AJIT SINGH Vs. JOINT DEVELOPMENT COMMISSIONER AND ORS.

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THIS order shall dispose of Letters Patent Appeal No. 1650 of 2014 and CWP No. 15786 of 2014 as both the cases have been instituted by Ajit Singh against the Gram Panchayat of his village Gosal Zimindara, Tehsil and District Amritsar.

(2.) FOR brevity and ready reference, the facts are being extracted from the Letters Patent Appeal which has been filed along with an application under Section 5 read with Section 12 of the Limitation Act seeking condonation of delay of 1433 days.

(3.) THE appellant filed a petition under Section 11 of the Punjab Village Common Lands (Regulation) Act, 1961 (hereinafter referred to as 'the Act') seeking declaration of his ownership in respect of land measuring 19 kanal 11 marlas situated within the revenue estate of his village. The Gram Panchayat contested the appellant's claim maintaining that the subject land was Shamilat Deh and stood vested in the Gram Panchayat. Though initially the appellant's petition was allowed vide order dated 17.11.1992 but after it was remanded by the Joint Development Commissioner, the Collector dismissed the same vide order dated 18.09.1997. The appellant filed statutory appeal which was also dismissed vide order dated 16.03.1998. The Appellate Authority, while dismissing the appellant's appeal, also directed his eviction from the suit land.