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High Court of Gujarat

MUKESHBHAI S/O NATWARLAL MISTRIversusSTATE OF GUJARAT

Disposal
58-RULE ISSUED & RULE ABSOLUTE/ALLOWED @FH

Holding

The Court held that the notice under Section 202 is not sustainable and the order under Section 61 cannot be enforced until the appeal limitation period has expired.

Summary

The petitioner, Wajidkhan Sarafatkhan Pathan, filed a petition to quash an order dated 06.01.2026 issued under Section 61 of the Land Revenue Code, 1879, which directed removal of an encroachment within a week. He contended that a notice under Section 202 of the same Code had been issued on 17.12.2025, i.e., before the Section 61 order, and that such sequencing was beyond the Code’s scope, especially as he was in the process of filing an appeal. The respondent argued that the authority must follow due procedure under the Code. The Court observed that the Section 202 notice indeed preceded the Section 61 order and that a statutory appeal exists, so coercive steps cannot be taken until the limitation period for the appeal expires. Accordingly, the Court held the notice unsustainable, directed the authority not to enforce the order pending the appeal, and disposed of the petition without addressing the merits.

Issues considered

  • Whether a notice under Section 202 of the Land Revenue Code, 1879 can be issued prior to an order under Section 61
  • Whether the order under Section 61 can be enforced before the expiry of the limitation period for filing an appeal

Subjects

Land Revenue CodeSection 61Section 202encroachment removalstatutory appeallimitation periodquash ordercoercive steps

Judgment

     C/SCA/856/2026                                 ORDER DATED: 21/01/2026




      IN THE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT AT AHMEDABAD

       R/SPECIAL CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 856 of 2026
                           With
       R/SPECIAL CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 857 of 2026
                           With
       R/SPECIAL CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 858 of 2026
                           With
       R/SPECIAL CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 859 of 2026
                           With
       R/SPECIAL CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 860 of 2026
===================================================
            WAJIDKHAN SARAFATKHAN PATHAN
                           Versus
                STATE OF GUJARAT & ANR.
===================================================
Appearance:
MR. IBRAHIM M HAKIM(18634) for the Petitioner(s) No. 1
MR. DHAVAL TRIVEDI, AGP for the Respondent(s) no. 1,2
===================================================

 CORAM:HONOURABLE MS. JUSTICE VAIBHAVI D. NANAVATI

                          Date : 21/01/2026

                       COMMON ORAL ORDER

1.            RULE,   returnable      forthwith.   Mr.    Dhaval       Trivedi,

learned AGP waives service of Rule on behalf of the respondent –

State. With the consent of the learned advocates appearing for the

respective parties, the matter is taken-up for final hearing.




                                   Page 1 of 4
     C/SCA/856/2026                            ORDER DATED: 21/01/2026




2.            Heard Mr. MTM Hakim, learned advocate appearing

with Mr. Ibrahim M. Hakim, learned advocate appearing for the

petitioner and Mr. Dhaval Trivedi, learned AGP appearing for the

respondents.


3.            By way of present petition, the petitioner herein has

prayed to quash and set aside the impugned order dated 06.01.2026

passed by the respondent no.2 – City Survey Superintendent,

Vadodara under Section 61 of the Land Revenue Code, 1879 (for

short ‘the Code’). [Annexure-A].


4.            Mr. MTM Hakim, learned advocate appearing for the

petitioner submits that the petitioner herein is issued an order

under Section 61 of the Code, on 06.01.2026 duly produced at

Annexure – A to the petition, wherein, the respondent authority has

directed to remove the encroachment within a period of one week.

It is submitted that the petitioner herein is in process of preferring

an appeal. In view thereof, the impugned notice be directed not to

be acted upon. It is submitted that the notice under Section 202 of

the Code, 1879 was issued prior to the issuance of the order under

Section 61 of the Code i.e. on 17.12.2025. It is submitted that such


                               Page 2 of 4
     C/SCA/856/2026                             ORDER DATED: 21/01/2026




exercise of powers is beyond the scope of the Code, wherein, the

notice under Section 202 of the Code cannot be preceded by the

order under Section 61 of the Code.


5.            Mr. Dhaval Trivedi, learned AGP appearing for the

respondents submits that the respondent authority shall follow due

procedure under the Code.


6.            Considering the submissions advanced by the learned

advocates appearing for the respective parties, in view of statutory

Appeal provided against the order under Section 61 of the Code,

the limitation period thereof, the authorities are directed not to

take any coercive steps till the limitation period is over. Further, it

also emerges from the record, which is not in dispute that the

notice under Section 202 of the Code preceded the order under

Section 61 of the Code dated 06.01.2026, which is impugned in the

present petition. In view of the aforesaid, the impugned notice is

such that the same is not sustainable in eye of law. Further, the

respondent authority shall follow due procedure in accordance with

law as provided under the Land Revenue Code for removal of

encroachment in question.


                               Page 3 of 4
            C/SCA/856/2026                                                           ORDER DATED: 21/01/2026




   7.                   It is made clear that, this Court has not gone into the

   merits of the case and no opinion is expressed thereon. The present

   order is passed with the consent of the learned advocates appearing

   for the respective parties.


   8.                   All the contentions are kept open to be agitated before

   the Appellate forum. Parties are expected to co-operate in the

   proceedings before the Appellate forum.


   9.                   The present petition stands disposed of, accordingly.

   Rule is made absolute to the aforesaid extent.


   9.1.                 The        order         passed          in       the       present           petition          be

   communicated to the concerned Officer by the learned AGP

   forthwith.


                Direct service today is permitted.


                                                                          (VAIBHAVI D. NANAVATI,J)
   Pradhyuman




Original copy of this order has been signed by the Hon'ble Judge.
Digitally signed by: PRADHYUMANSINH DILIPSINH RAHEVAR(HC01408), PRIVATE SECRETARY, at High Court of Gujarat on 21/01/2026 14:14:26




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