Tuesday, 23 September 2014

Jurisdiction of civil court in case of dispute relating to encroachment on land of grampanchayat



 Sub­section (3­A)     above clearly   shows 
that   any person if   aggrieved by the   action taken under sub­section (2) of 

Section 53,     he may  within thirty days  from the date of  exercise of  such 
power,     appeal to the Commissioner   and   after making   such enquiry, the 
Commissioner may pass  such orders    as it deems necessary.  The notices  as 
well as   resolutions made by Gram Sabha would   clearly   “exercise   of such 
powers” occurring in sub­section (3A) of the Act.   Thus, it is   clear that the 
remedy provided by sub­section (3­A) is   an   appellate remedy against   any 
action taken under sub­section (2) of Section 53 of the said Act. It will be also 

pertinent  to note that the Act does not provide  for any remedy thereafter i.e. 
after the  exercise  of the  appellate power by the Commissioner and, in my 
opinion, the   remedy of   sub­sec.(2)   of Section 53   is in order to check the 
menace of   encroachment   everywhere  including  the villages  and that  is 
why   the   power   is   given   to   the   Panchayat   to   follow     the   procedure       and 
remove the encroachment. The procedure  under section 53  of the said  Act 
clearly   appears   to   be         summary     in   nature   but       still   there   is     remedy 
provided by sub­section (3A) of   section 53. I have perused the said notice 
dated     dated   17.2.2011       and     26.4.2011   as   well   as     resolutions     dated 
25.4.2011   and   26.4.2011.   In   my   opinion,   the   notices   and   the   resolutions 
clearly fall within the purview   of   sub­section (2) of Section 53 of the said 
Act. It is thus clear that provisions of   Section 53  (2) and (3A)  are squarely 
attracted in the instant case and, therefore, the jurisdiction of the Civil Court 
stands excluded.

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
 BENCH AT NAGPUR 

CIVIL  REVISION APPLICATION NO. 57 /2012 
Village Panchayat, Antora

v e r s u s
    
Wasudeo  Ramchandraji Mohod

CORAM:   A.B.CHAUDHARI, J.

DATE OF PRONOUNCEMENT: 16/ 06/2014
Citation; 2014(5) MHLJ 189

Applicant­Village   Panchayat,   Antora,   the   original   defendant   in 

the   Regular   Civil   Suit   No.   2/2011   has   put   to   challenge   the   order   dated 
22.09.2011   (below Exh.1)   passed by learned Civil Judge, Junior Division 
Ashti,  with a further prayer to dismiss the Suit  as not maintainable.
2.
The       applicant­Village   Panchayat   Antora   is   governed   by   the 
provisions of the  Maharashtra Village Panchayats Act (hereinafter referred to 
as “the  said Act “  in short). The non­applicants  filed   RCS No.2/2011  in the 

Court   of   Civil   Judge,     Jr.   Dn.       Ashti     and   challenged   the   letter       dated 
17.02.2011 and notice   dated   26.04.2011 and   resolution of Gram Sabha 
dated   25.04.2011   and     26.04.2011   as   illegal,   null   and   void,     without 
jurisdiction   and   also   sought     permanent   injunction   from     damaging/ 
demolishing     the   construction   over   the   suit     site.     In   the     Suit,   the   non­
applicants     stated   that     Plot   No.   127   in   Ward   No.2     village   Antora 
admeasuring 45 x 45   is owned by them and they   are in possession since 
1962   with  mutations  in their name with  Village Panchayat, Antora.    None 
objected to their possession.    On  22.12.2010   they submitted an application 
with   map for proposed construction   of a house and since there   was no 
communication   from   the   applicant­Village   Panchayat     about   acceptance   or 
rejection of permission to  make construction from 22.02.2011 to 23.04.2011 
there   was a deemed   permission for construction   upon completion of two 
months  statutory period.  The non­applicants  were allotted Plot No.127     in 
the year 1962  by  Bajrang  Housing Cooperative Society for construction of a 

house   and   thus they   were the owners of Plot No.127.     There being     a 
deemed permission as   aforesaid, the   attempt to demolish   their house   as 
per   notices   and   resolutions   under challenge   was illegal. The suit   was 
accompanied   by     injunction   application   and   the     trial   Court   had   ordered 
status quo.  The    applicant­village Panchayat,     after appearance in the Civil 
Court,  filed  a preliminary objection to the maintainability of the suit on the 

ground   that   the   Maharashtra   Village   Panchayats   Act   at   least   insofar     as 
Sections   52   and   53       are   concerned,   provide   for     specific     remedy     and, 
therefore, the jurisdiction of the Civil Court was barred. It  was also  stated in 
the  reply that there is no sanction to Plot No.127  at Antora  by any  authority 
or by the Gram Panchayat   and not a single document  was placed on record 
about the  ownership  or  possession of the non­applicants and it  was for the 
first time   in  the   year  1994  mutation  in  the   Gram Panchayat    record     was 
shown   as      Kuccha   Kotha      and   nothing   more.       But   then     that     was   an 
encroachment   and,   therefore,   when   the   application   was     received   by   the 
applicant­Gram   Panchayat     with   proposed     construction   map,   the     non­
applicants   were   called   upon     to   produce   original     documents   and   title 
documents of the suit   property etc,   but   not a single document   was   ever 
produced.     According to the applicants, there is no residential Plot No.127 
allotted   to   the   non­applicants/plaintiffs   and     though   by   letter   dated 
17.02.2011   the     non­applicants   were   called   upon   to   produce   the   original 
documents     they   could   not   do   so   and   hence   there   was       no   question   of 

deemed  sanction.    The trial Court, thereafter, decided  to frame  and tried 
the preliminary issues in view of the objections raised by the applicants  and, 
accordingly, the following three preliminary   issues  were framed :
1)
Whether this Court has jurisdiction to entertain
the present  suit in view of provision under
..Yes
Whether this Court has jurisdiction to entertain

2)
section 52 of the Bombay Village Panchayat Act?
the present suit in view of  provision under
section 53 of the Bombay Village Panchayat Act?
3)
..Yes
Whether this Court has jurisdiction to entertain
the present suit in view of   provision under
Section 59  of the Bombay Village Panchayat Act?
3.
.. Yes
The parties   were directed to lead   evidence on the aforesaid 
preliminary issues and, accordingly, in all five witnesses  were examined and 
cross­examined on the  preliminary issues.  The trial Judge   upon hearing the 
evidence   and   the   counsel   for   the   parties,   held     that   the   Civil   Court   has 
jurisdiction to entertain the   suit and, thus, answered the preliminary issues 
accordingly. Hence the present Civil Revision Application. 
4.
Mr.   Avinash   Gharote,   learned   counsel   for   the     non­

applicants/respondents  raised a preliminary objection to the maintainability 
of the Revision Application   on the   ground that   First Appeal     would   lie 
against the  impugned order since it has a force of decree.    The  submission 
was examined by this Court   and counsel for both the parties   were heard. 
This Court did not  find any substance  in the  submission  of Mr. Gharote that 
order on preliminary issue  as to the jurisdiction of the Court would be   a 
In   support   of   the   Revision   Application,   Mr.   M.M.Sudame 
5.

decree.    Hence the said objection  is  overruled.  
learned counsel for the  applicant made the following submissions :­
(i)
That Sections 52 and 53  of the said Act   provides for  remedies 
under the said Act which is a special law.    The suit filed by  non­applicants 
was  clearly barred and  for that matter will have to be held to be  impliedly 
barred.  The Civil Court does not have jurisdiction since  the remedy is clearly 
provided under the provisions of  Sections 52  and  53 of the said  Act. The 
remedy provided is alternate and  effective remedy  and the jurisdiction of the 
Civil Court is  clearly barred.
(ii)
The   plaint   and   documents and the impugned order clearly 
shows that  the non­applicants  do not have a single document  showing  their 
title  to the suit  property  when the plaint avers that plot No.127  was allotted 

to   them   by   Bajrang   Cooperative   Society.     Not   a   single       document   is 
forthcoming   and   there   is   neither   any     primary     evidence     nor     secondary 
evidence brought  on record by the non­applicant  about their title to the suit 
property. The suit property is  part and parcel  of the Village Panchayat land 
falling   within   its   territorial   jurisdiction   and   the   non­applicants     are   the 
The  payment of Gram Panchayat   taxes in respect of the suit 

(iii)
encroachers.
plot  that too from 1994  would  not confer   title  on the non­applicants and, 
therefore, the action taken by   the Village Panchayat in accordance with the 
provisions of  Sections 52  and  53 of the said Act  could  not be challenged 
before the Civil Court because the special Act namely, Village Panchayat Act, 
provides for  specific  remedies  under  the  provisions of  the  said  Act  against 
such notices/resolutions or as the case may be.    Hence, the  jurisdiction of 
the Civil Court is  clearly barred.
(iv)
The prayers made in the  suit  clearly indicate that the challenge 
to the letters and notices and the resolutions  of Gram Sabha could be raised 
before the authorities provided by the special law and   not before the Civil 
Court.
(v)
In the absence of any  prima   facie  proof of title   that too after 

allowing the non­applicants to produce oral as well as documentary evidence, 
it could not be said that the Civil Court would be entitled to entertain the suit 
in   respect   of   action   of   removal   of   encroachment     by   Gram   Panchayat   in 
accordance   with   the   procedure   provided   by   the   said     Act.   He,   therefore, 
contended that the suit is liable to be dismissed as being not maintainable. He 
1)
cited the following   decisions:­
(2007) 11 SCC 40: Commissioner of Municipal Corporation vs. Prem 
(2007)   11   SCC   58:     B.Bharat   Kumar   and   others     vs.   Osmania 
University and others
1986 Mh.L.J.  618: Gram panchayat Kuhi vs. Vijaykumar Bhalotiya
3)
2)

Lata  Sood and others
4)
2010   (3)   Mh.L.J.     196:   City   of   Nagpur   Corporation   vs.   Indian 
Gymkhana 
5)
2013 (5) ALL MR 190  :   The Commissioner   Akola   vs. Bhalchandra 
Mahashabde 
6.
Per contra,  Mr. Avinash   Gharote, learned counsel for the  non­
applicants  vehemently  opposed the  Revision on merits.   He argued that  the 
non­applicants have been paying taxes   in respect of the suit property  to the 
Gram Panchayat. None of them have raised any   objection     about       their 
possession or payment of   taxes to the   Gram Panchayat.    Form 8 shows  the 
entry of the name of the  non­applicants  as  the persons in the possession of 

the suit  filed and  at least for the present, the non­applicants  are entitled to 
go to Civil Court to   prevent the demolition   of the construction since they 
have been in   possession. The Civil Court is the only Court which will have 
jurisdiction   to   find   out   the   title   and   the   authorities   under   the   Village 
Panchayats Act     cannot  adjudicate on the issue of title and, therefore, the 
only   remedy available to the non­applicants was to file Civil Suit. The non­
applicants     are   the   owners   and   the   suit   property   is   their   private   property. 
ig
Though it is true that the documents of allotment of plot to the non­applicants 
from the  Bajrang Cooperative society  are not with the non­applicants  as on 
date ; they  may get the documents in future but then only on that  ground 
the suit  cannot  be  thrown out.   He further  argued that the non­applicants 
having  been in possession of the suit property for a number of years  or  from 
1962 onwards   without   any   objection raised by the Gram Panchayat   or 
anybody     the   same   cannot   be   disturbed.     He   then   argued   that   the   non­
applicants had   applied for permission     to make construction and for     two 
months  nothing   was  done     either   by   refusal   or   accepting   the   construction 
plan    and,  therefore, there    was a  deemed  sanction  in  favour   of  the  non­
applicants in  law  and  as such,    they  were     entitled  to  make  construction 
which could not be   allowed to be demolished   by Village Panchayat   and, 
therefore,   the   Civil   Court     was   the   right   Court   in   the   fact­situation.     Mr. 
Gharote   then argued that since the question of title is   squarely   involved, 
there is no other forum   available in law   and  and hence the suit is perfectly 

maintainable. He  cited the following  decisions :­
1992(2) Mh.L.J. 1468 : Pune Municipal Corporation vs. Mohan Assava
2) (2002) 6 SCC 416: Dhruv Green Field Ltd.vs. Hukam Singh and others
3) AIR 1981 BOMBAY  394: Vasant Pandit vs.  Bombay Municipal Corp.
4) 1996(1) Mh.L.J. 673: Girish vs.Purushottam
5) AIR   1965   SC   555:  The   Poona   City   Municipal   Cropn.   vs.Dattatraya 
1) 
For finding out  whether the jurisdiction of Civil Court  is barred 
7.

Deodhar.
or not,  the  exercise cannot be done  without  carefully reading  the pleadings 
of   the   parties   so   also     oral   evidence     adduced   before   the   trial   Judge   on 
preliminary issues  by  as many as five witnesses  for  both the parties.  The 
submission   by Mr. Gharote  that since the preliminary issues have been  tried 
and     decided     against   the   applicant­Gram   Panchayat,   the   suit     should   be 
allowed to be  tried expeditiously  does not appeal to me  since it is a settled 
legal position that the  higher  court is under a duty to find out  whether the 
jurisdiction of the Civil Court is barred or not. All the more so in the instant 
case, the preliminary issues  were framed, tried    evidence was allowed to be 
adduced    and then decided.
CONSIDERATION:
 8.
Upon hearing  the learned counsel for the rival parties and upon 

perusal of the impugned order so also pleadings, evidence, various  decisions 
cited before me, at the outset, I find  that preliminary issues  were framed and 
decided  on evidence  by the learned    trial  Judge.     The  bar     against   the 
jurisdiction of Civil Court was discussed by the Apex Court  time  and  again 
and, therefore, it is not necessary for me  to repeat or discuss the said aspects 
of the mater except quoting  paragraph 10  in the case of Dhruv Green Field  
“10.

Ltd.  vs. Hukam Singh and others : (2002) 6 SCC 416:
In  the  light    of  the   above   discussion,   the  following   principles 
may be restated:
(1)
If there is  express provision in any special Act barring 
the     jurisdiction   of     a   civil   court   to   deal   with   matters   specified 
thereunder   the   jurisdiction   of   an   ordinary   civil   court   shall   stand 
excluded.
(2)
If there  is   no express provision in the Act but   an 
examination   of     the   provisions   contained   therein   leads   to   a 
conclusion in regard to exclusion  of jurisdiction of a civil court, the 
court would then inquire   whether any adequate   and efficacious 
alternative remedy is provided under the Act; if   the answer is in 
the affirmative, it can safely  be  concluded that the jurisdiction  of 
the   civil   court   is   barred.   If,   however,   no     such   adequate         and 
effective   alternative   remedy   is   provided   then   exclusion     of   the 
jurisdiction of the civil court cannot be inferred.
(3)
Even in  cases where the jurisdiction of  a civil court is 

barred expressly or impliedly,  the court would nonetheless  retain 
its   jurisdiction   to   entertain   and   adjudicate   the   suit   provided   the 
order complaint of is  a nullity.”
9.
I, therefore propose  to examine the  present case in the light of 
the aforesaid principles  for finding out  whether the jurisdiction of Civil Court 
was barred or not.    Though the  trial Court  framed  three  preliminary issues 

on Sections 52, 53 and  59 of the  said  Act, I think   the issue  about Section 
10.
53  of the  said Act  is the only relevant issue.
I have perused the   plaint   carefully. It is only in paragraph   4 
of  the   plaint  there  is an  averment    that   Bajrang  Cooperative  Society  had 
allotted   Plot   No.127   to   the   non­applicants/plaintiffs   for   construction   of 
house and accordingly  mutation entries  were made in their favour.    To  this, 
the  reply is  that there is nothing  to show that the  non­applicants have been 
in possession  since 1962 nor  there  was any allotment  or  entry of allotment 
either in favour  of  Society  or the  non­applicants anywhere  in the Village 
Panchayat record  but  it  was for the first time in the year 1994    the Kuccha 
Kotha  was     mutated   in   the     mutation   entry   and   nothing   more   which, 
according to the Village Panchayat, Antora  is an encroachment. Thus,  as to 
the ownership    and possession  of   Plot No.127    not a single document was 
produced either in the suit  or in the oral evidence that  was tendered by as 
many as five witnesses before the learned trial Judge.   During  the  course of 

hearing before me  I had specifically asked the counsel for non­applicants  to 
show  any document of allotment or any other corroborative evidence about 
the allotment of plot by the housing society or   allotment of the land to the 
housing society  by the government or   the Collector; but the  counsel replied 
that  at least as on date there are no documents  to that  effect and in future 
they  would   be  produced   if  they    are     made   available.  Even  in  the     cross­
examination, the non­applicants and the   witnesses     admitted that they do 

not   have   any   documents   to   show   to   the     above   effect.       The   evidence   of 
Krishnarao Ingle       shows that in the year 1974   for the first time the entry 
was   made   in   the   mutation   register   in   the   name   of   the   non­applicants   but 
except   his oral version, nothing is   produced. But then it is   settled legal 
position that mutation entry   cannot confer  any title. If  really the suit  plot 
was allotted to the non­applicants by the Cooperative society   the mention 
thereof       must     be   found   in   the   Village   Panchayat   or   the   record     of   the 
Collector office or the  Cooperative Department  or  any other  corroborative 
piece of  evidence could be found out.  The  assertion  and  evidence by the 
applicant   ­Gram   Panchayat     that   there     was   neither   any   society   nor     any 
allotment of plot by the Government   or by the Gram Panchayat   nor was 
there any pleading in this context will consequently   have to be given   due 
importance.         Perusal   of     the     averments   and   the     oral   evidence   of   five 
witnesses   thus clearly show that even as on today though three years have 
passed, the non­applicants have not been   able to produce   or prove even 

prima facie about their  right to be  on the plot particularly when the Village 
Panchayat has found it to be an encroachment   and accordingly   the   Gram 
Sabha   and the Village Panchayat  resolved to remove the encroachment. 
11.
That apart, the prayers in the suit reads thus:
“(A)
Pass     a   decree     for   declaration   against   the   defendant 
thereby   the   letter     dated   17.2.2011   and   notice     dated 

26.4.2011   and   resolution   in   the   meeting   and   in   Gramsabha 
respectively   dated 25.4.2011 and 26.4.2011 be   declared   as 
(B)
illegal, null, void  and without jurisdiction;
Pass   a     decree   for   permanent   injunction   against   the 
defendant,   its   servants,   office­bearers,   agents     and   labourers 
thereby   they   be     restrained   permanently   from   damaging, 
demolishing  and  dismantling  and  construction over suit sites 
in any  manner  and  further  be  restrained  from  interfering   in 
manner;
(C) Saddle  the cost of the suit open defendant; And
(D) Pass any appropriate  relief in the favour of plaintiff.”
peaceful   enjoyment       of   the   suit   site   by   plaintiffs     in   any 
Perusal of the above  prayers clearly show that there is no prayer 
by   the   non­applicants   claiming   any   declaration   of   their   title   or     even   the 
possession.   On the contrary, prayer clause (A)  clearly shows that the actions 

taken by the applicant ­Village Panchayat, Antora by letters dated 17.2.2011 
and   notice   dated   26.4.2011   so   also       resolutions   of   Gram   Sabha     dated 
25.4.2011 and 26.4.2011 are being challenged as illegal and null and void. All 
these       actions   of   the   Village   Panchayat     are     certainly   referable   to   the 
function,   duties   and   powers   of   the   Village   Panchayat   under   the     said   Act 
which is a special Act.    The remedy   to  put to challenge  the  validity or the 
legality  of the letters/notices and  Gram Sabha resolutions cannot be found 

before   the   Civil   Court   by       a   suit   for   declaration.   The     applicant   ­Village 
Panchayat is   of the view that  since the non­applicants have not produced   a 
single   document       of   their   title,   ownership     or   possession   or   legal   right 
before the Gram Panchayat they   are encroachers. The   same is the position 
before the Civil Court or before this Court.   The   non­­applicants/plaintiffs 
are,  therefore,  the     encroachers   over   the   suit   land.    In  the   above   factual 
background, it would be convenient to quote the provisions of Section  53  of 
the said Act  which reads thus:
“53.
Obstructions     and   encroachments   upon     public 
streets and open   sites:­ (1)   Whoever within the limits of 
the village
(a)
builds   or   sets up any wall, or any fence, rail, post, 
stall, verandah,  platform, plinth, step   or structure or thing 
or any other encroachment or obstruction, or 
(b)
deposits, or causes to be placed or deposited, any box, 

bale, package or  merchandise or any other thing, or
without     written   permission   given   to   the   owner   or 
(c)
15
occupier of   a building   by a Panchayat, puts up, so as   to 
protect   from   an   upper   storey   thereof,       any   verandah, 
balcony, room or other  structure or thing.
In or  over any public  street  or place, or in or over or upon 
any open drains, gutter, sewer or  aqueduct   in such street or 
place, or contravenes   any conditions subject to which any 

permission as aforesaid is given or the provisions of any bye­
law made in relation to any such projections or cultivates  or 
makes any unauthorised  use of any grazing land, not being 
private property,  shall on conviction , be punished with fine, 
which   may   extend   to   fifty     rupees,   and   with   further   fine 
which   may  extend   to   five   rupees  for   every  day    on  which 
such   obstruction,   deposit,     projection,   cultivation   or 
unauthorised  use  continues after the date of first conviction 
for such offence.
(2)
The  Panchayat  shall have power to remove any such 
obstruction   or     encroachment     and     to   remove     any   crop 
unauthorisedly  cultivated or grazing land or any other land, 
not being  private property, and shall have the like power  to 
remove   any unauthorised obstruction or   encroachment of 
the like nature in any open site not being private property, 
whether such site is vested in the Panchayat or not, provided 
that if the site be vested in Government the   permission of 
the Collector or any office authorised by him in this behalf 
shall have first been obtained.The expense of such removal 
shall   be   paid   by   the   person   who   has   caused     the   said 

obstruction or encroachment and shall be recovered   in the 
same manner as an amount claimed on account of any tax 
16
recoverable  under Chapter IX.
(It   shall   be   the   duty     of   the  Panchayat    to   remove   such 
obstruction or encroachment immediately after it is noticed 
or   brought   to   its   notice,   by   following   the   procedure 
If any Panchayat fails to take action under sub­

{(2­A)
mentioned above.)
section (2), the Collector  suo motu     or on   an application 
made in this behalf, may take   action as (provided   in that 
sub­section,and   submit   the   report   thereof   to   the 
Commissioner).  The expense  of such removal shall   be paid 
by   the   person   who   has   caused   the   said   obstruction   or 
encroachment   or unauthorised   cultivation of the crop and 
shall be recoverable   from such person as an arrear of land 
revenue.)
(3)
The   power   under   (sub­section   (2)       or   sub­
section (2­A) may be  exercised in respect of any obstruction, 
encroachment   or     (unauthorised   cultivation   of   any   crop) 
referred   to   therein   whether   or   not   such   obstruction, 
encroachment or ( unanuthorised cultivation of any crop) has 
been  made  before  or  after  the  village is declared    as  such 
under this Act, or before or after the propeorty is  vested in 
the Panchayat.
(3­A)
Any   person   aggrieved   by   the     exercise   of   the 
powers of the  Panchayat  under sub­section (2)   or (3) may, 

within   thirty   days   from   the   date   of   exercise   of   such 
powers( appeal to  the Commissioner  and the Commissioner, 
17
after  making such enquiry   as he thinks necessary, shall pass 
such orders as he deems necessary)  after giving such person 
a reasonable opportunity of being heard.)
(3­B)
Any order made by the Collector in exercise of 
powers conferred on him under sub­section (2­A) or (3) shall 
be   subject   to   appeal   and   revision   in   accordance   with   the 

provisions of  Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966 (Mah. 
(4)
XLI of 1960).
Whoever,     not   being   duly   authorised   in   that   behalf 
removes earth, sand  and other material from, or makes any 
encroachment  in or open an open site  which is not private 
property, shall, on conviction, be punished  with fine  which 
may   extend   to   fifty   rupees,   and   in     the   case   of   an 
encroachment, with further fine,   which may extend to five 
rupees for every day in which the encroachment continues 
after the date of first conviction.
(5)
Nothing  contained   in  this Section shall  prevent   the 
Panchayat, from allowing   any temporary   occupation of, or 
erection in, any public  street  on occasions of  festivals and 
ceremonies    or the piling of fuel in by lanes and sites for not 
more   than   seven   days,   and   in   such   manner     as   not   to 
inconvenience the public or any individual or from allowing 
any   temporary   erection   on,   or   putting     projection   over,   or 
temporary occupation of, any such public street  or  place for 
any other purpose in accordance with the bye laws   made 

under this Act.”
Sub­section   (2)     of   Section   53   provides   for   a   power     of   the 
Village Panchayat to remove any encroachment  in any open site not being the 
private property whether   such a site is vested in the panchayat or   nor. As 
found by me above, there is a total  failure on the part of the non­applicants 
even prima  facie   for showing that the   property  is their  private  property. 

They have not been able to prove   it   even   remotely     except   for showing 
some  tax receipts and mutation made in the year 1994    in respect of Kuccha  
Kotha. However,  whether there is an encroachment or not   whether it is the 
private property of the non­applicants;  the burden would  certainly be on the 
non­applicants to prove that the suit property is their private property   and 
that it   is not  an encroachment.  That being so, in my opinion,  sub­section 
(2)  of Section 53 of the  said Act  gives  a power  and duty to the applicant 
Village   Panchayat   to   remove   the   encroachment.     In   fact,   proviso     to   sub­
section 2 of Section 53 was added by amending Act No.38 of 2006  to provide 
for compulsion on the  Village Panchayat  to remove  the encroachments. By 
the   amendment,     appellate   power   was   conferred   on   the   Commissioner   in 
place of  ‘Standing Committee’  of  Zilla Parishad for obvious  reasons.  It is in 
this background the letter dated 17.2.2011 notice dated 26.4.20911     were 
issued to  the  non­applicants so also    resolutions were  passed  in  the  Gram 
Sabha   on 25.4.11 and 26.4.2011. Sub­section (3­A)     above clearly   shows 
that   any person if   aggrieved by the   action taken under sub­section (2) of 

Section 53,     he may  within thirty days  from the date of  exercise of  such 
power,     appeal to the Commissioner   and   after making   such enquiry, the 
Commissioner may pass  such orders    as it deems necessary.  The notices  as 
well as   resolutions made by Gram Sabha would   clearly   “exercise   of such 
powers” occurring in sub­section (3A) of the Act.   Thus, it is   clear that the 
remedy provided by sub­section (3­A) is   an   appellate remedy against   any 
action taken under sub­section (2) of Section 53 of the said Act. It will be also 

pertinent  to note that the Act does not provide  for any remedy thereafter i.e. 
after the  exercise  of the  appellate power by the Commissioner and, in my 
opinion, the   remedy of   sub­sec.(2)   of Section 53   is in order to check the 
menace of   encroachment   everywhere  including  the villages  and that  is 
why   the   power   is   given   to   the   Panchayat   to   follow     the   procedure       and 
remove the encroachment. The procedure  under section 53  of the said  Act 
clearly   appears   to   be         summary     in   nature   but       still   there   is     remedy 
provided by sub­section (3A) of   section 53. I have perused the said notice 
dated     dated   17.2.2011       and     26.4.2011   as   well   as     resolutions     dated 
25.4.2011   and   26.4.2011.   In   my   opinion,   the   notices   and   the   resolutions 
clearly fall within the purview   of   sub­section (2) of Section 53 of the said 
Act. It is thus clear that provisions of   Section 53  (2) and (3A)  are squarely 
attracted in the instant case and, therefore, the jurisdiction of the Civil Court 
stands excluded.

12.
20
Apropos, paragraph 10(2) in the   case of   Dhruv Green Field 
Ltd. vs. Hukam Singh and others   (cited  supra),     I     thus find from   the 
examination of provisions of Section 53 of the Act  in terms  show  that the 
Act which must be treated  as ‘special law’ as  against the  ‘general law’  and 
Sec.53   of the Act as   special provision to deal with the matters like notices 
dated 17.02.211 and 26.04.2011 so also     resolutions of   Gram Panchayat 

dated   25.04.2011   and   26.04.2011, one must   conclude   the exclusion   of 
13.
the jurisdiction of the Civil Court.
The next question is whether  adequate and efficacious  remedy 
is   provided under the Act. The   answer is     obviously   ‘yes’ . As discussed 
earlier, there is  an obligatory  duty cast  on the Gram Panchayat and power 
conferred  under sub­Section (2) of   Section 53 of the  Act.   But then   the 
action  cannot be taken without  recourse to  the principles of natural justice 
and without following the   procedure.    A clear  statutory appeal as of right 
is provided to the Commissioner who is supposed to conduct the appeal also 
taking recourse to the powers and  procedure  for appeals under Maharashtra 
Land  Revenue  Code.       Hence, alternate efficacious as of right   remedy is 
clearly  provided. 
14.
That   apart,   Section     41(h)     of   the     Specific   Relief   Act   1963, 
which  raises  a bar, reads thus:

“41  :  Injunction   when   refused  –   An   injunction   cannot   be 
granted ­
21
ig
(a)
...
(b)
...
(c)
...
(d)
...
(e)
...
(f)
...
(g)
...
(h)
when   equally       efficacious     relief   can   certainly   be 
obtained  by any other usual mode of proceeding except in  case of 
breach of trust;
(i)
...
(j)
...”
It has been   held that the purpose of this clause (h) is to prevent 
multiplicity of proceedings.   The prayer for injunction in prayer cause  (b)  of 
the suit is therefore clearly barred by virtue of Section 41 (h)  of the Specific 
Relief Act,1963. 
To sum up, it will have to be held that the suit in question as 
framed  is clearly  barred and the jurisdiction of the Civil Court being  barred, 
the suit will have to be dismissed.  
Hence, the following order :­
ORDER  

i) Civil Revision Application No.57/2012 is allowed with costs.
ii) The jurisdiction   of the Civil Court to entertain the R.C.S. No. 2/2011 
is barred.
iii)
R.C.S. No. 2/2011  is dismissed and  consequently  order of status quo 

iv)
Rule made absolute in the aforesaid terms.
is  vacated. 

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