MANDIR SITA RAMJI PILANI Vs. LT GOVERNOR

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner is Shree Mandir Sita Ramji, Pilani managed and maintained by Shree Sita Ram Bhandar, a society registered under the Societies Registration Act 21 of 1960 through its general attorney Shri Madan Lal Anand, having its registered office in New Delhi. The petitioner is said to be a religious institution owning properties including those in dispute in this "Writ Petition. On the 24th of October, 1935, the petitioner purchased through Seth Jugal Kishore Birla about 324 bighas of land in village Karkar Duma (Shahdara), Delhi for religious purposes, the ownership of which re mained with the Shree Mandir Sita Ramji.

(2.) After the purchase of the said land, a Hanuman Mandir was constructed thereon and subsequently a number of other buildings were constructed from time to time to meet with various religious requirements. The income from the said land is said to have always been utilised for religious purposes.

(3.) On the 13th of November, 1959 a notification under section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 was made in respect of lands measuring about 34070 acres of Land marked as blocks Nos. A to T and X; maps were enclosed to the notification describing the properties thus sought to be acquired for a public purpose, namely, the planned development of Delhi. Exception, however, was made by clause 2(d) thereof in respect of certain properties including "land under grave-yards, tombs, shrinks and the land attached to religious institu- tions and wakf property".