JUDGEMENT
TOUFIQUE UDDIN, J. -
(1.) THIS second appeal was born out of a decision of Sri A. K. Goswami,
learned Assistant District Judge, Contai, Midnapore dated 11th
September, 1989
passed in Title Appeal No. 51 of 1989 reversing the judgement and decree dated
September, 29, 1988 passed by Sri S.A. Qayyum, Munsif, 2nd
Court, Contai in
Title Suit No. 4 of 1983. In background of this appeal the facts in a nutshell is as follows :
The land as described in schedule 'Ka ' and 'Kha ' to the plaint originally
belonged to one Rudranarayan Patra and Ganganarayan Patra, the predecessors
of the plaintiff and the defendants No. 2 to 5. The said Rudranarayan Patra and
Ganganarayan Patra got the suit property from Manmatha Deb and others by
Amalnama. The present plaintiff is the heir of Rudranarayan Patra, who got the
'ka ' schedule land by way of mutual partition. After the said Amalnama, the
plaintiff 's grand father Rudranarayan Patra and Ganganarayan Patra took
possession in respect of the 'kha ' schedule land. The suit land as described in
the 'ka ' schedule of the plaint is part and parcel of the 'kha ' schedule land. After
the death of Rudranarayan Patra the plaintiff 's father and thereafter plaintiff
himself had been occupying the suit land on payment of rent. Previously the
predecessors of the plaintiff used to pay rent to the owner of the land and after
passing of the West Bengal Estate Acquisition Act they had been paying rent to
the State. By the said Amalnama, the plaintiff 's predecessors got 25 decimals of
land. But in the settlement of 1956 only 11 decimals of land was recorded in
favour of the plaintiff and remaining 14 decimals of land vested into the State.
(2.) THAT record was not correctly prepared. J.L.R.O., and employee of the defendant No. 1, State of West Bengal were claiming the suit land as vested land and on 18th
Poush, 1839 B.S. they threatened to dispossess the plaintiff from the suit
land. Hence the suit.
Defendant No. 1, State of West Bengal, contested the suit by filing written
statement, inter alia, denying all the allegations made in the plaint. It was also
stated by the defendant No. 1 that the instant suit was not maintainable in law
and was barred by limitation and the plaintiff has no cause of action to file the
instant suit. Defendant No. 1 denied right, title and interest of the plaintiff over
the suit land. It was also denied that the plaintiff 's father acquired share over
the suit land by way of mutual partition amongst the co-sharers. Defendant No.
4 filed written objection but did not contest. The predecessors of the plaintiff were not tenants of the original landlord. The positive defence case was that the
suit land originally belonged to Dulal Chandra Deb & Ors., who were
intermediaries and they have not retained the suit land. Hence it was vested
into the State. Therefore, the plaintiff or their predecessors have no right, title
and interest of the possession of the suit land.
Upon the pleadings the following issues are framed : 1) Is the suit maintainable in its present form and prayer? 2) Is the suit barred by limitation? 3) Is the suit bad for defect of parties? 4) Is the suit properly valued and court fees paid? 5) Has the plaintiff any right, title and interest and possession over the suit land?
6) Is the plaintiff entitled to get a decree for permanent injunction over the suit land?
7) To what reliefs, if any, are the plaintiff entitled to? On hearing Learned Musiff, 2nd
Court, Contai decreed the suit on contest
by the judgment dated 29.9.88.
3. Being aggrieved by and dissatisfied with the impugned judgment of the learned Munsiff, the defendant No. 1, the State of West Bengal preferred the
appeal.
On hearing both the sides and considering the materials on record the
appeal was allowed by the learned Assistant District Judge, 2nd
Court, Contai on
contest but without cost against defendant No. 1 and ex parte against the rest
defendants by the judgment dated 11th
September, 1989.
(3.) BEING aggrieved by and dissatisfied with that judgment dated 11.9.1989 passed by the learned Assistant District Judge, 2nd
Court, Contai, the
plaintiff/appellant has preferred this appeal on the ground that the learned
Assistant District Judge ought to have held that the predecessors of the plaintiff acquired possession of the suit land by way of Amalnama and excepting the
Amalnama there is no other source of acquisition of right, title and interest over
the suit land which was recorded in the name of plaintiff 's predecessors in the
Record-of-Rights of 1956. Further it was contended that Amalnama clearly
shows that the predecessors of the plaintiff took settlement of 25 decimals of
land, the note of vesting in respect of the suit land of area of 14 decimals is
erroneous and there is no statement that the name of the plaintiff 's predecessors
were erroneously recorded. The learned Assistant District Judge ought to have
held that Amalnama and the Dakhila created tenancy under the zamindar at the
relevant point of time. The learned District Judge erred in law by holding that
plot No. 831 has been shown vested in an intermediary khatian No. 4/1 and the
said plot was not part and parcel of the Amalnama though the plaintiff described
the same in 'ka ' schedule of the plaint.;
Click here to view full judgement.
Copyright © Regent Computronics Pvt.Ltd.