- (1.) These three appeals arise out of a common judgment of the Karnataka High Court, in which the appellants before us were held to be dis entitled to the granted land purchased by them. The High Court in its judgment upheld the order of the single judge in view of the social welfare legislation, Karnataka Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prohibition of Transfer of Certain Lands) Act, 1978 (for short, "the Karnataka Act"), and on the ground that the original grantee of the lands was a member of the Scheduled Caste community, restored the lands back to the legal representatives of the original grantee.
(2.) The chronology of the events in the three appeals before us is different. The area of the lands and the original grantees are also different. The number of times the lands changed hands is also different. But a common feature of all these cases, which enable us to deal with them at the same time is the fact that after the Karnataka Act came into force on 01.01.1979, the competent authorities did not take any action till the year, 1998. It was then that they apparently took suo motu action and served notices on the appellants to show cause as to why the lands should not be resumed by them and why the proceedings under which the rights for the lands were acquired should not be annulled.
(3.) The original grantees in these cases, who were members of the scheduled caste community, were granted the lands by a common grant sometime in the year 1946-1947. By that grant each of the grantees was given two acres of land. The successors of the grantees or the grantees themselves transferred the lands to certain individuals sometime in the year 1967. These transferees further transferred the lands after 8/10 years to different persons. The present appellants are purchasers from the land transferees.;