Bihar Land Reforms Act, 1950

The plaintiffs, K.P. Agarwala and others, claimed a homestead right over leasehold land based on a 1949 lease. The respondent, Bharat Coking Coal Limited, contended that the land formed part of a colliery that had vested in the Central Government under the Coal Mines (Nationalisation) Act, 1973, and that the lease was …

Bhaiya Rudra Pratap Deo, holder of the impartible Nagaruntari estate, executed an unregistered maintenance (khorposh) deed in 1952 granting eight villages to his brother’s son, Lalu Maheshanuj. The plaintiff alleged fraud and that the deed was void under Section 12A of the Chota Nagpur Encumbered Estates Act and the Bi…

The appellants, companies engaged in iron and steel production, entered into Memorandums of Understanding with the State Government of Jharkhand for mining leases of iron ore in the Ghatkuri area. The State Government recommended their applications to the Central Government for prior approval. However, upon discovering…

The appellants, tenants, were ordered to vacate premises under the Bihar Buildings (Lease, Rent and Eviction) Control Act, 1982. After the trial decree and a dismissed first appeal, they filed a second appeal in the Patna High Court, but neither they nor their counsel appeared at the hearing. The High Court nonetheless…

The respondent purchased three bighas and six kathas of land from the Raja Dumraon Raj in 1957 and filed a suit for declaration of title. The appellant claimed he had been in possession of the land as a lessee since 1925 and the trial court dismissed the suit, finding the appellant to be a raiyat. The Subordinate Judge…

The Commissioner of Wealth Tax, Patna, appealed against the assessment of Raghubir Narain Singh's net wealth under the Wealth Tax Act, 1957. The issues concerned how to value assets and debts, including pending decree amounts and agricultural income‑tax liabilities, for computing net wealth under Section 7 and Section …

The Commissioner of Wealth Tax, Bihar appealed against the Patna High Court’s decision that Maharaja Kumar Kamal Singh’s right to receive compensation under the Bihar Land Reforms Act should be valued at nil because of arrears of agricultural income‑tax. The central issue was whether such tax arrears could be deducted …

The plaintiff, an intermediary landlord, sued the respondents, tenants‑at‑will, for possession of agricultural land after a notification under Section 3 of the Bihar Land Reforms Act, 1950 had vested the plaintiff's estate in the State. The trial court held the plaintiff was in "khas" possession and could evict; the Hi…

The appellants were tried before the Special Judge (Vigilance), Patna, for alleged fraud in obtaining a Rs. 2 crore compensation under the Bihar Land Reforms Act, 1950. They contended that the offences were committed in respect of a document produced before the Compensation Officer and that, under Section 195(1)(b) of …

Karanpura Development Company Ltd obtained a 999‑year mining lease in 1946, which was terminated when the Bihar Land Reforms Act, 1950 came into force. The company claimed compensation under Section 4(1) of the Coal Bearing Areas (Acquisition & Development) Act, 1957, relying on a 1963 notification issued under Section…

Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL) succeeded East India Coal Co. and held a 999‑year mining lease over 627 bighas in Kenduadih, including surface land. A small part of the surface was used for a bazaar and a cinema for workers. The State of Bihar, invoking the Bihar Land Reforms Act, 1950, served a notice under Section 4 de…

The State of Bihar acquired land and the Collector awarded compensation to Sharda Devi, who claimed title as a raiyat. The State later sought a reference to the civil court under Section 30 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, asserting that the land actually belonged to the State and that the award was therefore void. T…

Maharaja Chintamani Saran Nath Sahdeo, a proprietor of mines and minerals, received compensation under the Bihar Land Reforms Act, 1950 calculated at three times his net annual income and later accepted an additional payment calculated at ten times the income. The Member, Board of Revenue later reopened the case and or…

The appellants filed a suit claiming a Raiyati right over a tank and its surrounding land in Bihulia village, based on a settlement obtained from the former jamindar in 1943. The trial court declared that the appellants held such a right, but the District Judge reversed the decision, holding that the land vested in the…

The appellant claimed a patta (title deed) for land in Muzaffarpur that he said was granted by the Zamindar on 11 August 1950. The Collector, exercising powers under Section 4(h) of the Bihar Land Reforms Act, 1950, investigated and concluded that the patta was a fraudulent transfer intended to evade the Act, and there…

The Commissioner of Wealth Tax assessed wealth tax on Smt. Anjamli Khan for three assessment years, estimating compensation payable for agricultural lands acquired by the State under the West Bengal Estates Acquisition Act, 1953. Khan contended that the right to receive such compensation was not an "asset" under Sectio…

The estate of the late Raja Nilkanth Narayan Singh was vested in the State of Bihar under the Bihar Land Reforms Act, 1950. While some mines were being worked under leases and royalties were paid, the successors-in-interest filed a writ petition seeking compensation for coal-bearing areas that had not been exploited at…

The appellants, former land intermediaries, claimed ownership of a 4‑bigha agricultural plot in Begusarai, Bihar, and obtained a decree for possession in the trial court and first appellate court. The Patna High Court reversed, holding that under the Bihar Land Reforms Act, 1950, the land vested in the State because th…