PUSHPAGIRI MATHversusKOPPARAJU VEERABHADRA RAO

                       PUSHPAGIRI MATH                                            A
                              v.
                  KOPPARAJU VEERABHADRA RAO

                                MAY 7, 1996

 [K. RAMASWAMY, FAIZAN UDDIN AND G.B. PATTANAIK, JJ.]                             B

        Andhra Pradesh Inam Abolition and Conversion into Ryotwmi Act,
1956:

       Ss.3, 7, 15-Land belonging to Math-Grant made in favour of Inam-           C
dar to render service to Math-Suit by great grandson of original Inamdar for
declaration of title on the ground that the original inamdar had acquired title
by prescription-Held, after the Act had come into force, pre-existing 1ight,
title and interest stood extinguished and new rights were sought to be
conferred u/s. 3 read with s. 7-A new grant of ryotwari patta is to be made by
the Tehsildar by way of an order after enquiry to the extent of entitlement as    D.
per law-Jurisdiction of civil cmat to declare title to Inam land by necessary
implication stood extinguished-Plaintiff cannot claim any exclusive title to
the property as owner and lay claim for declaration of title on that basis.

        CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION Civil Appeal No. 8994 of                     E
1996.

     From the Judgment and Order dated 8th March, 1983 of the Andhra
Pradesh High Court in Second Appeal No. 191/80.

        Mr. A Subba Rao, for the Appellant.
                                                                                  F
        The following order of the Court was delivered.

        Leave granted. Substitution allowed.

      Though the dasti notice had been served on the L.R., he refused to          G
accept as per the statement made in the affidavit filed in support of the
dasti service. Accordingly we have heard the counsel for the appellant.

     The case of the respondent set up in the plaint was that originally
the property belonged to the appellant Shri Pushpagiri Math. Sub-
sequently, the property was granted in favour of one K. Narasingaiah, the H
                                     515
    516                  SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1996] SUPP. 2 S.C.R.

A great grand-father of the plaintiff as Bhatavarthi Inam by Sankaracharya
    who was Peetadhipathi of the math. He was in possession and enjoyment
    as a grantee. Subsequently, he acquired title by prescription. The trial
    Court decteed the suit in OS No. 66/68 dated September 30, 1974. On
    appeal the Additional Subordinate Judge, Narasaraopet in his judgment
    and decree dated December 29, 1979 in A.S. No. 218/78 held that Ex. A-1
B   to Ex. A-10 positively show that the suit land is a Bhatavarthi Inam land
    and was in possession of the ancestors of the respondent-plaintiff since
    1950 under Ex.A-1. The land, therefore, is a Bhatavarthi Inam land as
    evidenced by Ex. A-1 to A-10 granted originally by Bhatavarthi in or
    around the year 1900 for rendering service that was being rendered by the
C   plaintiff- math to the appellant. Math is the real owner of the land granted
    as an inam to the respondent-plaintiff. It was also found that Ex.B-1 to
    B-14 and B-17 would prove conclusive evidence that the appellant is the
    absolute owner of the land and tbe respondent plaintiff and his ancestors
    were permitted to continue in possession and enjoyment of the land as
D   inamdars for service rendered and to be rendered by them to the institu-
    tion. The appellate Court accordingly held that the decree for declaration
    of Litle and injunction cannot be granted against the real owner. In S.A.
    No. 191/80, the High Court of A.P. by judgment and decree dated March
    8, 1983 reversed the judgment of the appellate Court and confirmed that
    of the trial Court. Thus this appeal by special leave.
E
           When it is an admitted case that the land originally belonged to the
    Math and when the appellate Court has recorded the finding of fact on the
    basis of the documentary evidence that the Math is the owner of the
    property and that the respondent admittedly came in possession as an
p   lnamdar to render service to the math, he cannot claim any possessory title
    or title in his own right. Under the A.P. lnam Abolition and Conversion
    into R yotwari Act, Act 37/56, after the Aet had come into force, the
    pre-existing right, title and interest stood extinguished and the new rights
    were sought to be conferred under Section 3 read with Section 7 thereof
    either in a suo nzotu enquiry under Section 3 or on an application under
G   Section 7. A new grant of ryotwari patta is to be made by the Tehsildar by
    way of an order after enquiry lo the extent of entitlement as per law. ll
    would be subject to an appeal to the Revenue Divisional Officer which
    becomes final. In Peddinti Venkata Murai/ Ranganatha Deslka Iyengar &
    Ors. v. Govt. of A.P. & Anr., JT (1996) 1 SC 234, a Bench of two Judges of
H   this Court (in which one of us K. Ramaswamy J. was a member) had
                     PUSHPAGIRIMATI! v. K.V.RAO                            517

considered the scope and operation of the Act. While considering the              A
constitutional validity of Section 76 of the AP. Charitable and Hindu
Religious Institution and Endowments Act, 1987, the Court held that a
person or institution or the tenant in occupation is entitled to ryotwari patta
in respect of the land. The institution is entitled to the extent of 2/3 and
the tenant or person is entitled to ryotwari patta lo an extent of 1/3 share.
                                                                                  B
The grant of ryotwari palta under Section 7 becomes conclusive overriding
the effect given by Section 15 over any other law. It would, therefore, be
clear that after the lnam stood abolished, the pre-existing rights extin-
guished and the obligation to render service burdened with the land was
relieved. The holder of the land became entitled to free hold ryotwari patta.
Thus the pre-existing right title and interest stood extinguished.                c
       It would thus be clear that by statutory operation of the provisions
of the Act, the pre-existing right or interest held by the inamdar or the
institution stood extinguished and conferment of ryotwari patta under
Section 7 read with Section 3 becomes conclusive between the parties.
Therefore, the jurisdiction of the Civil Court to declare title to the Inam       D
land by necessary implication, stood excluded. Under those circumstances,
the respondent cannot claim any exclusive title to the property as an owner
and lay claim for declaration of title on that basis. Unfortunately, the High
Court blissfully became ignorant to the statutory operation of law and the
legal evidence and the effect and proceeded 'on the premise that the grant        E
has been lost and the respondent has become owner of the property by
prescription. Though the plea of adverse possession was raised) no issue
has been framed in that behalf nor any finding was recorded by the trial
Court or the appellate Court. Under these circumstances, the High Court
was wholly wrong in its conclusion that the respondent has established his
title to the property.                                                            F

       The appeal is accordingly allowed ang the suit of the respondent
stands dismissed. But in the circumstances without costs.

R.P.                                                         Appeal allowed.