High Court Punjab-Haryana High Court

Shindo vs State Of Punjab And Others on 9 September, 2008

Punjab-Haryana High Court
Shindo vs State Of Punjab And Others on 9 September, 2008
CRIMINAL MISC. NO.M 55254 OF 2004                                    :{ 1 }:

IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH


                    DATE OF DECISION: SEPTEMBER 09, 2008

       Shindo

                                                             .....Petitioner

                                         VERSUS

       State of Punjab and others

                                                              ....Respondents



CORAM:- HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE RANJIT SINGH

1. Whether Reporters of local papers may be allowed to see the judgement?
2. To be referred to the Reporters or not?
3. Whether the judgment should be reported in the Digest?



PRESENT:             None for the petitioner.

                    Mr. Antar Singh Brar, DAG, Punjab.
                               ****

RANJIT SINGH, J. (ORAL)

The petitioner, a poor Harijan lady, has approached this

Court, seeking quashing of the order passed by Sub Divisional

Magistrate, Balachaur, directing removing of a chhan (hut) in which

she is living as it is a cause of nuisance. Her plea is that she would

be rendered without a shelter in case the order passed by Sub

Divisional Magistrate is carried out. She claims that land underneath

the `chhan’ (hut) does not belong to Gurdwara as claimed. It is her

plea that evidence in regard to nuisance being caused by her was

not sufficient to establish nuisance and the order had been made on

account of some political rivalry, since the petitioner had not
CRIMINAL MISC. NO.M 55254 OF 2004 :{ 2 }:

supported the then Sarpanch of the village. These facts, however,

were disputed by counsel for the respondents, who also had pointed

out that the petitioner was having a house in the village. The petition

was subsequently admitted and interim order, staying operation of

the impugned order, was continued.

No one appears on behalf of the petitioner and the private

respondent today.

I have gone through the impugned order. The primary

reliance by the S.D.M. to pass the impugned order is on the report

given by Naib Tehsildar, Balachaur. The then Naib Tehsildar,

Balachaur, had inspected the land in dispute and had prepared a site

plan. As per this report, Sarup Singh son of Dalipa has constructed

a house in Khasra No.42, on 2 marla of land. The petitioner has

constructed a chhan in 8 marlas of land. 4-1/2 marlas of land is with

one Gian Singh, who has installed Guhari. Bhajan Singh has statedly

kept fire woods in 9 marlas of land. The report further mentions that

no Gurdwara is situated in these khasra numbers. It is on this basis,

the petitioner had submitted before the S.D.M that there is no illegal

possession by her on Gurdwara land. However, without recording

any finding, if the petitioner had occupied any Gurdwara land or has

caused nuisance, the S.D.M accepted the application and directed

that the land of Gurdwara be got vacated.

The main ground to seek eviction of the petitioner on

account of nuisance was that she had occupied the Gurdwara land.

This fact was required to be proved and established on the basis of

relevant evidence and material, before any direction for her eviction
CRIMINAL MISC. NO.M 55254 OF 2004 :{ 3 }:

could be made. Despite the evidence available to the contrary,

S.D.M has directed eviction of the petitioner. The evidence, which

was led in the form of report of Naib Tehsildar was that she had not

occupied any land belonging to Gurdwara.

In this background, S.D.M, Balachaur, in my view, was

totally misconceived in passing the impugned order. The same, as

such, can not be sustained and accordingly is set-aside. However,

the parties would be at liberty to move fresh application in case there

is any nuisance still being created by the petitioner or any other

person.

The petition is accordingly disposed of.

September 09,2008                         ( RANJIT SINGH )
khurmi                                         JUDGE