Holding

The property is land under the Delhi Land Reforms Act, 1954, and a bhumidhari claim is not maintainable in a civil court; therefore the High Court's decision is affirmed.

Summary

The plaintiff, SMT. Kasturi (deceased), sued Gaon Sabha for a declaration that the inclusion of her disputed property in the Gaon Sabha's land records under the Delhi Land Reforms Act, 1954 was void and that she was entitled to bhumidhari rights under section 11 of the Act. The trial court and the first appellate court decreed in her favour, but the Delhi High Court reversed, holding that the property was "land" within the wide definition of section 3(13) and therefore vested in the Gaon Sabha, and that a bhumidhari claim could not be entertained by a civil court. The Supreme Court upheld the High Court, ruling that land used for fuel‑wood constitutes "groveland" and falls within the statutory definition, and that claims under section 11 are exclusively within the jurisdiction of the revenue court. Consequently, the appeal was dismissed.

Issues considered

Whether the disputed property falls within the definition of "land" under section 3(13) of the Delhi Land Reforms Act, 1954.
Whether a claim for bhumidhari rights under section 11 of the Act is maintainable in a civil suit in view of section 185.
Whether external definitions from other statutes may be used to interpret "land" under the Delhi Land Reforms Act.

Legislation cited

Delhi Land Reforms Act, 1954s. 11, s. 154(1)(i)-(vii), s. 185, s. 3(13)

Subjects

Delhi Land Reforms Actdefinition of landbhumidhari rightsGaon Sabhastatutory interpretationcivil suit jurisdictionland recordsvesting

Judgment

SMT. KASTURI (DEAD) BY L.RS. A
v.
GAON SABHA \

JULY 27, 1989

[RANGANATH MISRA AND KULDIP SINGH, JJ.] B

~ Delhi Land Reforms Act, 1954: Section 3( 13), I I, 154, 185-
, Land'-When vest in Gaon Sabha-Civil Suit-Declaration of
bhumidhari right-Whether maintainable.

Statutory Interpretation: External aid-Word defined in another c
statute containing different meaning-Not to be relied upon.

"" Words & Phrases: 'Land'-'Garden'-'Grove'-Meaning of.

The appellant-plaintiff sued for declaration that inclusion of the
disputed property in the land records of the respondent-Gaon Sabha on 'D
the basis that it had vested under the provisions of the Delhi Land
Reforms Act, 1954 was wrong, void and without jurisdiction, and for a
further declaration that she was entitied to bhumidhari rights in the
property under section 11 of the Act. In paragraph 4(d) of tbe plaint, it
was pleaded that the suit land was not 'land' and was not banjar (waste)
.J. and did not come within section 154(1)(i) to (vii) of the Act and, there- E
fore, there was no vesting in law. The proprietor, according to the
plaintiff, grew fuel wood and partly used the property as ghatwars and
used the stones for building purposes.
- The suit was decreed in the trial court, and the 5'iid decree was
affirmed in appeal, but at the instance of the respondent-defendant No. F
' 1-Gaon Sabha, the High Court in second appeal reversed the decrees
I~ of the courts below and dismissed the suit.

The High 'Court found that the property came within the defini-
tion of 'land' and, therefore, was subjected to the legal incidence of the
statutory provisions. In regard to the relief of hhumidhari rights, it held G
that the plaintiffs' suit was not maintainable.
fI
Dismissing the appeal this Court,

HELD: The definition of 'land' in section 3(13) of the Delhi Land
Reforms Act, 195.4 is wide. A land on which fuel wood is grown would H

59!
592 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1989] 3 S.C.R.

A constitute groveland. In view of the inclusive definition of 'land', the r--
tinding or the High Court that the dispute property constituted land
cannot be said to be wl'ODI!. [594C-D]

Nemi Chand v. Financial Commissioner, Punjab & Anr., AIR
1964 (51) Pwtjab 373; Rajinder Prashad & Anr. v. The Punjab State &
B Ors., AIR 1966 (53) Pwtjab 185; Munshi Ram & Ors. v. Financial Com- ~
missioner, Haryana & Ors., [1979] l SCC 471; Hatti v. Sunder Singh,
[1971] 2 SCR 163 referred to.

· It is impermissible to rely .oo
defmltions containiN meanings dlf.
ferent from ~ definition under the Delhi Land Reforms Act, 1954 f~
C a proper resolution oftbe dispute. [595AI

The High Court therefore came to the correct conclusion when it -..,
held that the disputed property ~nstituted 'land' under the Act, and
became liable to vest in the Gaon Sabha under the Act. [595B I

D CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Civil. Appeal No. 351
of 1974.

From the Judgment and Order dated 23.2.1973 of the Delhi High
Court in R.S.A. No. 69of 1968.

E Rajinder Sachar, Sr. Adv. and K.C. Dua for the Appellants.

N.S. Das Babat and D.N. Puri forthe Respondents.

The Judgment of the Court was delivered by .
-
F RANGANATH MISRA, J. This appeal is by special leave and the ~\
sole legal representative of the original plaintiff is in appeal.

The plaintiff sued for declaration that inclusion of the disputed
property in the land records of the respondent Gaon Sabha on the
basis that it had vested under the provisions of the Delhi Land
G Reforms Act, 1954, (hereinafter referred to as 'the Act') was wrong,
void and without jurisdiction and for a further declaration that she was
entitled to bhumidhari rights in the property under section 11 of the7
Act. Her suit was decreed in the trial court and the said decree was
affirmedin appeal but at the instance of defendant no. 1, Gaon Sabha,
the High Court in second appeal reversed the decrees of the courts
H below and dismissed the suit.
SMT. KASTURI v. GAON SABHA [MISRA, J.[ 593

The suit was instituted on 16.8.1966, The decision of this Court A
in tile case of Hatti v, Sunder Singh, [ 197!.] 2 SCR 163 settled the legal
position that a claim under section 11 of the Act for declaration of
bhumidhari right' was not maintainable in the Civil Court in view of
section 185 of the Aci.read with Schedule I and'exclusive jurisdiction
for adjudication of such claims vested in the appropriate Revenue
Court. This position of law is not disputed before us. In regard to the B
relief of bhumidhari rights the High Court had, therefore, rightly held
that the plaintiff's suit was not maintainable.

~· The only other submission advanced on behalf of the plaintiff for
our consideration is that the disputed property did not constitute 'land'
-., as defined in section 3( 13) of the Act and, therefore, the right, title c
and interest of the appellant as proprietor of the property was in no way
affected by the provisions of the Act and the inclusion of the property
in LR. 2 was void, and liable to vacation.

In paragtaph 4(d) of the plaint, plaintiff pleaded that the suit
land was not 'land' and was not banjar (waste) and did not come within D
section 154( l)(i) to (vii) of the Act and, therefore, there was no vest-
ing in law. Th.e proprie.tor, according to the plaintiff, grew fuel wood
and partly used the property as ghatwars and used the stones for build-
ing purposes.

The High Court has found that the property came within the E
definition of 'land' and, therefore, was subjected to the legal incidence,
of the statutory provisions. Section 3( 13) defines land to mean: '·

"land held or occupied for purposes connected with
agriculture, horticulture or animal husbandry including
pisciculture and poultry farming and includes- F

(a) buildings appurtenant therto,

(b) village, abadis,

(c) grovelands, G

(d) lands for village pasture or land covered by water and
used for growing singharas and other produce or land in the
bed of a river and used for casual or occasional cultivation

H
The definition of land in the Act is wide and in paragraph 4( d)
594 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1989) 3 S.C.R.
~
A the admitted position is fuel wood was being grown on the property.
'Horticulture', 'garden' and 'groveland' in the absence of statutory
definitions, would have the common parlance meaning. 'Horticulture',
as the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary indicates means:

"the cultivation of a garden." ~··
B
'Garden', according to the Dictionary, means-

"an area of land, usually planted with grass, trees, flower

\,
beds, etc.; an area of land used for the cultivation of oma-
mental plants, herbs, fruit, vegetables, trees, etc. *
'
·..ti
A grove, as the Dictionary puts it means; "A small wood.; small wood-
land area or plantation''. A land on which fuel wood is grown would
constitute groveland.

ln view of the inclusive d<jfinition of 'land', the finding of the
D High <Cqurt that the disputed property constituted land cannot be said
to be wtong. Reliance was placed on the decision of the Punjab High
Court in Nemi Chand v. Financial Commissioner, Punjab & Anr., AIR
1964 (51) Punjab 373 where the meaning of /and'in Punjab Security of l.
Land Tenures Act was under examination and the Court was called
upon to decide whether banjar Jadid and banjar quadim came within
E the definition. For that purpose the meaning of land occurring in the
Tenures Act and the Punjab Tenancy Act of 1887 was examined, The
Court also referred to the definition of land in Punjab Alienation of
Land Act, 1900. In the presence of a definition in the Act under
-
consideration', we find no justification to refer to definitions in diffe-
rent statutes for finding out whether the disputed property was land. ~
F
Appellant's counsel also placed reliance on the decision of a Full
Bench of the same High Court in the case of Rajinder Prasad & Anr. v.
The Punjab State & Ors., AIR 1966 (53) Punjab 185. Here again the
question for consideration was whether gair mumkin land was land
within the Punjab Security of Land Tenures Act. For the reason indi-
G cated above, we do not thihk that the appellant is entitled to any
support from the Full Bench Judgment. Lastly, reliance was placed on -j
the decision of this Court in Munshi Ram & Ors. v. Financial Commis-
sioner, Haryana & Ors., [1979] 1SCC471. The Court was considering
the true meaning of 'permissible area' under the Punjab Security of
Land Tenures Act and for that purpose the meaning of land was being
H examined; whether banjar Jadid should be excluded with reference to
SMT. KASTURI '· GAON SABHA [MISRA, J.J 595

the meaning of land under the East Pun jab Displaced Persons (Land A
Settlement) Act and the Punjab Tenancy Act was being debated
before the Court. We do not think in view of the statutory definition
any digration is necessary. It is impermissible to rely on definitions
. l containing meanings different from the definition under the Act for a
'"f proper resolution of the dispute. The High Court, in our opinion,
came to the correct conclusion when it held that the disputed property B
constituted land under the Act and became liable to vest in the Gaon
Sabha under the Act. The judgment of the High Court, therefore, is
-lr upheld and the appeal is dismissed. In the peculiar facts of this case,
( the parties are directed to bear their respective costs in this Court.

~ N.V.K. Appeal dismissed. C

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