1. This appeal is directed against an ex-parte order of the Authority constituted under Sec. 52-C of the Jammu and Kashmir Forest Act, 1987. hereinafter to be referred to as the Act, certifying a sum of Rs. 20,50,513.00 to be recoverable as arrears of land revenue by the State of Jammu and Kashmir, respondent No, 1 herein, from Malik Abdul Ahad Shah, one of the partners in the appellant-firm M/s Malik Abdul Ahad Shah Jalil Ahmad Rather.

2. The respondent State of Jammu and Kashmir, filed a petition under Sec 52-B of the Act for a certificate to recover as arrears of land revenue a sum of Rs. 10,81,487.00 on account of principal sum, and a further sum of Rs. 6,52,429.00 by way of interest on account of belated payments of royalty dues against the appellant-firm, which was shown to be represented by its partner Malik Abdul Ahad Shah, the second respondent to the petition. A third respondent, namely, Khawaja Mohd Ahsan Wani was also added to the petition, who was later on deleted from the array of respondents by the Authority, hereinafter to be referred to as the Forest Authority, by its order dated 14-7-1977, on accepting his plea that he was not a party to the contract of lease, bu

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