Bombay High Court
NANA KAMA PATILversusTHE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA AND OTHERS
- Disposal
- DISPOSED OFF
Holding
The SDO’s order dated 04‑07‑2025 confirming the existence of a customary right of way and rejecting the petitioner’s claim is affirmed.
Summary
The petitioner, Nana Kama Patil, challenged the Sub‑Divisional Officer’s (SDO) order dated 04‑07‑2025 which upheld a customary right of way through his land and directed him not to obstruct the road. The petitioner argued that the SDO’s earlier orders were inconsistent, that the spot‑inspection panchnama did not show a road, and that essential parties and affidavits were not properly before the authority. The respondents contended that the spot‑inspection, GPS maps, village maps and an affidavit of the adjoining landowner established the existence of a customary road that the petitioner had ploughed and thereby obstructed. The High Court examined the material evidence, noted that the SDO had been remanded to decide on the merits and had done so after a fresh inspection, and found the evidence sufficient to confirm the right of way. Consequently, the Court dismissed the writ petition and disposed of the related civil application, upholding the SDO’s order.
Issues considered
- The consistency and correctness of the SDO’s orders regarding the existence of a road.
- Whether the petitioner’s land is subject to a customary right of way that he is prohibited from obstructing.
- Whether the affidavit of Manohar Sakharam Patil and other evidence were admissible despite the petitioner’s claim of non‑party status.
- Whether the spot‑inspection panchnama and accompanying maps accurately reflect the presence of a road.
Subjects
- right of way
- customary road
- spot inspection
- revision
- obstruction
- land ownership
- writ petition
- sub divisional officer
- Tahsildar
Judgment
2026:BHC-AUG:40496
1 WP.9286-25 (Final Order).odt
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
BENCH AT AURANGABAD
36 WRIT PETITION NO. 9286 OF 2025
NANA KAMA PATIL
VERSUS
THE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA AND OTHERS
...
Advocate for the Petitioner : Mr. Ashraf M. Patel & Ms. Vandana
B. Kakde h/f Mr. Avhad Abhijeet Padmakar.
AGP for Respondents/State : Ms. D. S. Jape.
Advocate for Respondent Nos.4 to 13 : Mr. Bhushan Mahajan.
...
WITH CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 10907 OF 2025
IN WP/9286/2025
BHAVSING HARCHAND PARADESHI
VERSUS
THE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA THROUGH ITS PRINCIPAL
SECRETARY AND OTHERS
…
Advocate for Applicants : Mr. Bhushan Mahajan.
AGP for Respondents/State : Ms. D. S. Jape.
Advocate for respective Respondents : Mr. Ashraf M. Patel &
Ms. Vandana B. Kakde h/f Mr. Avhad Abhijeet Padmakar.
...
CORAM : MANJUSHA A. DESHPANDE, J.
DATE : 04.09.2026
FINAL ORDER :-
1. The petitioner is assailing the order passed by the Sub
Divisional Officer, Pachora, dated 04.07.2025 in Revision
Application No.49 of 2023 confirming the order passed by the
Tahsildar, dated 06.07.2023 allowing application filed by the
complainant thereby directing the petitioner not to cause any
obstruction on the right of way available to the respondents
2 WP.9286-25 (Final Order).odt
herein from Gut No.161 and 162/2 on the south Bandh of Gut
running south-east of the cart road for commuting, and
transportation.
2. It is the contention of the petitioner that in the earlier
round of challenge to the order passed by the Tahsildar, the
revision filed by the petitioner was allowed vide order dated
16.01.2024, thereby setting aside the order passed by the
Tahsildar. The order of S.D.O. has been rightly passed holding
that the existence of cart road has not been revealed in the
spot verification panchnama. Therefore, S.D.O. had directed
respondent No.3/Tahsildar, Bhadgaon to re-visit the subject
road and decide the Rasta case afresh. This order dated
16.01.2024 passed by respondent No.2/Sub Divisional Officer
was challenged by the respondents in Writ Petition No.4168 of
2024, which was partly allowed by quashing and setting aside
the order passed on 16.01.2024.
3. It is submitted by the learned advocate for petitioner
that respondent No.2 has passed an order in Revision No.49 of
2023, after the order of remand passed by this Court in Writ
Petition No.4168 of 2024 and directed the Tahsildar, Bhadgaon
to make spot inspection and decide the Rasta Case No.26. This
order passed by respondent No.2 on 19.12.2024 was again
3 WP.9286-25 (Final Order).odt
challenged before this Court in Writ Petition No.5891 of 2025,
which was allowed and the order dated 16.01.2024 passed by
the Sub Divisional Officer was once again set aside by this
Court. This Court directed the Sub Divisional Officer to decide
the revision on its own merits on the basis of material already
placed before him. Accordingly, the Sub Divisional Officer has
once again decided Revision No.49 of 2023 vide order dated
04.07.2025, rejecting the revision filed by the petitioner.
Consequently, the petitioner has challenged the order passed
by the Sub Divisional Officer.
4. It is the contention of the petitioner that, respondent
No.2/Sub Divisional Officer is not consistent in his orders.
There are three different orders passed by him taking different
stance on each occasion. In order dated 19.12.2024, he has
observed that in the spot panchnama, no road is shown; in
order dated 04.07.2025, it is observed that there is a road
shown in spot panchnama. Thus, according to the learned
advocate for the petitioner a contradictory stand is taken on
each occasion, when the matter was subjected to challenge
before respondent No.2.
5. An objection is also raised by the petitioner on the
ground that respondent No.2 as well as respondent No.3 has
4 WP.9286-25 (Final Order).odt
failed to consider that affidavit filed by Manohar Sakharam
Patil is not admissible, unless he is made party to the present
proceedings.
6. Learned advocate for the petitioner further submits that
although the land of Manohar Sakharam Patil is also affected
by the road which is claimed in the application, filed under the
Mamlatdar’s Courts Act. He is not made a party and his
affidavit has been taken into consideration by the Authorities.
It is submitted that necessary inquiry about the owners of land,
whose lands are likely to be affected by the order passed by the
Tahsildar is not made party in the present proceedings.
According to him, they have failed to ascertain who is the
owner of land affected by the road of the respective gut
numbers. It is submitted that even son of the petitioner namely
Shankar is a necessary party to the proceedings.
7. He further submitted that land Gut No.163/1 is owned
by the petitioner along with his elder son Baliram Nana Patil,
who is also necessary party. Yet he has not been added as a
party to the proceedings. It is submitted that there is an
alternate road that exists from the bank of Girna river which is
in use. Thus, the claim of the respondent herein is not
maintainable. The Regular Civil Suit No.38 of 2023 is also
5 WP.9286-25 (Final Order).odt
pending in the Civil Court. In Regular Civil Suit No.38 of
2023, he has categorically relied on the panchnama conducted
by the Tahsildar, Bhadgaon on 13.01.2023, who has recorded
that no cart track was found on the east side bank of the Bandh
of Gut 162/2, 162/1/A. In spite of the observation recorded in
the spot inspection, the Tahsildar, Bhadgaon has recorded that
the petitioner shall not obstruct the road abutting the Bandh
from Gut No.161 and 162/2, when no such road was not
available as per the panchnama. It is submitted that when the
cart road itself was not available as per the spot panchnama,
there is no question of causing any obstruction on the said
road. He would further submit that the same Authority who
has allowed his revision vide order dated 06.01.2024, by
setting aside the order passed by the Tahsildar dated
06.07.2023, has taken a 360 degree U turn while passing the
impugned order dated 04.07.2025. He, therefore, submits that
the order passed by the Sub Divisional Officer, as well as the
Tahsildar, Bhadgaon dated 06.07.2023 is required to be
quashed and set aside.
8. Per contra, learned advocate appearing for the
contesting respondent would submit that the spot panchnama
conducted by respondent No.3/Tahsildar, Bhadgaon has been
6 WP.9286-25 (Final Order).odt
placed on record which is incomplete. The spot panchnama
includes the GPS photos and map which is not annexed to the
writ petition. He submits that the petitioner before the date of
spot panchnama has ploughed the field so as to support his
claim that there was no road in existence prior to the spot
panchnama, which is reflected from the GPS photos clicked by
respondent No.3/Tahsildar. He further submits that the village
map of village Savade reveals that the petitioner’s land Gut
No.161 is adjacent to the Savade-Pimpri village road. Gut
No.161 is between Gut No.164 and Savade-Pimpri Village
road. There is no alternate road available for approaching the
respondents land bearing Gut No.164, but to approach through
the petitioner’s land from Gut No.161. He submits that
respondent No.13/Mahohar Sakharam Patil has placed on
record an affidavit before Respondent No.3/Tahsildar,
Bhadgaon admitting that respondent Nos.4 to 12 have east-
west Wahiwat road upto Gut No.161, at the south boundary.
He further submits that application below Exh.6 filed by the
petitioner in RCS.No.38 of 2023, has also been rejected by the
Civil Judge Junior Division, Bhadgaon when it was found that
the respondents, are not trying to create any new road or
access way from the suit property. It is observed that, the
respondent farmers have no alternate way other than the one
7 WP.9286-25 (Final Order).odt
claimed, seeking customary way before the learned Tahsildar.
According to him, the Tahsildar has rightly appreciated that,
the alleged access way has been ploughed by the petitioner
Nana Patil and sown Jawar in his field. The place where such
land is ploughed is contiguous to the road which is in existence
in Gut No.162/2, at the south boundary. This contention of the
petitioner is supported by the owner of Gut No.162/2 Manohar
Sakharam Patil. Hence, according to him, the Tahsildar,
Bhadgaon as well as the Sub Divisional Officer, Pachora has
passed orders after careful scrutiny of the documents which
does not deserve any interference.
9. The learned AGP has also opposed any interference in
the order impugned on the ground that after the last remand
order, the SDO has heard the parties in the revision
application, after careful scrutiny of the material evidence
placed on record, the SDO has come to the conclusion that the
access way passing through Gut No.161 and 162/2 was in
existence and was used by respondent Nos.4 to 12, which is
obstructed by the present petitioner, by destroying the said
access way. It is therefore, submitted that considering that the
petitioner has ploughed the road, that was the access available
to the respondents to approach their own fields, the SDO has
8 WP.9286-25 (Final Order).odt
rightly passed the order after taking into consideration the
conduct of the petitioner and the actual circumstances existing
on the site which does not deserve any interference. Hence,
writ petition deserves to be dismissed.
10. Heard the respective parties and perused various orders
passed by the SDO. After remanding the matter twice back to
him for passing appropriate orders, the final order has been
passed by the SDO on 04.07.2025, which is impugned in the
present writ petition. The SDO while passing the order has
relied on the spot inspection report-cum-panchnama, as well as
the map of the site in respect of Gut No.161 and 169 as well as
the Gut numbers of the respective applicants produced on
record. The Tahsildar, Bhadgaon in his spot inspection report
dated 13.01.2023, has reported that between Gut No.161 and
169 there appears to be a common Bandh, which is existing
upto Gut No.162/2. The owner of Gut No.161 had sown crop
upto the Bandh between Gut No.161 and 162/2. The cart
track appears from Bandh on Gut No.162/2 to 163/1.
Similarly, a cart track appears on the east side ahead of Gut
No.161 upto Gut No.162/2. Thus, he has arrived at the
conclusion that the claim of the petitioner appears to be correct
as per the spot inspection report. As regards the claim of the
9 WP.9286-25 (Final Order).odt
present petitioner about purchase of land from Manohar
Sakharam Patil in Gut No.162/2 to the extent of 3R. for the
purpose of approach road is concerned. The SDO has held that
the person from whom the present petitioner have purchased
the land i.e. Manohar Patil has filed an affidavit on 26.04.2023
stating that there is customary right of way from Gut No.162/2
and the claim of the present petitioner that alternate way is
available to the applicants is not correct. Said Manohar Patil in
his evidence on affidavit has clearly stated that there is a
customary right of way from Gut No.161 and 162 which is
obstructed by the petitioner. The SDO has relied on the
contents of the evidence affidavit filed by Manohar Patil whose
land is allegedly purchased by the son of the petitioner for
approach road, which is claimed to be the customary way by
the applicants. Although it is claimed by the present petitioner
that his son has purchased the land belonging to Manohar
Patil, but no such entry appears to be taken in the 7/12 extract
by the son namely Baliram Patil. Thus, the claim of the
petitioner has not been accepted by the SDO. The SDO has
also relied on the spot inspection report and the photographs
produced by the respondents herein dated 19.04.2023, which
clearly indicates that the customary way has been destroyed by
10 WP.9286-25 (Final Order).odt
ploughing the field and destroying the evidence of existence of
road.
11. Reliance is also placed on the GPS map as well as the
village map which proves the existence of a customary road
between Gut No.161 and 162/2 which has been obstructed
and destroyed by ploughing the field. It needs to be
appreciated that although it is the contention of the petitioner
that in the previous order, the SDO has passed an order in his
favour, whereas the same SDO after remand has reversed the
order on the same set of facts, cannot be accepted for the
reason that while allowing the revision vide order dated
16.01.2024, the SDO has remanded the matter back to the
Tahsildar and directed him to conduct spot inspection and
thereafter pass an order afresh on the basis of documents as
well as inspection, which has been conducted subsequently.
This order has been set aside by this Court by directing SDO to
decide the revision on its own merits, on the basis of material
already pressed into service by the parties. Thus, the
contention of the petitioner that earlier the SDO has passed an
order in his favour does not hold good, as the matter was
remanded by the very order to the Tahsildar for passing fresh
order. So far as the order impugned dated 04.07.2025 is
11 WP.9286-25 (Final Order).odt
concerned, it has been passed by granting opportunity to all
the contesting parties to lead evidence and placed on record
the documents relied upon and on the basis of the documents,
such as the spot inspection report dated 13.01.2023, the maps
produced on record, the GPS map, the affidavit of Manohar
Patil, who is the land owner of Gut No.162/2 and the 7/12
extracts of the lands, the SDO has passed the order impugned
on merits. Reliance is also placed on the photographs
produced by the respondents herein dated 19.04.2023, which
are also placed on record along with the affidavit filed by
respondent No.4 which clearly shows that the possession of the
land before ploughing the field and after ploughing the field,
even the village map shows the existence of customary road
between Gut Nos.169/1, 169/2 and 169/3. Thus, I do not find
any merit in the challenge raised by the petitioner. Hence, writ
petition does not deserve any consideration.
12. The Writ Petition is dismissed by upholding the order
passed by the SDO, dated 04.07.2025.
13. Civil application is disposed of accordingly.
(MANJUSHA A. DESHPANDE, J.)
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