( 1 ) THIS judgment governs the following writ petitions: 1. Writ Petition No. 273 of 1960 Mata Prasad v. Mahant Dewakar Bharti and Ors.

( 2 ) WRIT Petition No. 276 of 1960 Baldeo Singh v. Matiant Dewakar Bharti and Ors.

( 3 ) WRIT Petition No. 277 of 1960 Dhan Prasad Singh v. Mahant Dewakar Bharti and Ors.

( 4 ) WRIT Petition No. 278 of I960 Deep Narain Singh v. Mahant Dewakar Bharti and Ors. As the facts relating to all the aforementioned four cases are identical, Writ Petition No. 273 of 1960 (Mata Prasad v. Mahant Dewakar Bharti and Ors.) shall be treated as the leading case, and the judgment will be given with reference to the facts stated in this Writ Petition. The four petitioners in these writ petitions mentioned above were all opposite parties in an application under Section 232 of the U. P. Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act made by opposite party No. 1, namely, Mahant Dewakar Bharti. This application purported tb be one under Section 20/232 of the U. P. Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act. It was filed in the Court of the sub-Divisional Officer, Balrampur on the 24th of December, 1963. It related to certain tenancy plots situate in village Sanda,