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CASE NO.:

Appeal (civil) 4420 of 2004

PETITIONER:

Ramanlal Bhailal Patel & Ors

RESPONDENT:

State of Gujarat

DATE OF JUDGMENT: 05/02/2008

BENCH:

R V Raveendran & Lokeshwar Singh Panta

JUDGMENT:

J U D G M E N T

CIVIL APPEAL NO.4420 OF 2004

R.V.RAVEENDRAN, J.

This appeal by special leave, against the judgment dated 4.3.2003

passed by the Gujarat High Court in L.P.A. No.123 of 2000, relates to the

interpretation of the word ’person’ in the Gujarat Agricultural Lands Ceiling

Act, 1960 (’Ceiling Act’ for short).

The Facts :

2. The five appellants along with their respective spouses purchased 172

acres and 36 guntas of agricultural land in Madheli village under four sale

deeds dated 14.11.1970 (128A, 26G), 29.4.1971 (26A, 37G), 23.6.1971

(10A, 14G) and 18.12.1971 (6A, 39G) for a total consideration of

Rs.46,300/-. Before such purchase, the ten purchasers entered into an

agreement dated 15.9.1969 proposing to purchase about 175 acres of land in

their joint names and recording the conditions subject to which they

proposed to purchase such land. The reason stated in the agreement for the

joint purchase, was t