Madras High Court
C.A.Dhanalakshmi Ammal vs The District Revenue Officer on 23 September, 2021
W.P.No.5385 of 2013
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
DATED : 23.09.2021
CORAM:
THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE G.K.ILANTHIRAIYAN
W.P.No.5385 of 2013
and M.P.Nos.2, 3 of 2013
C.A.Dhanalakshmi Ammal ... Petitioner
Vs
The District Revenue Officer,
Erode District. ... Respondent
Prayer : Writ Petition has been filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of
India, to issue a Writ of Certiorari calling for the records in proceedings
Na.Ka.No.3551/2009/A9/Ne. A dated 13.02.2013 received by the petitioner
on 28.02.2013 on the file of the respondent herein and quash the same and
consequently direct the respondent to cancel the entry of lands as “Odai
poramboke” in revenue records and carry out the mutation of entries in the
revenue records as per the decree.
For Petitioner : Mr. K.Shakespeare
1/21
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W.P.No.5385 of 2013
For Respondent : Mr. Richardson Wilson
Government Advocate
**********
ORDER
This writ petition has been filed to issue a Writ of Certiorari to call
for the records in proceedings Na.Ka.No.3551/2009/A9/Ne. A dated
13.02.2013 received by the petitioner on 28.02.2013 on the file of the
respondent herein and quash the same and consequently direct the respondent
to cancel the entry of lands as “Odai poramboke” in revenue records and
carry out the mutation of entries in the revenue records as per the decree.
2. The case of the petitioner is that the land comprised in R.S.F.No.
566 & 569 of an exent of 4.60.0 hectares (i.e. 10 Acres) situated in
Perumugai Village, Gobichettipalayam Taluk, Erode District is in possession
and enjoyment of the petitioner. She also obtained Electricity Service
Connection for the well and a Cattle shed is situated in the said land.
3. While being so, in the year 1972, a resurvey was done by the
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W.P.No.5385 of 2013
Director of Land Survey and Settlement, Chennai and the subject patta land
of the petitioner was wrongly classified as “Odai poramboke”. Therefore, the
respondent levied penal charge vide 'B' Memo and the same was challenged in
this Court in W.P.No.16170 of 1996. Subsequently, the writ petition was
permitted to be withdrawn with liberty to pursue common law remedy by an
order dated 23.02.2004. There was an order to maintain the status-quo for a
period of three months from the date of the order.
4. Thereafter, the petitioner filed a suit in O.S.No.90 of 2004 as
against the District Collector, Erode District, Revenue Divisional Officer,
Erode, the Tahsildar, Gobichettipalayam, and the Director of Survey and
Settlement, Chennai. After serving the notice under Section 80 of Civil
Procedure Code, the suit was contested by the respondent herein and other
Revenue Officials.
5. On the side of the defendants, the Tahsildar, Gobichettipalayam
was examined and after considering the case of the petitioner, by the
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W.P.No.5385 of 2013
Judgment dated 24.04.2009, I Additional Sub Court, Gobichettipalayam
decreed the suit for declaration and declared that the said land is not “Odai
poramboke” and the petitioner perfected the title by adverse possession and
directed the Revenue officials to cancel the entry “Odai poramboke” and
mutate the same in favour of the petitioner within a period of three months
from the date of the decree. The said decree has become final, since the
defendant did not file any appeal suit as against the Judgment and Decree
dated 24.04.2009.
6. Therefore, the petitioner made a representation before the
respondent and due to inaction on the part of the respondent, she filed a
contempt petition before this Court in W.P.No.2623 of 2011 and this Court,
by an order dated 03.02.2011 directed the respondent to consider the
petitioner's representation on merits and pass appropriate Orders after
conducting an enquiry within a period of eight weeks. Even then, the
respondent did not pass any order and the petitioner was constrained to file
Contempt Petition in Contempt Petition No.1110 of 2011.
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W.P.No.5385 of 2013
7. In view of the communication of the Tahsildar,
Gobichettipalayam dated 03.10.2011, the representation of the petitioner shall
be considered by the respondent on merits and in accordance with law.
However, even then the respondent did not pass any order as against the
petitioner filed another contempt petition in Contempt Petition No.543 of
2012. Therefore, the respondent passed an impugned order, rejecting the
claim of the petitioner.
8. The learned counsel for the petitioner pointed out that when the
Civil Court decreed the suit after contest by the respondent and other Revenue
officials and the respondent did not file any appeal as against the Judgment
and Decree, the respondent should have complied with the order passed by
the Civil Court and also as directed by this Court. But the respondent based
on the order by the Special Commissioner and Commissioner of Land
Administration dated 19.07.2005 rejected the claim of the petitioner and
disobeyed the order passed by the Civil Court. The land comprised in
R.S.F.No.6, Old.S.No.467 and 532 and S.F.No.467 and 532 in “A” Register
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W.P.No.5385 of 2013
has been changed as “Odai poramboke” without notice to the petitioner.
9. He further submitted that the Tahsildar, Gobichettipalayam, by
his communication dated 12.11.2010 recommended to the District Revenue
Officer to change the “A” Register as “Ryotwari Patta Land” and issue patta
and passed order for issuance of patta.
10. The respondent herein passed an impugned order without
considering the recommendations submitted by the Tahsildar and cited
various Judgments of this Court and the Hon'ble Supreme Court and for the
reason that the “A” Register classified S.Nos.457, 532B as “Odai poramboke”
and as such the petitioner is not entitled for any patta. Further stated that the
reason, the petitioner failed to prove that the Ryotwari patta land by any
document, ignoring the Judgment and Decree passed by the Civil Court.
11. Per contra, the learned Government Advocate filed counter and
submitted that the old Survey Nos.457 and 532/B correlates to R.S.F.No.6.
As per the old 'A' Register entries in respect of old Survey Nos. 457 and 532/B
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W.P.No.5385 of 2013
were made as “Odai poramboke”. Therefore, it is clear over the evident that
the land under dispute prior to resurvey classified as “Odai poramboke” and
not patta land as claimed by the petitioner. Therefore, the Civil Court held
that the petitioner perfected title over the subject property by adverse
possession. Therefore, the said property does not belong to the petitioner
through any documents.
12. The Special Commissioner and Commissioner of Revenue
Administration by the circular dated 19.07.2005 instructed the officials
concerned to evict the encroachments in watercourse poramboke like ponds,
lakes, Odai, Canal and restore to its original status to safeguard the
watercourse poramboke from being encroached upon and banning the
regularization of encroachment in said watercourse porambokes.
13. The Hon'ble Division Bench of this Court and the Hon'ble Apex
Court of India rightly held that the encroachment made in watercourse
porambokes have to be removed immediately. In fact, the representation of
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W.P.No.5385 of 2013
the petitioner was rejected and an order was passed to take action to remove
the petitioner from his encroachment. Therefore, he prayed for dismissal of
this writ petition.
14. The petitioner was issued with penal charge vide 'B' Memo and
the same was challenged before this Court in W.P.No.16170 of 1996 in
respect of the land comprised in R.S.F.No.566 and 569 to an extent of 4.60.0
hectares situated at Perumugai Village, Gobichettipalayam Taluk, Erode
District. The petitioner was granted interim injunction restraining the
respondents from collecting any penal charges and subsequently the writ
petition was withdrawn with a liberty to pursue common law remedy by an
order dated 23.02.2004 and there was also an order to maintain the status-
quo for a further period of three months from the date of the order.
15. Accordingly, the petitioner filed a suit in O.S.No.90 of 2004 on
the file of the Sub Court, Gobichettipalayam and obtained interim injunction.
The respondent is the second defendant in the said suit. The first defendant is
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W.P.No.5385 of 2013
the Collector, the third defendant is the Tahsildar and the fourth defendant is
the Director of Land Survey and Settlement, Chennai. It was filed for title by
adverse possession and for direction to the defendants to reclassify the subject
property as patta land. The defendants filed their written statements.
Admittedly, in respect of the land comprised in R.S.F.No.566, 567, 568 and
569, they are levying the penal tax. In the “A” Register, the subject property
is shown as “Odai poramboke”
16. On the side of the defendants, they examined D.W.1 and
marked Ex.D1 to D3. Revenue Official was examined as D.W.1 and his
deposition stated as follows:
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W.P.No.5385 of 2013
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W.P.No.5385 of 2013
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W.P.No.5385 of 2013
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W.P.No.5385 of 2013
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W.P.No.5385 of 2013
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W.P.No.5385 of 2013
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W.P.No.5385 of 2013
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17. Accordingly, the Civil Court concluded that while making entry
as “Odai poramboke” no notice was sent to the petitioner and no document
was filed to substantiate the claim of the respondent. Therefore, the suit was
decreed in favour of the petitioner with direction to the Revenue Officials to
reclassify the land as Ryotwari Patta and issue patta to the petitioner, by the
Judgment and Decree dated 24.04.2009. Admittedly, the respondent or any
other Revenue Officials did not prefer any appeal suit and the Judgment and
Decree passed by the Civil Court became final. Thereafter by the
communication dated 12.11.2010, the Tahsildar, Gobichettipalayam
recommended for reclassification and issuance of patta after making field
inspection. The relevant portion of the recommendation is as follows:
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W.P.No.5385 of 2013
msitapd; nghJ jtWjyhf @[email protected] vd
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18. In fact, the opinion was sought for to prefer an appeal as against
the Judgment and Decree passed by the Trial Court and the Government
Pleader opined it not a fit case for appeal. Therefore, the defendants did not
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W.P.No.5385 of 2013
prefer any appeal suit and the decree became final and the Tahsildar,
Gobichettipalayam recommended for reclassification as Ryotwari Punjai and
recommended to issuance of patta in favour of the petitioner.
19. Though, the respondent referred to the recommendation of the
Tahsildar, Gobichettipalayam, without considering the same and without
obeying the Civil Court Decree passed in O.S.No.90 of 2004, rejected the
claim of the petitioner for the reason that in the 'A' Register the petitioner's
name was not found and the petitioner failed to submit any documents to the
effect that the subject land is the patta land and wrongly classified as “Odai
poramboke”. It is seen from the Judgment and Decree passed by the Civil
Court, the petitioner perfected title over the subject property by adverse
possession.
20. Though, it is classified as “Odai poramboke”, the petitioner for
the past several years is in possession and enjoyment of the same by
cultivation and as such the title was declared in her favour by adverse
possession by the Civil Court. Therefore, the respondent should not have
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W.P.No.5385 of 2013
rejected the claim of the petitioner for other reasons. If at all any grievance
over the Judgment and Decree, the respondent and other defendants sought to
have filed an appeal suit. The Judgment and Decree was passed on
24.04.2009 and it attained finality, since no appeal has been preferred by the
respondent and other defendants. The petitioner is continuously is in
possession and enjoyment of the subject property and cultivating the same.
21. In view of the above, the impugned order cannot be sustained
and is liable to set aside. The respondent is directed to reclassify the land into
Ryotwari Punjai and issue patta to the petitioner within a period of four
weeks from the date of the receipt of the order.
22. Accordingly, this writ petition is allowed. No order to costs.
Consequently, the connected miscellaneous petitions are closed.
23.09.2021
Index:Yes/No
Speaking Order: Yes/No
rna/rgi
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W.P.No.5385 of 2013
To
The District Revenue Officer,
Erode District.
G.K.ILANTHIRAIYAN,J.
rna
W.P.No.5385 of 2013
and M.P.Nos.2 to 3 of 2013
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W.P.No.5385 of 2013
23.09.2021
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