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2016 Supreme(MP) 630

IN THE HIGH COURT OF MADHYA PRADESH
Vivek Agarwal, J.
Gajraj Singh v. State of M.P. and another
Second Appeal No.551 of 2010 (Gwalior); against judgment
and decree dated 27.9.2010 passed by District Judge, Vidisha in
Civil Appeal No.25-A/2010; Decided on 8.11.2016.

Advocates:
B. Raj Pandey for appellant; Smt. Nidhi Patankar, Government Advocate for respondent No.1/State.

Headnote: ¼1½ tehankjh lekfIr fo/kku] 1950 ¼e-Hkk-½ & /kkjk 2¼x½] ¼M-½] 3] 4] 37 rFkk 38 & e-Hkk- Hkw&vkxe rFkk Ñ"kdkf/kdkj fo/kku] 1951 & /kkjk 54¼lkr½ & ou

       vf/kfu;e] 1927 & /kkjk 4 rFkk 20 & mi[kaM vf/kdkjh ds vkns'k fnukad 21-2-1969 }kjk & oknh ds firkeg dks HkwfeLokeh ?kksf"kr fd;k x;k & vf/klwpuk fnukad

       25-7-1986 }kjk ,slh Hkwfe vkjf{kr ou Hkwfe ?kksf"kr & oknh }kjk ou vf/kfu;e ds vèkhu dksbZ dk;Zokgh ugha dh xbZ & gd~ ?kks"k.kk ds fy, okn & ;g n'kkZus dk dksbZ nLrkosth lk{; ugha fd tehankjh lekfIr fo/kku ds izo`Ùk gksus ds fnu ;k iwoZ oknh dk firkeg Hkwfe ij dCtk j[kus okyk Fkk & oknh ;g LFkkfir djus esa Hkh vlQy jgk fd mldk firkeg iDdk Ñ"kd Fkk ;k Hkwfe mldh [kqn dk'r Fkh & fupys U;k;ky;ksa }kjk okn [kkfjt djus esa dksbZ =qfV ugha dh & gLr{ksi visf{kr ughaA 2007 jk fu 107 ¼mPp U;k-½] 2002 jk fu 1 ¼mPpre U;k-½ rFkk 2004 jk fu 201 ¼mPPre U;k-½ izHksfnrA ¼iSjk 4] 5 ,oa 6½

       ¼2½ ou vf/kfu;e] 1927 & /kkjk 4] 6] 7] 20 rFkk 36 & /kkjk 36 dk ykxw gksuk & vf/klwpuk }kjk Hkwfe vkjf{kr ou Hkwfe ?kksf"kr & HkwfeLokeh }kjk vf/kfu;e ds micaèkksa ds v/khu dksbZ dk;Zokgh ugha dh xbZ & O;fDrxr lwpuk dh vko';drk ugha & /kkjk 36 ds mica/k vkdf"kZr ugha gksrsA ¼2014½ 3 ,l lh lh 430 izHksfnrA ¼iSjk 7 ls 10½

       ¼3½ flfoy izfØ;k lafgrk] 1908 & /kkjk 9 & ou vf/kfu;e] 1927 & /kkjk 20 & vf/klwpuk }kjk Hkwfe vkjf{kr ou Hkwfe ?kksf"kr & oknh }kjk ou vf/kfu;e ds micaèkksa ds v/khu dksbZ dk;Zokgh ugha dh xbZ & gd~ dh ?kks"k.kk ds fy, flfoy okn & pykus ;ksX; ugha & vf/klwpuk ds izdk'ku ds i'pkr~ & vf/klwpuk flfoy U;k;ky; dh fMØh ds :i esa vkc)dj gS & flfoy U;k;ky; dh vf/kdkfjrk xfHkZr :i ls oftZr gSA ¼2009½ 4 ,l lh lh 299 rFkk 1996 , vkb vkj ,l lh MCY;w 2972 fufnZ"VA ¼iSjk 11 ,oa 12½

       ¼4½ Hkkjr dk lafo/kku & vuq-300d & dk ykxw gksuk & fof/k ds izkf/kdkj ds flok; fdlh Hkh O;fDr dks mldh laifÙk ls oafpr ugha fd;k tk,xk & fdarq oknh Hkwfe dks viuh laifÙk gksuk lkfcr ugha dj ldk & mica/k vkdf"kZr ugha gksrsA ¼iSjk 13½


       (1) Zamindari Abolition Act, 1951 (M.B.) -- Ss.2(c), (e), 3, 4, 37 and 38 -- M.B. Land Revenue and Tenancy Act, 1950 -- S.54(vii) -- Forest Act, 1927 -- Ss.4 and 20 -- by order dated 21.2.1969 of Sub-Divisional Officer -- plaintiff’s grand father declared Bhumiswami -- such land declared as reserved forest land by notification dated 25.7.1986 -- no action taken by plaintiff under Forest Act -- suit for declaration of title -- no documentary evidence to show that land was in possession of grand father on or before enforcement of Zamindari Abolition Act -- plaintiff also failed to establish that his grand father was Pakka tenant or the land was his Khud kasht -- no error committed by Courts below in dismissing the suit -- no interference called for. 2007 RN 107(HC), 2002 RN 1 (SC) and 2004 RN 201 (SC) distinguished. [Paras 4, 5 & 6

       (2) Forest Act, 1927 -- Ss.4, 6, 7, 20 and 36 -- applicability of section 36 -- by notification land declared as reserved forest land -- no action taken by Bhumiswami under provisions of Act -- need not to personal notice -- provisions of section 36 not attracted. (2014)3 SCC 430 distinguished. [Paras 7 to 10

       (3) Civil P.C., 1908 -- S.9 -- Forest Act, 1927 -- S.20 -- land declared as reserved forest land by notification -- no action taken by plaintiff under provisions of Forest Act -- civil suit for declaration of title -- not maintainable -- after publication of notification -- notification is binding as decree of civil Court -- jurisdiction of civil Court impliedly barred. (2009)4 SCC 299 and 1996 AIR SCW 2972 referred to. [Paras 11 & 12

       (4) Constitution of India -- Art.300A -- applicability of -- no person shall be deprived of his property save by authority of law -- but plaintiff could not prove the land to be his own property -- provisions not attracted.

        [Para 13

JUDGMENT

1. This second appeal has been filed under section 100 CPC arising out of the judgment and decree dated 27.9.2010 passed by the learned District Judge, Vidisha, in Civil Appeal No.25-A/2010, whereby the judgment and decree dated 29.3.2010 passed by the IV Civil Judge, Class II, Vidisha, in Civil Suit No.75-A/2009 has been affirmed.

2. According to the appellant, his fore-fathers had obtained ownership rights in relation to the land contained in survey No.47 measuring 2.257 hectares situated in village Mehdon,Tahsil Gyaraspur District Vidisha and as such his grand father Tarwar Singh was declared to be Bhumiswami by an order dated 21.2.1969 by the Sub-Divisional Officer, Vidisha, therefore, notification declaring the said land as reserved forest land could not have effect of affecting the title which has already vested in the plaintiff/appellant. According to the learned counsel for the appellant, since his grand-father was a Pakka Krishak at the time of enactment of Zamindari Abolition Act, 1951 as defined in section 2(e) of the said Act, therefore, Bhumiswami rights conferred on the appellant have been arbitrarily disturbed in the light of the notification dated July 25th 1986 declaring the said land as reserved forest. It is also submitted that the notification does not mention name of his village correctly, and therefore, such notification is not binding on the appellant. It is further submitted that in terms of the provisions contained in section 36 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927, service of notice was required to be effected personally on the plaintiff and in absence of such service, findings recorded by the Courts below are perverse. Learned counsel for the appellant has also submitted that the first appellate Court has not adverted to the merits of the case and has rejected the first appeal on the ground of non-maintainability of the civil suit in terms of the provisions contained in section 20 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927.

3. In support of the contention that appellant had become Bhumiswami, appellant has placed reliance on the judgment rendered by this Court in the case of Devi Singh and others v. State of M.P. and others, as reported in 2007 RN 107, wherein it is held that in terms of section 2 (c) of the Zamindari Abolition Act, 1951 Khudkasht” land of Zamindar recorded as “Beed” is to be treated as Khudkasht and not Beed. Similarly, reliance has been placed on the judgment in the case of Gordhan Das v. Phirkan and others, as reported in 2002 RN 1 (SC), wherein the Supreme Court has held that defendant's possession since before commencement of the Zamindari Abolition Act if proved, then such defendant acquires the status of Pakka tenant. Appellant has also placed reliance on the judgment of the Supreme Court in the case of Gorabai (Smt.) and others v. Ummed Singh (Dead) by LRs and others, as reported in 2004 RN 201 (SC), wherein land recorded as Khudkast in 1942 when it was given to tenant for 8 years, period of lease expired before the date of vesting, land in possession of the tenant as trespasser on the date of vesting, ex proprietor taking action for restoration of possession, he is entitled to have the possession as ex-proprietor and becomes tenant of government. By placing reliance on these judgments, learned counsel for the appellant has tried to bring home the issue that since his grand father was a Pakka Krishak, therefore, he by virtue of possession, had become Bhumiswami and no interference could have been made in the Bhumiswami rights which had already materialized in favour of the plaintiff by operation of notification dated 25th July, 1986.

4. Learned trial Court has clearly noted that Zamindari Abolition Act was notified in the Gazette on 25th June, 1951 and as per that Act Pakka Krishan has been defined in section 2(e) as under :-

“2(e) “Pacca tenant” means Pacca tenant as defined in clause (vii) of section 54 of the United State of Gwalior, Indore and Malwa (Madhya Bharat) Revenue Admini












































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