2001 Supreme(Raj) 750
Rajasthan High Court
Honble RAJESH BALIA & H.R. PANWAR, JJ.
Babu Singh - Appellant
Versus
State of Rajasthan & Ors. - Respondents
D.B. Civil Special Appeal No. 189 of 1998
Decided On : July 19, 2001
M.C. Bhoot, for Appellant S.L. Jain and C.L. Jain, for Respondents
Headnote:Rajasthan Tenancy Act, 1955, Sec. 42, 62 & 175 – Appeal – Ejectment for illegal transfer – Original tenant Akura Ram (Harijan) sold land in 1963 to Nihal Singh from whom petitioner purchased in 1975 and in possession since then – Widow of Akura Ram complained of forcibly dispossession by petitioner – Appeal pending – Tehsildar held the sale in favour of petitioners void ab initio – Ordered to take proceedings u/Sec.175 – Held – Impugned order could not have been made particularly when serious issue existed between the parties to be decided relating to possession – Khatedari rights were subject matter of pending lis – Set aside the order. (Paras 12 to 14)
Serious issue having already subject matter of a pending lis, particularly in making impugned order which has been taken in hot haste in most bizzare manner by completing all enquiry on the spot at the back of petitioner who is not a transferee from a scheduled caste, nor who has dispossessed any member of scheduled caste in possession when he entered the possession under a sale from a person not a member of scheduled caste on a complaint by a person who had already lost her right to recover possession from the State as well as from person in possession, it cannot be said that no substantial failure of justice has occasioned so as to warrant to take a position of non-interference, notwithstanding clear breach of natural justice in making the impugned order, by the Revenue Authority. (Para 13)
(2). Coming to know of this order, the petitioner appealed before Revenue Appellate Authority who by his order dated 28.04.1990 held; firstly that the order passed by Tehsildar on 3.6.1989 was administrative in nature and the appeal against it is not maintainable. Secondly, he was also of the view that while the land which is claimed by the petitioners in his possession and subject-matter of sale in his favour is situated in Chak 5 M.D. Muraba No. 83 and 82, whereas as per report of the Tehsildar the land of Akuraram, deceased husband of the complainant is situated in Muraba No. 121 chak 5 M.D. and there is variance about the identity of land in question.
(3). According to this finding, the appeal was dismissed. On further appeal Board of Revenue by its order dated 28.5.1995 held that there is no illegality in the order passed by the Revenue Appellate Authority. He has noticed that prior to the present proceedings a proceeding under Section 175 had taken place against the petitioner which was decided in his favour and appeal against that order filed by the State is still pending. In that view of the matter, the petitioner could not have been evicted by the order under challenge, which appears to be passed in exercise of his administrative power. As on the date the order dated 3.6.1989 was passed against the petitioner-appellant appeal against the order of the Assistant Collector under Section 175 dated 22.9.1977 was pending. By ignoring those proceedings, which has been culminated in favour of the petitioner, he could not have been evicted by the proceedings under challenge. This contention of the petitioner has been rejected by the Board of Revenue on the ground that the decision which has been rendered under Section 175 in the proceedings of 22.9.1977 having been made subject-matter of the appeal was not final and, therefore, it could not come in way of making the order in question made by the Tehsildar on 3.6.1989. He has also not upheld the contention of the petitioner on the ground that neither could file a suit for declaration, nor he can be permitted to take the plea of adverse possession because of his possession was illegal, therefore, the claim of the petitioner comes to an end. On these findings revision was dismissed.
(4). Aggrieved with all these orders, the petitioner preferred the writ petition before this Court, which has been decided by the order under appeal. The learned Judge has primarily dismissed the petition on the ground that sale in petitioners favour being void because of Section 42 of the Rajasthan Tenancy Act, there was no substantial failure of justice and jurisdiction under Article 226 need not be invoked even if there is want of jurisdiction. Thus, by holding that though impugned order dated 3.6.1989 has been pass