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MURLIDHAR JALAN (SINCE DECEASED)
A
THROUGH HIS LRS.
v.
STATE OF MEGHALAYA AND ORS.
MAY 7, 1997
B
[K. RAMASWAMY, S. SAGHIR AHMAD AND
G.B. PATTANAIK, JJ.)
Lease:
c
Lease of Government Land-Lease-holder continuing in possession
after expily of lease-Rent being accepted by Government official-Suit for
declaration of title-Held, renewal having not been granted, previous lease
stood expired and the relationship of tenant and landlord came to be ter-
minated-Declaration of title as land-holder cannot be granted.
D
Bishan Das & Ors. v. State of Punjab & Ors. AIR (1991) SC 1570;
cited;
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Civil Appeal No. 3690 of
1997.
E
From the Judgment and Order dated 20.12.96 of the Gauhati High
Court in F.A. No. 58 of 1990.
P.K. Goswami, Kailash Vasdev and C.K. Sasi for the Appellant.
The following Order of the Court was delivered :
F
Leave granted.
This special leave petition has been filed against the Division Bench
judgment of the Gauhati High Court, made on December 20, 1996 in First G
Appeal No. 58/90.
The appellant had filed a civil suit for perpetual injunction seeking
.. declaration of his title as land-holder of the property. The trial Court
granted the decree. But on appeal, the High Court reversed it in the first
Appeal No. 58/90 dated December 20, 1996. The Division Bench of the H
255
256
SUPREME COURT REPORTS•[l997] SUPP. 1 S.C.R.
A High Court affirmed that order in appeal. The question is : Whether the
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appellant is entitled to the declaration of his title in respect of the property.
Shri Goswami, learned senior counsel for the appellant, contends that
initially the appellant had come into possession of the property in his
character as a tenant by virtue of perpetual lease for 99 years; after the
B expiry of the initial period of lease in 1965 though the Government had not
renewed the lease, nonetheless, the Government had impliedly renewed the
same by accepting the rent. The property was required for a public purpose
and that the Government continued to be in possession of the property as
a tenant recognising title of the appellant. Therefore, the High Court was
clearly in error in rejecting the claim of the appellant and confirming the
c decree of the appellate Court. In support thereof, he places reliance on
Bishan Das & Ors. v. State of Punjab & Ors., AIR (1991) SC 1570. We find
no force in the contention. It is an admitted position that renewal was not
granted. Thereby, the previous lease stood expired and the relationship as
tenant and landlord came to be terminated. He accepted the title of the
D Government; thus thereafter, he continued to be in possession as a
trespasser. It is true that a lower level officer accepted the rent; and
recognition was obviously made on a mistaken impression that the land was
required for a public purpose; but on the basis thereof, it cannot be
construed that the title of the appellant was confirmed by the conduct of
the Government. Accordingly, the declaration of title as land~holder cannot
•
E be granted. The High Court, therefore, was right in refusing to grant the
relief. It is not a case of taking possession without due process of law. The
possession only continues to a facet of the facts. Apart from that there is
no other documentary evidence on the basis of which it could be concluded
that the title of the Government is defeated by acceptance. of the rent or
F
by requisition of the property by mistaken act on the part of the Govern-
ment.
The appeal is accordingly dismissed. No costs.
R.P.
Appeal dismissed.
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Lex