Rajasthan High Court
Honble N.L. TIBREWAL & B.S. CHAUHAN, JJ.
Mangi Lal and Others - Appellant
Versus
State of Rajasthan and Others - Respondents
D.B. Civil Special Appeal No. 1147 of 1997
Decided On : November 07, 1997
We are of the considered opinion that a case where order has been obtained by fraud etc., the power of reference can be exercised even after an inordinate or unreasonable delay, whenever it is brought to notice of the competent authority but it should not be after an unreasonable delay from the date on which the fact is brought to the notice of the authority concerned. (Para 12)
In a case where the worshipper himself has played a fraud upon the deity the transaction shall be deemed to be illegal. The deity is a Khatedar of the land and the Pujari can never acquire the khatedari rights because the provisions of Section 46 of the Act, 1955 put an embargo on it. (Para 15)
(2). The land in question originally belonged to the temple, known as `AsanMath Sthan Deva and by two regisered sale deeds, dated 7.2.1962 and 17.6.1964, the land measuring 24 bighas was transferred to one Narain Singh, predecessor-in-interest of the appellant, by Pujari of the temple Shri Rameshwar Puri, predecessor-in-interest of respondent No. 4, for considerations. On the basis of the said sale deeds, Sarpanch of the village Panchayat passed the mutation orders on 30.1.1963and 12.12.1964 and since then the appellants claim that they are in physical and actual cultivatory possession over the said land.
(3). On the complaint of some resident of the village, the District Collector made a reference on 8.9.1983 to the Board of Revenue for cancellation of the said mutations dated 30.1.1963 and 12.12.1964, the said reference order is contained inAnnex. 1 to the writ petition. Respondent No. 2 accepted the reference by judgment and order dated 14.3.1986 contained in Annex. 2, against which applications for clarification and review had also been rejected by the respondent No. 2 by orders dated 10.8.1987 and 19.10.1987, contained in Annxs. 3 and 4 to the petition respectively.
(4). Being aggrieved and dis-satisfied, the appellants, claiming to be the legal heirs of Shri Narain Singh, filed the writ petition before this Court, as by that time, Shri Narain Singh had died.
(5). As the appellants could not find any favour before the learned Single Judge and the said writ petition has been dismissed by the aforesaid judgment and orderdated 9.9.1997, the instant appeal has been filed.
(6). Heard Shri Sudesh Gupta, learned counsel for the appellants.
(7). It is urged by Shri Gupta that the land in dispute belongs to `math and not to the `temple and therefore, the provisions of Sec. 46 of the Rajasthan Tenancy Act, 1955 (hereinafter called `the Act) are not applicable at all and he further submi-tted that none of the courts/authority below considered this aspect though this issue could have tilted the balance in favour of the appellants. From the pleadings in the court or authority below, he could not point out as to on what basis it was the property of the `math and not of the `temple. Even in the memo of appeal, the appellants have not mentioned who was the `gaddinashin of the `math and reference has been made though out to Shri Rameshwar Puri, pujari of the temple. There can be no dispute to the proposition of law that `Pujari has no role to play in `math and it is always headed by the `gaddinashin. As the appellants had not raised this point below, they cannot be permitted to raise this issue first time beforethis Court in writ/appeal, as, it involves the issues of facts, which would require investigation and inquiry in the matter. It is settled law that the a party cannot be permitted to take a new plea first time in the Writ Court, which requires investigation of facts.
(8). In Ratanlal Sharma vs. Managing Committee (1), the Apex Court has obser-ved as under :
``All point not raised before the Tribunal or Administrative authority may not be allowed to be raised for the first time in writ jurisdiction, more so when the interference in the writ jurisdiction which is equitable and discretionary is not of-course a must
(9). The same view has been taken by the Apex Court in the cases of St. Arunachalam Pillai vs. Southern Roadways Ltd. & Anr. (2), A. M. Allison vs. State of Assam (3), Cantonment Board Ambala vs. Pyarelal (4), State of U.P. vs. Dr. Anupam Gupta (5), Banwarlal vs. T.K.A. Abdul Karim (6) and Rajeshwari Amma vs. Joseph (7).
(10). Shri Gupta has further urged that the reference was made after a lapseof 21 years and thus, the judgment and order of the Board of Revenue is void, being ar
2. St. Arunachalam Pillai vs. Southern Roadways Ltd. & Anr. (AIR 1960 SC 1191)
3. A.M. Allison vs. State of Assam (AIR 1957 SC 227)
4. Cantonment Board Ambala vs. Pyare Lal (AIR 1966 SC 108)
5. State of U.P. vs. Dr. Anupam Gupta (AIR 1992 SC 932)
6. Bhanwar Lal vs. T.K.A. Abdul karim (AIR 1992 SC 2166)
7. Rajeshwari Amma vs. Joseph (AIR 1995 SC 719)
9. State of Gujarat vs. Patel Raghavnatha & Ors. (AIR 1969 SC 1297)
10. Mansa Ram vs. S.P. Pathak (AIR 1983 SC 1239)
11. Government of India vs. The Citedal Fine Kametiwala & Ors. (AIR 1989 SC 1771)
13. Bishwanath & Anr. vs. Sri Thakur Radha Ballabhji & Ors. (AIR 1967 SC 1044)
25. Jai Jai Ram Manohar Lal vs. National Building Material Supply
26. M/s. Ganesh Trading Co. vs. Moji Ram (AIR 1978 SC 484)
27. Collector, Land Acquisition
1. Ratan Lal Sharma vs. Managing Committee (1993 (4) SCC 10)
17. S.P. Chengalvaraya Naidu vs. Jagannath & Ors. (1994 (1) SCC 1)
19. Union of India & Ors. vs. Jain Sudh Vanaspati Ltd (1996 (10) SCC 520)
20. Union of India & Ors. vs. M. Bhaskaran (1995 Suppl. (4) SCC 100)
23. Andhra Estate Financial Corporation vs. Gar Re : Rolling Mills (1994 (2) SCC 647)
24. State of Maharashtra & Ors. vs. Prabhu (1994 (2) SCC 481)
28. Noorduddin vs. Dr. K.L. Anand (1995 (1) SCC 242)
29. State of Punjab vs. G.S. Gill (1997 (6) SCC 129)
8. Anandi Lal vs. State of Raj. & Ors. (1995 (1) RLR 555)
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