Skip to main content

Partition proceedings are vitiated even if single co-sharer is not made party or is not served in accordance with law

Cause Title : Bhagwant Singh vs Financial Commissioner (Appeals) Punjab, Chandigarh, CWP-2132-2018 (O&M), High Court Of Punjab & Haryana At Chandigarh

Date of Judgment/Order : 31.08.2022

Corum : Hon’ble Mr. Justice Sudhir Mittal

Background

A large parcel of land was owned by the Nagar Panchayat. Thereafter, some of the co-sharers sold their shares to third parties including the petitioners herein. On 22.11.1995, respondents No.3 to 5 filed an application for partition of the land. The petitioners were not impleaded as parties.  On completion of proceedings, sanad was issued on 28.08.1996. Vide two separate sale deeds dated 28.05.2008 respondents No.3 and 5 sold some portion in favour of respondent No.6 and 7. These respondents sought implementation of the sanad resulting in issuance of warrants of possession dated 05.06.2008. Allegedly, it was then that the petitioners realized that joint land had been partitioned and that proceedings had been conducted behind their back. Thus, they filed CWP-12737-2008 for quashing of the sanad. The writ petition was disposed of with a direction to the petitioners therein to avail alternative remedy of revision provided by Section 16 of the Punjab Land Revenue Act, 1887. Accordingly, the revision was filed on 19.05.2009. This revision petition was, however, dismissed vide order dated 06.11.2017 resulting in filing of the present writ petition.

The petitioners has argued that as their name is in the records, they should have been impleaded in the partition application and that the partition proceedings are vitiated as all co-sharers were not made party.

One of the question before the court was whether, non-impleadment of the petitioners as parties in the partition application has resulted in vitiation of the proceedings? If so, was the defect curable by impleadment of the vendors of the petitioners?

Judgment

The court observed that the names of the petitioners are clearly recorded in the remarks column thereof as vendees. In the jamabandi for the year 1994-95, their names find mention as vendees in the column of cultivation. It is settled law that every co-sharer is owner of every inch of joint land. The petitioners had become co-sharers by virtue of the sales in their favour and were entitled to participate in proceedings for partition of the joint land and claim their right for allotment of specific khasra numbers based upon value and quality of land. Having been denied this opportunity, the partition proceedings stand vitiated as a whole. Partition proceedings are vitiated, even if, a single co-sharer is not made a party or is not served in accordance with law. Thus,  the partition proceedings stand vitiated, is answered in the affirmative.

Comments

Post a Comment

Most viewed this month

The recovery of vehicles by the financier not an offence - SC

Special Leave Petition (Crl.) No. 8907  of 2009 Anup Sarmah (Petitioner) Vs Bhola Nath Sharma & Ors.(Respondents) The petitioner submitted that  respondents-financer had forcibly taken away the vehicle financed by them and  illegally deprived the petitioner from its lawful possession  and  thus,  committed  a crime. The complaint filed by the petitioner had been  entertained  by  the Judicial Magistrate (Ist Class), Gauhati (Assam) in Complaint Case  No.  608 of 2009, even directing the interim custody of the vehicle (Maruti  Zen)  be given to the petitioner vide order dated  17.3.2009.  The respondent on approaching the Guwahati High  Court against this order, the hon'ble court squashed the criminal  proceedings  pending   before  the  learned Magistrate. After hearing both sides, the Hon'ble Supreme Court decided on 30th...
7 comments
Read more

Property can be sold on power of attorney - Delhi High Court

As reported in the Hindusthan Times on 5th May:-  http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Property-can-be-sold-on-power-of-attorney/Article1-1054964.aspx In a judgment that will benefit lakhs of Delhi residents living in co-operative housing societies and DDA flats, the Delhi High Court has quashed a Delhi government circular banning property sale in the Capital through general power of attorney (GPA). The court found that the directions in the circular, issued by the revenue department on April 27 last year, were contrary to the Supreme Court judgment dated October 11, 2011. The HC order will increase the number of saleable properties in Delhi and could bring down the value of freehold properties. According to realty watchers, on an average, around 20% of properties are registered through GPA transfers — a common way of selling leasehold properties and those that don’t have a clear title. The judgment came on a petition filed by a company, Pace Developers and ...
5 comments
Read more

Vanishing promoters and languishing shareholders

Over Rs 60,000 crore of shareholders’ wealth is stuck in 1,450 companies suspended by the stock exchanges. More importantly, near 100 per cent pledging of promoter holding appears to be common in many of these companies. This, almost rules out any chance of the companies bouncing back. The suspension is for non-compliance of the listing norms. Vanishing Companies - Definition As per the definition stipulated by SEBI, any listed company, which raised moneythrough initial public offer and, thereafter, stopped operations, did not file returnseither with the RoC or SEBI and did not exist on the registered premises wastermed as vanishing.There are provisions under Companies Act under which companies are termedvanishing companies on satisfying certain conditions. it is provided a companywould be deemed to be a vanishing company, if it satisfies all the conditions given below : a) Failed to file returns with Registrar of Companies (ROC) for a period of two years; b) Failed to fil...
3 comments
Read more