Chander Bhusan Barowalia, J.

The plaintiff/Punjab State Electricity Board, through its Resident Engineer (hereinafter referred to as “the plaintiff- Board”), preferred the present suit against original defendant No. 1, Shri Suraj Singh Pathania (since dead, now represented by his legal heirs, i.e., defendant No. 1(a) to 1(e)) and defendant No. 2/Union of India through Secretary (Relief and Rehabilitation) to the Government of H.P. (hereinafter after referred to as “the defendants”) for declaration and possession and also for permanent injunction restraining the defendants from changing the nature of the property in question.

2. It is contended in the plaint by the plaintiff-Board that prior to independence the Mandi State was under the sovereign rule of Raja of Mandi and all properties within the Mandi State were under the ownership of Raja of Mandi. It is further contended that on 03.03.1925 an agreement was entered into for 99 years, at Mandi into between the Raja Darbar Mandi and State of India in council of the one part and the Lt. His Highness Raja Joginder Sen Bah