Patna High Court
Prbhakar JhaversusThe State of Bihar
- Decided
- Disposal
- DISPOSED
- Bench
- RANA VIKRAM SINGH
Holding
The court held that the Circle Officer’s order was illegal and that the petitioner is entitled to immediate removal of the unauthorized encroachment.
Summary
The petitioner, Prabhakar Jha, challenged an illegal land encroachment after a Circle Officer had issued a basgit parcha to Mukhlal Ram and Saryug Paswan without notice or hearing. The Collector of Vaishali set aside the Circle Officer's order on 24 September 2025, confirming the petitioner’s exclusive possession. Despite this, the respondents attempted to erect a makeshift hut on the petitioner’s land on 1 March 2026, and the district authorities failed to act on the petitioner’s repeated representations. The court examined the procedural irregularities of the Circle Officer’s ex parte order and the Collector’s clear finding of illegality. It directed the District Magistrate‑cum‑Collector and the Superintendent of Police to remove the unauthorized encroachment within three weeks, warning of consequences for non‑compliance. The application was consequently disposed with the mandated direction.
Issues considered
- Whether the Circle Officer’s issuance of basgit parcha without notice and hearing is legally valid.
- Whether the Collector’s order setting aside the Circle Officer’s order is binding on the district administration.
- Whether the district authorities are obligated to remove the illegal encroachment promptly.
- Whether the court can issue a mandatory direction with a specific time‑frame for removal of encroachment.
Legislation cited
- BPPHT Act
Subjects
- land encroachment
- illegal possession
- basgit parcha
- administrative negligence
- district collector order
- court direction
- removal of encroachment
Judgment
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case No.8114 of 2026
======================================================
Prbhakar Jha, S/o Late Sachidanand Jha, resident of Village and P.O.-Bhojpatti, P.S.-
Sarai, District- Vaishali, Presently residing at Shiv Bhawan Dak Bangalow Road,
P.O.- Head Post Office, P.S.- Hajipur Town, District - Vaishali at Hajipur.
... ... Petitioner/s
Versus
1. The State of Bihar through its Principal Secretary (Home), Govt. of Bihar at Patna.
2. The Collector, Vaishali at Hajipur.
3. The S.P., Vaishali at Hajipur.
4. The S.D.O., Mahua, Hajipur.
5. The C.O., Rajapakar, Vaishali.
6. The SHO, Sarai, Vaishal.
7. Mukhlal Ram, S/o late Govind Ram, Vill and P.O.- Bhojpatti P.S.- Rajapakar,
District - Vaishali.
8. Saryug Paswan, S/o Late Ram Briksha Paswan, Vill and P.O.-Bhojpatti P.S.-
Rajapakar, District Vaishali.
... ... Respondent/s
======================================================
Appearance :
For the Petitioner/s : Mr. Chandra Mohan Jha, Advocate
Mr. Dhananjay Kumar Singh, Advocate
For the Respondent/s : Mr. Ravi Kumar, A.C. to G.P. (13)
======================================================
CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE RANA VIKRAM SINGH
ORAL ORDER
2 02-07-2026 1. Heard the parties.
2. The case at hand highlights the callous approach of
the district administration of Vaishali. Despite having passed an
order in favour of the petitioner, whereby the Collector annulled
the order of the Circle Officer, Rajapakar, who had illegally
issued parcha in favour of Mukhlal Ram and Saryug Paswan
without following the due process of law and without even
issuing notice to the petitioner, the authorities have failed to
prevent the said persons from forcibly encroaching upon the
petitioner's land even after the passing of the order dated
Patna High Court CWJC No.8114 of 2026(2) dt.02-07-2026
2/6
24.09.2025. The record further reveals that, despite the
petitioner's repeated representations and incessant efforts in
approaching the authorities, including the Collector-cum-
District Magistrate, Vaishali, seeking intervention for the
removal of the unauthorized encroachment from his land, no
effective action has been taken. Consequently, the persons
whose claim has already been rejected by the district
administration have been allowed to make illegal encroachment
over the petitioner's land.
3. The brief facts of the case is that the Circle Officer,
Rajapakar, Vaishali, passed an order dated 26.11.2012 in Basghit
Parcha Case No. 07/12-13 and issued Basgit Parcha to Mukhlal
Ram and Saryug Paswan (respondent Nos. 7 and 8). Learned
counsel for the petitioner further submits that proceeding was
decided by the Circle Officer in an ex parte manner without
even issuing notice much less without affording any opportunity
of hearing to the petitioner. Having come to know about the
order, the petitioner filed a Basgit Parcha Appeal Case No.
R115/17-18 before the Collector, Vaishali who having heard the
relevant parties, examined the relevant records and perused the
spot verification report submitted by the revenue authority,
passed an order dated 24.09.2025 setting aside the order dated
Patna High Court CWJC No.8114 of 2026(2) dt.02-07-2026
3/6
26.11.2012 passed by the Circle Officer, Rajapakar.
4. Excerpts of the relevant part of the order dated
24.09.2025 passed by the Collector, Vaishali is quoted herein
below for proper appreciation of the matter at hand:-
“उभय पकों के ववदान अवधवकता के कथन एवं दलील,
अंचल अवधकारी, राजापाकर से पपप पततवे दन, वनमन नयायालय
से पपप अवभलेख एवं अवभलेख पर उपलबध कागजातों के
अवलोकन एवं पवरशीलन से वनमन तथय सपषट होता है वकः-
> अं चल अधधकारी, राजापाकर के सथलीय जाँच के कम मे
वासगीत पचार वाली जमीन पर कोई मकान या झोपडी नहीं
पाया गया, धजससे यह सपषट होता है धक पचर वाली जमीन पर
पचारधारी का दखल कबजा नहीं है ।
> सहायक सरकारी अधधवकता का मं तवय मे भी अं धकत धकया
गया है धक धजस जमीन का पचार धनगरत धकया गया है उस जमीन
का चौहदी दजर नहीं है । सथल जाँच पततवे दन के अनु सार दोनो
धवचाराधीन जमीन मे कोई झोपडी या मकान नहीं है , इसमे आम
का बागीचा लगा है ।
उपरोकत तथयो से सपषट होता है धक अं चल अधधकारी,
राजापाकर दारा वासगीत पचार वाद मे जमाबं दी रै यत/भू-सवामी
/ उनके वाधरसानो को सूचना बगै र ताधमला एवं आपधत प्रापत
धकये धबना ही तथा BPPHT Act. के अं तगरत उलले धखत
प्रावधानो के धवपरीत धबना सथल धनरीकण धकये मनमाने ढं ग से
वासगीत पचार धनगरत धकया गया है , जो धवधध सममत पतीत नहीं
होता है । चूँधक बसे हुए को वासगीत पचार धदया जाता है तथा
पचारधारी कभी भी पशनगत भूधम पर बसे ही नहीं, इसधलए
अं चल अधधकारी, राजापाकर के दारा वासगीत पचार वाद सं .-
07/12-13 (धजसमे मौजा भोजपट् टी थाना सं ० 200 एवं मौजा
राजे पुर बे रई थाना सं ० 201 के क् रमशः खाता सं ० 25, खे सरा
639 एवं खाता सं ० 07, खे सरा सं ० 70) मे धदनांक 26. 11.2012
को पाधरत आदे श को धनरसत करते हुए धनगरत वासगीत पचार को
रद धकया जाता है तथा अपीलकतार के अपील आवे दन को
सवीकृत धकया जाता है । ”
5. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that on
account of the reckless, casual and callous approach of the
Circle Officer, petitioner has suffered for so many years and
have remained in constant fear of his land being encroached by
the aforesaid parchadhari but some how he managed to save his
land from the encroachment and got his appeal decided by the
Patna High Court CWJC No.8114 of 2026(2) dt.02-07-2026
4/6
Collector, Vaishali.
6. Even after the passing of the order by the Collector,
Vaishali, Mukhlal Ram and Saryug Paswan, in collusion with
the revenue authorities of the Circle, attempted to encroach
upon the petitioner's land by erecting a makeshift hut thereon on
01.03.2026. Having seen the conduct and sensed the fear of
being forcefully dispossessed from their land and implicated in
the false cases, the petitioner immediately rushed to the
authorities including the Superintendent of Police, Vaishali and
the District Magistrate-cum-Collector, Vaishali by filing the
representations highlighting the conduct of all the persons
concerned with a prayer to get the makeshift hut removed from
the land on account of unauthorized and illegal encroachment
made by Mukhlal Ram and Saryug Paswan. He further submits
that all his applications have fallen on deaf ears and the
respondents, though required to act in accordance with law in
order to provide immediate relief to the petitioner, have been
sitting tight over the matter causing serious apprehension in the
mind of the petitioner of being dispossessed illegally and
unauthorisedly.
7. Mr. Ravi Kumar, learned AC to GP-13 appearing on
behalf of the State, fairly submits that the Collector in his order
Patna High Court CWJC No.8114 of 2026(2) dt.02-07-2026
5/6
has given a categorical finding that the order of Circle Officer
granting parcha over the piece of land of the petitioner is not
only illegal but untenable in the eyes of law. Hence the
Collector, Vaishali has passed order annulling the order of the
Circle officer. He further submits that the order of the Collector
is very much clear with respect to the nature of land, right of
the petitioner to possess the same and in this view of the matter,
the matter may be disposed off with a direction to the District
authority to ensure the removal of those persons who have
attempted to encroach upon the land of the petitioner in an
illegal and unauthorized manner and that too after the order
having been passed by the competent authority like the District
Magistrate-cum-Collector of the district.
8. Having heard the parties and perused the material,
which does not leave an iota of doubt that the land in question is
in-exclusive possession of the petitioner who is having all right
and title over the land to possess the same and yet the two
persons namely Mukhlal Ram and Saryug Paswan have made
all endeavors to disturb the peaceful possession of the petitioner
over the said piece of land which is simply unacceptable and
cannot be allowed to be continued.
9. In these circumstances, the Court has been left with no
Patna High Court CWJC No.8114 of 2026(2) dt.02-07-2026
6/6
option but to issue a direction to the District Magistrate -cum-
Collector, Vaishali and the Superintendent of Police, Vaishali to
ensure the removal of such unauthorized encroachment from the
land of the petitioner with all promptitude and the order of this
Court must be executed and implemented within a period of
three weeks henceforth, failing which serious consequences will
entail which might have adverse bearing on the authorities who
are conniving and colluding with such unlawful land grabbers
who, in law, have no right and title to enter upon the land of any
of the persons who have due legal right and title over the same.
10. Accordingly, this application is disposed of in the
aforesaid terms.
11. Let a copy of this order be communicated through e-
mail and fax to the District Magistrate-cum-Collector, Vaishali
and to the Superintendent of Police, Vaishali forthwith for
ensuring compliance of the order without any further delay.
12. Interlocutory application(s), if any, also stands
disposed off accordingly.
(Rana Vikram Singh, J)
Saurabh.kr/
Prakash-
U
Checking your session…
Lawyer court records for this case
Associated through the court’s case reference.