INTEZAR HUSSAIN Vs. STATE OF UTTARAKHAND

JUDGEMENT

(1.) BY means of this petition, moved under Article 226/227 of Constitution of India, the petitioners have challenged order dated 03.08.2007, passed by respondent No.5 (Prescribed Authority/City Magistrate, Haldwani), whereby said authority has held that it has jurisdiction to proceed with the proceedings against the petitioners under Uttar Pradesh Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act, 1972. The question involved in this case is whether the petitioners are tenure holders, governed under any tenancy law, or is their occupation being over the Nazul land is governed by Uttar Pradesh Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act, 1972?

(2.) HEARD learned counsel for the parties, and perused the affidavit, counter affidavit, rejoinder affidavit and supplementary affidavit, filed in this case.

(3.) IT is also stated by the petitioners in the writ petition that in the year 2005, when the petitioners came to know that the officers of the Government want to get vacated the land in suit from the petitioners, they filed writ petition No. 1152 of 2005 (M/B) in which, an interim order was passed. In pursuance of said order, the petitioners made a representation (copy Annexure -7 to the present writ petition) to the Government which was rejected by the Government vide order dated 17.02.2006 (Annexure­8 to the writ petition). On this, petitioners filed a civil suit No. 08 of 2006, which is pending before Civil Judge (Sr. Div.) in which an interim injunction (copy Annexure -10 to the writ petition) was passed by the Civil Court. However, now the respondents, claiming the land in question to be a 'nazul' land (land owned by Government and administered by Municipal authorities since British period) have initiated the proceedings under U.P. Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act, 1972, against the petitioners. It appears that on this, another writ petition No. 1838 of 2006, challenging the show cause notice under said Act, was filed which was disposed of vide order dated 18.12.2006, passed by this Court. In pursuance of said order, objections were filed by the petitioners before the Prescribed Authority, as to the maintainability of the proceedings, which are rejected by the impugned order challenged in this writ petition.