R. NATESAN Vs. DISTRICT COLLECTOR KANYAKUMARI DISTRICT KANYAKUMARI

JUDGEMENT

(1.) IN all these writ petitions, the petitioners have prayed for issuance of a writ of certiorarified mandamus to quash the order, dated 12.05.2014, passed by the second respondent and to forbear the respondents from disturbing their possession and enjoyment of the lands comprised in various survey numbers mentioned in the prayer of the writ petitions, without following the acquisition proceedings.

(2.) SINCE the facts are identical in all the writ petitions and the grounds of challenge of the impugned order are also identical, all these writ petitions were heard together and are disposed of by this common order.

(3.) THE second respondent would further state that pursuant to the report of the Tahsildar, dated 20.02.2014, notice was caused to the Pattadars on 26.04.2014 and they neither personally appeared nor sent their representations and hence it is presumed that they had nothing to explain and therefore the second respondent decided to proceed ex parte. The second respondent observed that the Aarachar lands were the type of service Inam lands existed during the erstwhile Travancore Government and Aarachar means 'hangman' in Malayalam. A family belonging to a particular community of Nanjil Nadu (presently Agasteeswaram and Thovalai Taluks) worked as Aarachars, who carried out the execution of convicts sentenced for death. By referring to Section 2(9)(iv) of the Tamil Nadu Minor Inams (Abolition and Conversion into Ryotwari) Act, 1963 (hereinafter, it may be referred as 'the Act') the service inams including the Aarachar service inams were to be considered as minor inams and accordingly to be dealt with. After referring to Section 21 of the Act, which deals with the procedure to be adopted in respect of settling the service inams.