Allahbad High Court
SATISHCHANDRA,K.N.SETH
Kesho Ram - Appellant
Versus
Board of Revenue U.P., Allahabad - Respondent
Decided On : 01/18/1972
ZAMINDARI ABOLITION AND LAND REFORMS ACT - ADHIVASIS - ASAMIS - CONSOLIDATION OF HOLDINGS ACT - JURISDICTION OF REVENUE COURTS - RES JUDICATA - TITLE SUITS - U.P. TENANCY ACT - The High Court held that the revenue authorities have no jurisdiction to decide whether a person is an adhivasi or an asami. The Board of Revenue was justified in dismissing the plaintiff's claim. The special appeal is liable to fail.
Fact of the Case:
The plaintiff, Smt. Bhagwani, filed objections regarding the status of the defendant-respondents. The revenue authorities dismissed the objections. The plaintiff filed a writ petition in the High Court, which was also dismissed. The plaintiff's adopted son, Kesho Ram, filed a special appeal in the High Court.
Finding of the Court:
The High Court held that the revenue authorities have no jurisdiction to decide whether a person is an adhivasi or an asami. The Board of Revenue was justified in dismissing the plaintiff's claim. The special appeal is liable to fail.
Issues: 1. Whether the judgment of the Board of Revenue dated 17th August, 1954, is binding and operative between the parties? 2. What is the effect of the orders passed by the consolidation authorities? Was the order on review dated 10-8-1967 justified? 3. Whether the revenue authorities have jurisdiction to correct entries made during consolidation operations?
Ratio Decidendi: 1. The High Court held that the order of remand passed by the Board of Revenue was binding on the Additional Commissioner and the Judicial Officer who were authorities subordinate to the Board of Revenue. These subordinate authorities could not question the view taken by the Board of Revenue. 2. The High Court held that the view taken by the Board of Revenue in its order of remand would remain good law only so long as the provisions interpreted by it remained in existence. But if they were repealed in a way as if they had never been enacted, the substratum of the Board's order would disappear; and in view of the changed law, the Court to which the suit had been remanded by the Board of Revenue, would be entitled to decide the merits of the case in view of the legal position then obtaining. 3. The High Court held that the revenue authorities have no jurisdiction to decide whether a person is an adhivasi or an asami. The Board of Revenue was justified in dismissing the plaintiff's claim.
Final Decision: The special appeal fails and is dismissed. The connected writ petition is allowed. The order of the Board of Revenue dated 30th July, 1970, staying the hearing of the appeals pending before it is quashed. The order of the Additional Commissioner dated August 10, 1967, and the order of the Sub-Divisional Officer dated 12th August, 1967, are also quashed. The order of the Additional Commissioner dated 11th July, 1966, dismissing the suit for ejectment under the Tenancy Act is affirmed. The orders of the Revenue Courts decreeing the suit for ejectment under Section 202, Zamindari Abolition Act, are set aside and that suit is dismissed. The two second appeals pending before the Board of Revenue shall be deemed disposed of by this order. Under the circumstances, the parties may bear their own costs in this Court.
SATTSH CHANDRA, J. :- This special appeal is directed against an order dismissing a writ petition filed by the appellant. It arises out of proceedings under Chapter IX-A, U.P. Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act, holding that the respondents had become adhivasis. The connected writ petition is directed against an order of the Board of Revenue staying the hearing of two second appeals.
2. Smt. Bhagwati, the predecessor of Kesho Ram appellant, held the land in dispute as her sir. She let it out to the respondents on 14-2-1944 for five years on an annual rent of Rs.264/- Soon after the expiry of the period of lease, she instituted a suit for ejectment of the respondents under Section 175/179, U.P. Tenancy Act. The erstwhile tenants contested the suit. They pleaded that they had paid Rs.2,000/- to the plaintiff as a loan on the understanding that the loan would be set off against the rent of the land; and so they were entitled to remain in possession till the loan was discharged. They also pleaded that they had become hereditary tenants because the plaintiff paid more than Rs.25/- per year as abwab. The trial Court held that the plaintiff paid less than Rs.25/-per year as abwab. The defendants did not become hereditary tenants. The suit was decreed for the ejectment of the defendants on 8-3-1949. The tenants went up in appeal. During its pendency the Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act came into force, on 1st July, 1952. The tenants took a plea that they had become adhivasis under Sec.20(a)(i) of the Zamindari Abolition Act The Additional Commissioner upheld this plea, and allowing the appeal, dismissed the suit for ejectment on 6th August, 1953.
3. Smt. Bhagwani, the plaintiff, went up to the Board of Revenue in second Appeal. The Board of Revenue held that since the land-holder, namely the plaintiff, was a woman, the tenants became asamis under Section 21(1)(h) read with Section 10(2)(i) of the Zamindari Abolition Act. The Board, however, remanded the suit to the Additional Commissioner for deciding the appeal on the merits. After remand when the appeal came up for hearing, it was urged on behalf of the defendants that plaintiff was not a disabled land-holder because her husband did not suffer from any physical infirmity. The plaintiff contended to the contrary. There being no evidence on this point, the Additional Commissioner remanded the case to the trial Court for decision, after allowing parties to lead evidence. In consequence of this order of remand dated 22nd March, 1955, the trial Court heard the matter and decreed the suit on 8th November, 1955. The defendants again filed an appeal. The Additional Commissioner held that the plaintiff's husband did not suffer from the relevant disqualifications and the plaintiff was not a disabled land-holder. The defendants became adhivasis and as such were not liable to ejectment. He by his order dated 11th July, 1956, reversed the decree and dismissed the suit.
4. Nearly 10 years later Smt. Bhagwani the plaintiff made an application for the setting aside of the appellate order dated 11th July, 1956. This application was dismissed on 21-11-1966. The plaintiff, however, moved another application on 30th March, 1967, under Section 151, C.P.C. The Additional Commissioner held that in view of the provisions of the Consolidation of Holdings Act, the hearing of the appeal ought to have been stayed. On this ground he on 10-8-1967 recalled his order dated 11th July, 1956, and decided the appeal "in terms of the orders passed in consolidation proceedings." Against this order the defendants preferred an appeal before the Board of Revenue. This appeal is still pending.
5. While the suit was pending before the Board of Revenue before its remand, a notification under Section 4, U.P. Consolidation of Holdings Act, was issued on 26th June, 1954, in respect of the land in dispute. Smt. Bhagwani the plaintiff filed objections. The Consolidation Officer accepted them and held that the de
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