by the Civil Judge and found, vide his order dated 15th of October, 1958, that the case is triable by a civil court. He accordingly sent the case to the Collector, Ajmer for making a reference to this Court for decision on the point of jurisdiction. The Collector, however, instead of making a reference to this Court himself decided the conflict of jurisdiction and sent the case to the court of the Civil Judge, Beawar. The Civil Judge in his reference has found fault with the procedure adopted by the Collector in himself adjudicating upon the conflict of jurisdiction and sending the case to the Civil Judge direct without making a reference to this Court.
4. I agree with the learned Civil Judge that once when the Civil Judge had transferred the case to the S.D.O. & Asstt. Collector, he or his superior authority, the Collector, had no jurisdiction to over-rule the views expressed by the civil court and send the case back to his court. In fact, the S.D.O. very rightly submitted the case to the Collector for sanctioning the making of a reference to this Court. However, the Collector fell into an error in assuming the jurisdiction to decide the question relating to the conflict of jurisdiction and over-ruling the views expressed by a civil court and in omitting to make a reference to this Court. There will be, however, no point in now sending the case back to the Collector and requiring him to make a reference. The whole case is before me and in order to cut short the matter, I proceed to decide the question as to whether it is a case triable by a civil court or a revenue court.
5. The relevant provisions bearing upon this question are contained in sec. 251 of the Rajasthan Tenancy Act, 1955, which may be quoted here:—
"Right of way and other private easement: —
(1) In the event of a dispute arising as to the route by which a holder of land shall have access to his fields otherwise than by the recognised roads; paths or common land including roads and paths mentioned as such in the settlement records or as to the waste or pasture lands of the village, or as to the course or source by which he may avail himself of water, to which he is entitled, from a tank, well or other source, the Tehsildar, may on application, after local enquiry decide the matter with reference to the previous custom in each case and with due regard to the convenience of all parties concerned,
(2) No order passed under this section shall debar any person from establishing such right of easement as he may claim by a regular suit in a competent civil court."
6. It appears that under this section in the event of a dispute arising as to the route by which a holder of land shall have access to his fields, the Tehsildar has been empowered on an application to decide the matter in a summary manner. The proceedings to be taken by the Tehsildar on this applic
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