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1953 Supreme(All) 113

IN THE HIGH COURT OF ALLAHABAD
Beg and Mukerji, JJ.
DULARI - Appellant
Versus
ADDL.CUSTODIAN, EVACUEE PROPERTY - Respondents
Civ. Misc. Appln. 835 Of 1951
Decided On : 04/28/1953

Advocates Appeared:
KANHAIYA LAL MISHRA, Ram, Ram Bharose Lal

Headnote:

REVIEW OF ORDER - CONFIRMATION OF SALE - POWER OF CUSTODIAN - ACT 31 OF 1950, SECTION 26(2) - ADMINISTRATION OF EVACUEE PROPERTY ACT - SECTION 40 - LIMITATION ACT, SECTION 5 - INTERPRETATION - SCOPE OF REVIEW POWER - JUDICIAL AUTHORITY - QUASI-JUDICIAL AUTHORITY - ORDER - MEANING AND SCOPE.

Fact of the Case:

The petitioner purchased a property from an evacuee on 16-10-1947. The property became evacuee property on 16-10-1949 when the vendors left India for Pakistan. The petitioner applied for confirmation of the sale on 4-5-1950, which was beyond the limitation period prescribed under Section 40 of the Administration of Evacuee Property Act, 1950. The Deputy Custodian, Meerut, refused to confirm the sale on the ground of limitation. The petitioner appealed to the Additional Custodian, Lucknow, who allowed the appeal and directed the confirmation of the sale on 30-1-1951. Later, the Additional Custodian came to know about a decision of the Custodian General, which conflicted with his view on the question of limitation. He, therefore, issued a notice to the petitioner to show cause why the judgment dated 30-1-51 should not be reviewed and set aside.

Finding of the Court:

The court held that the Additional Custodian had the power to review his own decision of 30-1-1951, and that the order of the Additional Custodian, Lucknow dated 2-2-1951, was not without jurisdiction or in excess of jurisdiction.

Issues: Whether the Additional Custodian had the power to review his own decision of 30-1-1951.

Ratio Decidendi: The court interpreted Section 26(2) of the Administration of Evacuee Property Act, 1950, which gives the power of review to the Custodian, Additional Custodian, or authorized Deputy Custodian. The court held that the word "order" in Section 26(2) is used in its widest connotation and includes a decision where there are two parties and an issue is raised between those parties and is determined by the Court. The court also held that the confirmation of a sale as contemplated by Section 40 of the Act is an "order" and, therefore, subject to review under Section 26(2).

Final Decision: The court dismissed the petition with costs and discharged the stay order granted earlier.

MUKERJI, J.

( 1 ) THIS is an application tinder Article 226 of the Constitution by Shrimati Dulari praying that this Court may issue a writ of prohibition or in the alternative appropriate directions, or orders under Article 226 of the Constitution of India prohibiting opposite party 1, i. e. , the Additional custodian Evacuee Property, Lucknow from reviewing his judgment dated 30-1-1951, passed in Appeal No. 276 of 1950. There is a further prayer that opposite party 2, namely, the Custodian evacuee Property at Lucknow be prohibited from issuing any notification under Section 7 of Act 31 of 1050 in respect of a certain house, details of which are given in the petibion, and treating it as "evacuee Property".

( 2 ) THE facts, briefly stated, which gave rise to this petition, were that op1 n 16-10-1947, the appli-qant purchased the property in dispute, which is situate at Ghaziabad, from one Shubratan, who made a sale of the property to the applicant for a sum of Rs. 2,500/- on her behalf and on behalf of her minor children and on behalf of another Naboo wife of one Allah Diya. The vendors left India for Pakistan as "evacuees" on 16-10-1949, and consequently the property in dispute assumed the character of "evacuee property".

( 3 ) UNDER Ordinance 27 of 1949, namely, the Aministration of Evacuee Property Ordinance, it became necessary under Section 38 to have the confirmation of a sale, which had been made after the 14th day of August, 1947, by or on behalf of an evacuee. Section 38 of the Ordinance is in these words: "no transfer of any right or interest in any property made in any manner whatsoever after the 14th day of August, 1947, by or on behalf of an evacuee or by or on behalf of a person who has become an evacuee after the date of the transfer, shall be effective so as to confer any rights or remedies on the parties to such transfer or on any person claiming under them unless it is confirmed by the Custodian. " under this section an application for the confirmation of such a transfer had to be made either by the transferor or by the transferee within a period of two months from the commencement of the Ordinance. The Ordinance came into force on 18-10-1949. It is important to notice that by sub- Section (3) of Section 38, the provisions of Section 5, Limitation Act were made applicable to applications which were to be made under Sub-section (2) of the section. Ordinance 27 of 1949 was superseded by Act 31 of 1950, namely the Administration of Evacuee Property Act. By Section 40 of this Act a similar provision to Section 38 of the Ordinance was made. By section 40 (2) an application for confirmation of such transfer had to be made within two months of the date of transfer or within two months from the commencement of this Act or within two months from the date of the notification or declaration referred to in Sub-section (1), whichever was later. The provisions of Section 5, Limitation Act were again made applicable to applications which were to be moved under this section for confirmation of transfers.

( 4 ) AN application for the confirmation of the transfer dated 16-10-1947, made in favour of the applicant, was made by the applicant on 4-5-1950, to the Deputy Custodian, Meerut -- within whose jurisdiction the subject-matter of the transfer was situate. The Deputy Custodian, Meerut, refused to confirm the transfer on the ground that the application, which had been made by the petitioner, had been made beyond limitation. An appeal was preferred against the decision of the deputy Custodian, Meerut, to the Additional Custodian, Lucknow, who apparently had appellate jurisdiction over the Deputy Custodian, Meerut. By an order dated 30-1-1951, the Additional custodian allowed] the application of the petitioner and directed the confirmation of the sale. It is necessary to notice that the Deputy Custodian, Meerut, had by his decision held the transfer in favour of the petitioner to be bona fide and for consideration.

( 5 ) AFTER






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