Rajasthan High Court
Lodha, J.
Gopal - Appellant
Versus
Durga Parsad - Respondents
S.B. Civil Second Appeal No. 382 of 1972
Decided On : December 14, 1973
The effect of the instrument Ex. 35 is to give the holder the right to possess the land and to cultivate it, and thus it is a demise of the land itself. Having regard to the substance of the agreement and the intention of the parties I am led to the conclusion that it is a case of lease and not a licence. I, therefore hold that the case is governed by the Rajasthan Premises (Control of Rent and Eviction) Act. In the circumstances, therefore, it is undoubtedly necessary to have a finding on the question whether plaintiff is entitled to evict the defendants on any of the grounds mentioned in Sec. 13. {Para 16)
2. Idol of Thakurji Shri Dwarkadheesji installed in Kund Boharaji situated in the town of Khetri filed the suit through its Sewak and manager Durga Prasad against the defendants Gopal and Ramdeo on 4-6-1960 in the Court of Civil Judge, Jhunjhunu alleging that there was a garden (Bagh) enclosed with a pucca compound wall within the boundary of the temple and the pond kund attached to the temple, measuring 16-1/2 Bighas 2 Biswas bearing Khasra Nos. 1399, 1404, 1406, 1417, 1421, 2081/1403 and 2082/1402. The land in which the pond, well, garden and the temple are constructed was granted to one Dwarka Parsad, an ancestor of Durga Prasad by the Raja of Khetri on Migsar Bad 4, S. 1907. The original patta has been placed on the record and marked Ex. 14. The plaintiffs case is that Durga Prasads father Sheolal died on 12-1-1935 from which date the estate of Sheolal was brought under the management of the Court of Wards til 1 2-5-1955. It is stated that during the period the estate remained under the management of the Court of Wards, the land and the garden were managed through paid servants who gradually destroyed the garden and started cultivating crop in the land under the garden which they had no right to do. The plaintiff goes on to state that after the estate was released from the management of the Court of Wards, Durga Prasad leased out the land in question to the defendants Ramdeo and Gopal for a period of one year from 2-5-1955 for a consideration of Rs. 115/-, and vegetables, fruits and flowers. The original agreement of lease has been placed on the record and marked Ex. 35. Along with the land, the defendants were allowed the use of certain apartments mentioned in para 6 of the plaint. The plaintiffs complaint is that the defendants had converted the land of the garden into agricultural land which they had no right to do. He alleged that the plaintiff wants to put up a garden on the whole land, and that the kachcha and pucca houses in the garden are required by the plaintiff for the temple and therefore the defendants may be asked to vacate the land as well as the houses. The plaintiff also served a notice of ejectment. He prayed for a decree for possession of the apartments mentioned is para No. 6 of the as well as the land under the garden and for mesne profits at the rate of Rs. 2/- per plaint day. An objection was taken by the defendants that the property in question had been resumed but had thereafter been declared as the personal property of the plaintiff by the order of the Jagir Commissioner dated 28-1-1964. Consequently, the State of Rajasthan was also added as a party to the suit.
3. Defendants Nos. 1 and 2 filed separate written statements, though the pleas taken by them ate identical. They pleaded that the suit was in respect of agricultural land not cognizable by Civil Court. They also objected that the suit was barred by limitation, that the lease deed being unregistered was inadmissible in evidence, and that the notice of ejectment was not legal and valid. The State of Rajasthan, however, did not contest the suit and was proceeded against ex parte.
4. The learned Civil Judge, Jhunjhunu by his judgment dated 4-6-1960 held that the land in question was agricultural land and therefore the suit was triable by Sub divisional Officer, Khetri and consequently he directed that the plaint be returned for presentation to the proper court. On appeal against this order, the District Judge, Jhunjhunu by his judgment dated 18-2-1963 set aside the order of the Civil Judge and directed the lower court to first decide the question whether the land in dispute fell within the Abadi land of the Khetri Town?
5. After remand the trial court recorded the evidence produced by th
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