ABHI RAM Vs. MAHENDRA SINGH

JUDGEMENT

(1.) By means of this writ petition the petitioner has sought the writ of certiorari quashing the impugned judgment and order dated 12.02.1999 passed by the Tehsildar, Haridwar in case no.25/99 under Section 34/35 of U.P. Land Revenue Act 1901, whereby the name of the respondent was directed to be mutated in the revenue records on the basis of registered Will dated 19.04.96 executed by late Shri Baburam in favour of the respondents Mahendra Singh and Harish Chandra and order dated 22.05.99 whereby the restoration application filed by the petitioner was rejected and order dated 31.03.2000 whereby the appeal preferred by the petitioner has also been dismissed by the Assistant Collector 1st class and also the order dated 31.01.08 by which the revision filed by the petitioner was also dismissed.

(2.) Shri Baburam, Shri Abhi Ram (father of the petitioners) and Shri Kadam Singh (father of the respondents) were brothers. Baburam died issueless.

(3.) The submission of the learned Senior Advocate for the petitioners is that under the law, registration of a Will is not mandatory. He submitted that the registered Will will not have a precedence over the unregistered Will. He contended that when the controversy regarding claim arising out of two Wills is there, same ought to be decided after hearing both the parties. He argued that the perverse finding has been recorded by the Court that the respondents have filed their objection to the recall application. He submitted that the view taken by the Court, while deciding the recall application by entering into merit and deciding the propriety of the Will itself, was not the scope available to the Tehsildar, as he was ceased with deciding the application for recall only. It is submitted by the learned Senior Advocate for the petitioners that it is established preposition of law that while considering an application, the Court has to consider only the reasons given in the application and cannot adjudicate the rights on merits and thus, the Tehsildar, while rejecting the application, has exceeded the jurisdiction vested with him under Section 201 of the Land Revenue Act by entering into the merits of the principal proceedings. He argued that the view taken by the Tehsildar that while filing the recall application, the petitioners have not controverted the main application filed by the respondents seeking mutation on the basis of the Will, is a perverse finding because while filing an application for restoration, an objection/written statement to the merits of the application is not required to be seen. He submitted that the judgment rendered on the basis of Will was bad because the theory of Will cannot be accepted as the petitioner is a brother and he was required to be heard. He argued that the entire order is violative of principles of natural justice and the proceedings are vitiated.