Allahabad High Court
Vijay Kumar Chaubey vs Rajendra Agarwal on 6 December, 2022
Bench: Vivek Chaudhary
HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT ALLAHABAD
A.F.R.
Court No. - 4
Case :- MATTERS UNDER ARTICLE 227 No. - 10252 of 2022
Petitioner :- Vijay Kumar Chaubey
Respondent :- Rajendra Agarwal
Counsel for Petitioner :- Akhilesh Kumar Singh
Hon'ble Vivek Chaudhary,J.
Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and perused the record.
The petitioner has filed the present petition challenging the order dated 15.10.2022 passed by the learned Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ghazipur in Appeal No.5 of 2021 (Rajendra Kumar Agarwal Vs. Vijay Kumar Chaubey and others), under Section 160 of the U.P. Municipality Act, whereby he has rejected the preliminary objection with regard to maintainability of the appeal under Section 160 of the U.P. Municipality Act, 1916.
The objection was raised by the petitioner before the appellate Court that the appeal is not maintainable before the Chief Judicial Magistrate under Section 160 of the Municipality Act and would be maintainable before the District Magistrate. The said act itself provides that the State Government may issue an appropriate notification giving power to hear the appeal to any other Authority/Court also. By notification dated 11.07.1974, issued in consultation with the Allahabad High Court, the State Government provided that the appeal can be heard by the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate also. The notification dated 11.07.1974, is quoted below:-
"संख्या-80/6(1) दो-ग-7(5)/70
श्री चन्द्रभूषणधर द्विवेदी
उप सचिव
उ०प्र० शासन
सेवा में
समस्त जिला मजिस्ट्रेट
उ०प्र०
नियुक्ति (ग) विभाग दिनांक लखनऊ, नवम्बर 7, 1974
विषय- यू०पी०म्यूनिस्पेल्टीज एक्ट 1916 की धारा 160 तथा 318 तथा अन्य प्रकीर्ण स्थानीय एवं विधिक अधिनियमों के अधीन अपीलों की सुनवाई।
महोदय,
उपरोक्त विषय पर शासन के पृष्ठ संख्या-3551(1)/दो-ग(5)/70 दिनांक 6 जून 1974के अनुक्रम में मुझे यह कहने का आदेश हुआ है कि शासन ने उच्च न्यायालय इलाहाबाद के परामर्श से यह निर्णय लिया है कि यू०पी०म्यूनिस्पेल्टीज एक्ट 1916 की धारा 160 तथा 318 के अधीन अपीले चीफ जुडिशियल मजिस्ट्रेटों के द्वारा ग्रहण की जानी तथा सुनी जानी चाहिए।
2- शासन ने यह भी निर्णय लिया है कि अन्य प्रकीर्ण स्थानीय या विशेष,अधिनियमों के अन्तर्गत अपील तथा पुर्नीक्षण प्रार्थना पत्रों की सुनवाई चीफ जुडिशियल मजिस्ट्रेटो द्वारा की जाएगी सिवाए उस दशा में जब कि उनके अधिकार स्वयं विशेष अधिनियमों द्वारा सीमित कर दिये गए हो।
भवदीय
ह० चन्द्रभूषणधर द्विवेदी
उपसचिव"
Referring to the above quoted notification, learned Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ghazipur has rejected the objection.
Learned counsel for the petitioner has placed reliance on a judgment of this Court dated 08.05.2020 passed in the Matters Under Article 227 No.9748 of 2019 (Sajal Kumar and 2 others Vs. Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ballia and 6 others), in which, referring to Section 160 of the Municipality Act, Court has held that the District Magistrate of the District alone has power to hear the appeal and the Chief Judicial Magistrate does not have any such power. A perusal of the said judgment shows that the same was passed as the notification dated 07.11.1974 was not placed before the Court. Thus, the said judgment passed without taking into consideration the notification dated 07.11.1974 does not lay down the correct law.
In view thereof, the order passed by the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Ghazipur in Appeal No. 5 of 2021, is within its jurisdiction.
No other submission is made by the petitioner.
Thus, no force is found in the present petition and the same is dismissed.
(Vivek Chaudhary,J.)
Order Date :- 6.12.2022
Arjun/-
