JUDGMENT :

Ujjal Bhuyan, J.

This judgment and order will dispose of both writ appeal Nos.506 and 904 of 2013.

2. We have heard Mr. Parsa Anantha Nageswar Rao, learned Special Government Pleader for Revenue for the appellants and Mr. Hari Sreedhar, learned counsel for respondent Nos.1 and 2.

3. Both the appeals arise out of the order dated 17.12.2012 passed by the learned Single Judge allowing writ petition No.18442 of 2011 filed by respondent Nos.1 and 2 as the writ petitioners. While State of Andhra Pradesh (now State of Telangana) and its officials are the appellants in writ appeal No.506 of 2013, Andhra Pradesh State Financial Corporation is the appellant in writ appeal No.904 of 2013. Appellants in writ appeal No.506 of 2013 were arrayed as respondent Nos.1 to 5 in writ petition No.18442 of 2011, whereas appellant in writ appeal No.904 of 2013 was arrayed as respondent No.6 in writ petition No.18442 of 2011.

4. The related writ petition No.18442 of 2011 was filed by respondent Nos.1 and 2 seeking a declaration that the action of the respondents i.e., appellants herein in interfering with their possession in respect of land admeasuring Acs.18.00 cents in survey No.307 of Gajularamaram Village, Qutbullapur Mandal, Ranga Reddy District (‘subject land’) on the basis of panchanama of the Mandal Revenue Inspector dated 20.08.2007 and the sketch enclosed thereto is illegal, arbitrary and without jurisdiction. Respondent Nos.1 and 2 further sought for quashing of the same.

5. Above prayer was made by respondent Nos.1 and 2 on the backdrop of the following facts:

5.1. P.Narsimha Reddy and P.Seetharam Reddy being brothers and constituting a joint family were owners of land admeasuring Acs.82.68 cents in survey No.307 of Gajularamaram Village, Qutbullapur Mandal, Ranga Reddy District. P.Seetharam Reddy filed ceiling declaration, so also his son P.Venkata Narsimha Reddy in discharge of their obligations under the Andhra Pradesh Land Reforms (Ceiling on Agricultural Holdings) Act, 1973 in respect of their share of Acs.41.34 cents in the above land before the Additional Revenue Divisional Officer. Additional Revenue Divisional Officer passed orders on 28.10.1976 in the ceiling declarations holding the declarants to be non-surplus land holders. Thus, lands admeasuring Acs.41.34 cents out of the total extent of Acs.82.68 cents in survey No.307 of Gajularamaram Village, Qutbullapur Mandal, Ranga Reddy District which was the share of P.Seetharam Reddy and P.Venkata Narsimha Reddy remained unaffected by the Andhra Pradesh Land Reforms (Ceiling on Agricultural Holdings) Act, 1973 (briefly, ‘the 1973 Act’ hereinafter).

5.2. Likewise, P.Narsimha Reddy and his son P.Anji Reddy filed declarations under the 1973 Act in respect of their shares out of Acs.82.68 cents of land. On 30.10.1976, the Land Reforms Tribunal passed a common order declaring that the two declarants were holding surplus lands.

5.3. Consequently, P.Narsimha Reddy and his son P.Anji Reddy in discharge of their obligations under the 1973 Act surrendered the surplus land admeasuring Acs.38.26 cents out of their share of Acs.41.34 cents.

5.4. On 01.06.1989, P.Venkata Narsimha Reddy i.e., the non-surplus land holder executed a registered general power of attorney in favour of respondent No.1, R.Bhaskara Raju who on his death has been substituted by his legal heirs i.e., respondent Nos.4 to 7. Respondent No.1 was authorised to sell land admeasuring Acs.4.00 in survey No.307 of Gajularamaram Village, Qutbullapur Mandal, Ranga Reddy District. Additionally, P.Venkata Narsimha Reddy orally agreed to sell another extent of land admeasuring Acs.10.00 cents in the same survey number to respondent No.1. As the entire sale consideration was received pursuant to the oral agreement, on 30.11.1989 he executed a registered general power of attorney in favour of N.Purnachander Rao and another in respe