The main legal point established in the judgment is that Rule 156 is procedural and not substantive, and its compliance is required at the stage of instituting the suit for partition under Section 176 of the U.P.Z.A. & L.R. Act.

JUDGMENT :

Few basic facts as it engages consideration, in the present writ petition are, that the petitioner before this Court is a defendant No. 51 in Suit No. 27/03 of 1998-99, Mahendra Singh and others Vs. Ishwar Singh and others, instituted by the respondent numbers 1, 2 and 3 to the writ petition by invoking the provisions contained under Section 176 of the U.P.Z.A. & L.R. Act, seeking partition of the holdings, which was more particularly described in relief 10A of the Suit. The property in relation to which, the proceedings under Section 176 of the Act was instituted, is extracted hereunder:-

**10- ;g fd oknhx.k mijksDr fuEu vuqrks"k fn;s tkus dh ÁkFkZuk djrs gSa%&
v- ;g fd xzke vk.kw iVVh i0N%[kkrk rglhy o ftyk uSuhrky ds T;M-,- [krkSuh [kkrk ua- 5 ftldk dqy jdck 19 ukyh 8 eqBBh gS] mlesa oknhx.k dk lkढs nl eqBBh gd fgLlk vkrk gS] rFkk T;M-,- [krkSuh [krk ua- 99 ftldk dqy jdck 37 ukyh 9 eqBBh gS] mlesa oknhx.k dk 1 ukyh 4 eqBBh gd fgLlk vkrk gS] ,oa [kkrk ua- 119] ftldk dqy jdck 10 ukyh 13 eqVBh gS] mlesa oknhx.k dk 3 uhy 10 eqVBh dk gd fgLlk vkrk gS] bl Ádkj rhuksa [kkrksa esa oknhx.k dk gd fgLlk 5 ukyh lkढs vkB eqVBh dk gd fgLlk vkrk gS] ml fgLls dks caVokjh dh fMØh ikfjr Áfroknhx.k 1 yxk;r 51 ls vyx dj tehu dh fdLe ds vuqlkj nkok caVokjk oknhx.k ds gd esa fMØh dj fn;k tk; vkSj mudk [kkrk Áfroknhx.k la 1 yxk;r 51 ls vyx dj fn;k tk; vkSj oknhx.k dk vyx ,d [kkrk cuk fn;k tk;A**

2. The suit proceeded on its merits and ultimately, the same was decided by the Court of Assistant Collector, 1st Class, by preparation of a preliminary decree of partition on 25th July 2008, wherein the kuras as settled interse between the parties to the suit and the same was placed before the Assistant Collector, based on the report submitted by the Amin on 12th September 1999. The Assistant Collector, 1st class vide its judgement dated 25th July 2008 decided the suit for partition and while fixing the kuras which was based as per the schedule given under the judgement dated 25th July 2008 itself. The same was put to challenge in a Z.A. Appeal being Z.A Appeal No. 85/07-08/47/10-11, Birla Institute of Scientific Research Vs. Mahendra Singh and 29 others, preferred by the petitioner/defendant, putting a challenge to the decree of 25th July 2008, by invoking the provisions contained under Section 331 of the U.P.Z.A. & L.R. Act. The Appeal thus preferred by the petitioner too met with the same destiny and the same was dismissed by the Court of Additional Commissioner vide its judgement dated 26th January 2015, affirming the judgement of the learned trial Court. The observations which were made by the Appellate Court, observes as under:-

**ek= bl vk/kkj ij] fd ÁR;FkhZ@oknh ml xkWao esa ugha jgrk gS tgkWa Á'uxr Hkwfe gS ÁR;FkhZ@oknh ds HkkSfed vf/kdkj lekIr ugha ekus tk ldrs gSa] vkSj u gh fdlh [kkrsnkj ;k tksrnkj dks /kkjk 176 tSM- ,- ds varxZr vius [kkrs ds foHkktu ds vf/kdkj ls oafpr ugha fd;k tk ldrk gSA
vihydrkZ }kjk fofHkUu lg[kkrsnkjksa ls Hkwfe Ø; dh x;h gS ijUrq ;g Hkh iq"V rF; gS fd ftruh Hkwfe vihydrkZ }kjk Ø; dh x;h gS jktLo vfHkys[kksa esa vihydrkZ ds uke ntZ ugha gSA /kkjk 176 tSM0 ,s0 ,oa lifBr fu;e dh O;oLFkk [kkrsa ds foHkktu ls lacaf/kr gS vkSj ;g fOkHkktu [kkrs esa ntZ [kkrsnkjksa ds va'k dk fu/kkZj.k djrs gq, fd;s tkus dk Ákfo/kku gSA fuEu U;k;ky; ds le{k ÁLrqr [krkSuh esa ntZ [kkrsnkjksa ds vk/kkj ij oknh o vU; ds va'k dk fu/kkZj.k fd;k x;k gSA vihydrkZ bl ckr ds fy;s Lora= gS fd Ø; 'kqnk Hkwfe esa ukekUrj.k dh dk;Zokgh djokus mijkUr vius va'k dk fu/kkZj.k djrs gq, [kkrs ds foHkktu dk okn nk;j djsa vFkok fof/kuqlkj] fopkjk/khu@okn esa gh vius gd dh mn~?kks"k.kk djokrs gq, vius va'k ds fu/kkZj.k ,oa [kkrs ds foHkktu gsrq fofgr ÁfØ;k dk ikyu djrs gq, Áfrnkok djsA**

3. The order of the First Appellate Court, was put to challenge along with the order of Assistant Collector, 1st class directing the preparation of preliminary decree by filing a Revision being Revenue Revision No. 139 of 2014-15, Birla Institute of Scientific Research Branc