LACHHA RAM Vs. STATE OF RAJASTHAN
LAWS(RAJ)-2012-3-168
HIGH COURT OF RAJASTHAN
Decided on March 27,2012

Lachha Ram Appellant
VERSUS
STATE OF RAJASTHAN Respondents

JUDGEMENT

Gopal Krishan Vyas, J. - (1.) In this writ petition, the petitioner has made the following prayer : "(i) An appropriate writ or direction, in the nature of certiorari may be issued, quashing the orders dated 3.9.1985 (Annex-9) passed by the Board of Revenue and 02.08.96 (Annex-12) passed by Collector (Administration), Bikaner, 30.01.2002 (Annex-15) passed by Revenue Appellate Authority and 13.01.2012 (Annex-16) passed by the Board of Revenue. (ii) An appropriate writ or direction may be issued allowing the application filed by the petitioner under Rule 14(4) of the Rules of 1970 and allotment made order dated 03.01.1976 (Ann.4) made in favour of the petitioner may kindly be restored. (iii) An appropriate, writ direction or order, the allotment order dated 10.07.66 (Ann.1) in favour of Keshu Ram, husband and father of respondents No. 6 & 7 may kindly be quashed and set aside. (iv) Cost of this writ petition may kindly be awarded in favour of the petitioner." As per facts of the case, an allotment was made in favour of one late Keshu Ram Purohit in khasra No. 447 in village Bhadla Tehsil Nokha on 10.07.1966 and, in pursuance of the allotment, mutation was entered in his name on 23.11.1966 and he was enjoying possession of the said land as per allotment; but, the said allotment was cancelled by the S.D.O. (South), Bikaner without notice and allotted the land to the petitioner Lachha Ram, Moti Ram and Om Das vide order dated 03.01.1976. The order passed by the S.D.O. (South), Bikaner dated 03.01.1976 was challenged before the District Collector, Bikaner by Smt. Surti, Smt. Santosh and Devilal, wife, daughter and son of late Keshu Ram Purohit being legal heirs of late Keshu Ram Purohit because Keshu Ram Purohit died. The District Collector dismissed the application of the respondents vide order dated 06.08.1979. Against the order of the District Collector, Bikaner an appeal was preferred before the Revenue Appellate Authority, Bikaner and learned Revenue Appellate Authority, Bikaner allowed the appeal vide judgment dated 10.06.1980 passed in Appeal No. 11/80. The petitioner who was subsequent allottee and was party in the appeal challenged the order passed by the Revenue Appellate Authority before the Board of Revenue, Ajmer by way of filing appeal No. 49/80. The Board of Revenue dismissed the appeal vide judgment dated 03.09.1985, in which, following order was passed : "6. The first issue is whether an appeal against the order of the Collector would lie before the Revenue Appellate Authority. As laid down in the various authorities of the Board, an appeal can be preferred only by an aggrieved person the question whether the person preferring an appeal is an aggrieved person or not would depend on the facts of the case. In this particular case the land was duly allotted to Keshu Ram and continued to be in his name for 10 years. There is nothing on record to show that the allotment was cancelled by due process of law. He, therefore, had a genuine grievance and has the right to prefer an appeal. There is, therefore, no force in the contention that the appeal was not maintainable before the Revenue Appellate Authority. 7. The ruling cited by the learned counsel is not applicable to this case because the facts of the case are absolutely different. 8. It is an admitted position that this land was earlier allotted to Kesu Ram. There is nothing on record to show that the allotment made in his favour was cancelled by the competent authority after giving him due notice. As the only document available is a mutation cancelling the allotment on which orders have been given by the Tehsildar, who had no jurisdiction to cancel the allotment. The Collector should have examined whether in view of this land can be treated as being vacant before subsequent allotment can be made. 9. In view of this the order of the Revenue Appellate Authority is upheld and the appeal is dismissed." The judgment dated 03.09.1985 passed by the Board of Revenue in the appeal filed by the petitioner was not challenged further and the same attained finality.
(2.) It is very strange that soon after dismissal of the appeal filed by the petitioner before the Board of Revenue on 03.09.1985, again, the petitioner preferred an application on 17.12.1985 under Rule 14(4) of the Land Revenue (Allotment of Land for Agriculture Purposes) Rules, 1970. The Addl. Collector, Bikaner again dismissed the said application vide order dated 02.08.1996 while observing that the matter has attained finality after rendering judgment by the Board of Revenue, Ajmer on 03.09.1985 and held that there was no error in the allotment made in the year 1966 in favour of late Keshu Ram Purohit. The order passed by the Addl. District Collector, Bikaner dated 02.05.1996 was further challenged by the petitioner by way of filing appeal before the Revenue Appellate Authority, Bikaner but the learned RAA, Bikaner while considering entire facts of the case again held that there is no error in the order passed by the Addl. Collector (Admn.), Bikaner dated 02.08.1996 and further reiterated that allotment made in favour of late Keshu Ram on 10.07.1966 was perfectly in accordance with law. It is also observed that earlier the same controversy was agitated up to the Board of Revenue, Ajmer and finally decided, therefore, no interference is required.
(3.) The petitioner preferred second appeal before the Board of Revenue again and Board of Revenue, Ajmer dismissed the appeal vide order dated 13.01.2012, in which, it is categorically observed in para 6, 7 and 8 that proceedings initiated by the petitioner is totally illegal and he cannot be permitted to take shelter of the Rules of 1970 because allotment was made in accordance with provisions of the Rules of 1957. Para 6, 7 and 8 of the judgment passed by the Board of Revenue are as follows : "...[VERNACULAR TEXT OMITTED]... Learned counsel for the petitioner vehemently argued that allotment made in the year 1966 in favour of late Keshu Ram was not in accordance with law. He has raised some disputed questions with regard to residence of late Keshu Ram and his identity. It is also argued that after judgment of the Board of Revenue, Ajmer in the year 1985, since no proceedings were initiated by the District Collector, Bikaner he has preferred proceedings under the Rules of 1970, therefore, all the orders right from 1966 to 13.01.2012 may be quashed and set aside. It is also prayed by the petitioner's counsel that petitioner is in possession since 1976 but none of the grounds has been considered by any of the authorities for the purpose of adjudicating the matter objectively, therefore, this writ petition may be allowed and all the orders impugned may be quashed.;


Click here to view full judgement.
Copyright © Regent Computronics Pvt.Ltd.