{"id":159284,"date":"2000-09-28T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2000-09-27T18:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.legalindia.com\/judgments\/state-of-west-bengal-ors-vs-scene-screen-pvt-ltd-anr-on-28-september-2000"},"modified":"2015-04-22T19:43:28","modified_gmt":"2015-04-22T14:13:28","slug":"state-of-west-bengal-ors-vs-scene-screen-pvt-ltd-anr-on-28-september-2000","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.legalindia.com\/judgments\/state-of-west-bengal-ors-vs-scene-screen-pvt-ltd-anr-on-28-september-2000","title":{"rendered":"State Of West Bengal &amp; Ors vs Scene Screen (Pvt.) Ltd., &amp; Anr on 28 September, 2000"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"docsource_main\">Supreme Court of India<\/div>\n<div class=\"doc_title\">State Of West Bengal &amp; Ors vs Scene Screen (Pvt.) Ltd., &amp; Anr on 28 September, 2000<\/div>\n<div class=\"doc_author\">Author: D.P.Mohapatra<\/div>\n<div class=\"doc_bench\">Bench: R.P.Sethi, D.P.Mohapatro<\/div>\n<pre>           CASE NO.:\nAppeal (civil) 834  of  1981\n\n\n\nPETITIONER:\nSTATE OF WEST BENGAL &amp; ORS.\n\n\tVs.\n\nRESPONDENT:\nSCENE SCREEN (PVT.) LTD., &amp; ANR.\n\nDATE OF JUDGMENT:\t28\/09\/2000\n\nBENCH:\nR.P.Sethi, D.P.Mohapatro\n\n\n\n\nJUDGMENT:\n<\/pre>\n<p>D.P.MOHAPATRA,J.\n<\/p>\n<p>L&#8230;..I&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;T&#8230;&#8230;.T&#8230;&#8230;.T&#8230;&#8230;.T&#8230;&#8230;.T&#8230;&#8230;.T..J<\/p>\n<p>      State of West Bengal represented by the Secretary Land<br \/>\nand  Land  Reforms  Department,\t  the  Junior  Land  Reforms<br \/>\nOfficer,   Barrackpore\tCircle,\t  P.S.Khardah,\tDistt.\t  24<br \/>\nParganas  and  the  Additional\t Collector  and\t  Additional<br \/>\nDistrict Magistrate (Land Reforms), 24 Parganas (North) have<br \/>\nfiled  this  appeal assailing the judgment of  the  Division<br \/>\nBench of the Calcutta High Court dated 7.4.1977 allowing the<br \/>\nAppeal from Original Order No.409 of 1961 filed by Sasthidas<br \/>\nMalik,\t(respondent  No.2  herein)  on\tsetting\t aside\t the<br \/>\njudgment  of  the  learned  Single   Judge  in\tCivil\tRule<br \/>\nNo.915\/59.   The Civil Rule was filed by Sasthidas Malik who<br \/>\nwill hereinafter be referred to as the petitioner.\n<\/p>\n<p>      The dispute raised in the case relates to the question<br \/>\nwhether\t the writ petitioner is entitled to retain the lands<br \/>\ncomprised in plot Nos.\t11 and 32 under Khatyan Nos.  21 and<br \/>\n390  respectively of Mouza Kalidah extending over an area of<br \/>\n2.3432\tacres,\tunder  the  provisions of  the\tWest  Bengal<br \/>\nEstates&#8217;  Acquisition Act, 1953 (hereinafter referred to  as<br \/>\n&#8216;the  Act&#8217;).  In the records of right published in the\tyear<br \/>\n1931 the lands were recorded in the name of the petitioner&#8217;s<br \/>\nfather\tand  as\t having pucca structures  therein.   By\t two<br \/>\nindentures  of lease dated 26.11.1947 and 25.8.1952.  Prosad<br \/>\nDas  Malik, father of the petitioner, gave lease of the said<br \/>\ntwo  plots  of\tland  to   M\/s\tScene  Screen  (Pvt.)  Ltd.,<br \/>\nrespondent  No.1  herein,  (hereinafter referred to  as\t the<br \/>\nlessee), for the purpose of building a cinema house and shop<br \/>\nrooms,\tfor a term of 30 years on payment of rent  mentioned<br \/>\nin  the\t documents.   After  the death\tof  his\t father\t the<br \/>\npetitioner  had\t become the owner of the said lands.   After<br \/>\ncoming\tinto  force of the West Bengal Estates&#8217;\t Acquisition<br \/>\nAct,  1953  the\t petitioner submitted a return in  Form\t &#8216;B&#8217;<br \/>\nproposing  to retain the lands covered by the said leases as<br \/>\nan  intermediary under section 6 of the Act.  In the  record<br \/>\nof  rights  prepared under section 39 of the Act  the  lands<br \/>\nwere   recorded\t in  the  name\tof  respondent\tNo.1  as   a<br \/>\nnon-agricultural  tenant  under\t the petitioner.   When\t the<br \/>\npetitioner  demanded arrears of rent amounting to  Rs.4725\/-<br \/>\nfrom  the lessee it replied that as a result of operation of<br \/>\nthe  provisions\t of  the Act the petitioner  was  no  longer<br \/>\nentitled  to  receive the rent which was being paid  to\t the<br \/>\nGovernment  of\tWest Bengal.  Faced with the  situation\t the<br \/>\npetitioner  filed  the writ petition  contending  inter-alia<br \/>\nthat  the State Government has no right to collect rent from<br \/>\nthe  &#8211;\tlessee\tas  under section 6(1)(b)  of  the  Act\t the<br \/>\npetitioner  is\tentitled  to  retain the lands\tand  he\t has<br \/>\nelected\t to  do\t so  by submitting the return  in  Form\t &#8216;B&#8217;<br \/>\nincluding  these  lands.   Having failed to  get  favourable<br \/>\nresponse  from\tthe  officers  concerned of  the  State\t the<br \/>\npetitioner filed the writ petition seeking inter alia a writ<br \/>\nof  mandamus directing the State Government and its officers<br \/>\nnot  to recognise the lessee as a tenant under the State and<br \/>\nnot to realise rent from it.\n<\/p>\n<p>      In  the affidavit in opposition filed on behalf of the<br \/>\nrespondents  1\tto  3  to the writ  petition,  who  are\t the<br \/>\nappellants herein, the gist of the case pleaded was that the<br \/>\npetitioner  was\t not entitled to retain the  rent  receiving<br \/>\ninterest  in  respect  of the land leased in favour  of\t the<br \/>\nrespondent-lessee.   Even  though  the leases  were  created<br \/>\nprior  to  the\tdate  of  coming  into\tforce  of  the\tAct.<br \/>\nReference  was made to section 5(c) of the Act in support of<br \/>\nthe  contention that the lessor&#8217;s interest created in favour<br \/>\nof  the predecessor in interest of the petitioner had vested<br \/>\nin  the\t State\ton  April 14, 1955 on  the  same  terms\t and<br \/>\nconditions  as\tagreed between the lessor and the lessee  on<br \/>\nthe  date  of  vesting.\t  The learned single  Judge  in\t his<br \/>\njudgment   noticed  the\t relevant   provisions\tof  the\t Act<br \/>\nparticularly section 6(1)(b) of the Act as it stood prior to<br \/>\nthe  amendment\tof the Act by the West Bengal Act 9 of\t1961<br \/>\nwhich  was  published in the Gazette on April 24,  1961\t and<br \/>\nheld that the section 6 aims on taking away all the lands of<br \/>\nintermediary  except  such  portions thereof as are  in\t his<br \/>\nactual\tpossession within the specified limits.\t The learned<br \/>\nsingle\tJudge was of the view that it would not be right  to<br \/>\nhold  that  the land in the possession of tenants  could  be<br \/>\nretained  by  the  ex-intermediary  merely  because  of\t the<br \/>\nabsence\t of the words &#8220;khas possession&#8221; in section  6(1)(b).<br \/>\nInterpreting  section 6(1) (b) the learned Single Judge held<br \/>\nthat  an intermediary can only retain the land comprised  in<br \/>\nbuilding  or  structures owned by him or held under  him  by<br \/>\nleave  or  licence and not by a tenant.\t The learned  single<br \/>\nJudge  dismissed the writ petition on the finding that under<br \/>\nsection\t 6(1)(b)  as it stood before the amendment  as\talso<br \/>\nunder  the  altered  provision\t after\tthe  amendment,\t the<br \/>\npetitioner  was not entitled to retain the lands covered  by<br \/>\nthe structures erected by the lessee.\n<\/p>\n<p>      Feeling  aggrieved  by  the judgment  of\tthe  learned<br \/>\nsingle\tJudge  the  petitioner filed the  appeal  which\t was<br \/>\ndecided\t in his favour by the Judgment dated 7th April, 1977<br \/>\nwhich is under challenge in this appeal.  The Division Bench<br \/>\ntook  the view that the appellant is a tenant in respect  of<br \/>\nthe non- agricultural land holding under the proprietor or a<br \/>\ntenure holder and so he is not an agricultural tenant within<br \/>\nthe  meaning  of clause (k) of section 2 of the Act.  He  is<br \/>\nalso   not  an\t&#8216;intermediary&#8217;\tas   defined  in  the\tAct.<br \/>\nElucidating  the  point the Division Bench observed that  as<br \/>\nthe  disputed  land is a part of the Government\t Khas  Mahal<br \/>\nland,\tit  must  have\tbeen   settled\tin  favour  of\t the<br \/>\npredecessor-in-interest\t of the appellant by the Government.<br \/>\nThat  the  relationship\t between   the\tGovernment  and\t the<br \/>\npredecessor-in-interest\t  of  the  appellant   as  per\t the<br \/>\nprovisions  of\tthe Bengal Tenancy Act would be that of\t the<br \/>\nlandlord  and tenant.  Referring to the status of the lessee\n<\/p>\n<p>-respondent  No.4 in that appeal the Division Bench observed<br \/>\nthat  the  said\t respondent has been recorded  as  possessor<br \/>\n(&#8216;dakhalkar&#8217;)  in  respect of the non-agricultural land\t and<br \/>\nthat  there  is\t no  dispute  that  the\t said  lessee  is  a<br \/>\nnon-agricultural  tenant.   Relying  on\t  the  C.S.   Record\n<\/p>\n<p>-of-Rights in which the names of the predecessor-in-interest<br \/>\nof  the\t appellant  including the name of  his\tfather\twere<br \/>\nrecorded  as  tenure  holders  and in  the  absence  of\t any<br \/>\nevidence   that\t the  disputed\tland   was  ever  used\t for<br \/>\nagricultural purposes;\ton the contrary there being positive<br \/>\nevidence  that\tthe  disputed land was being used  for\tnon-<br \/>\nagricultural purposes by the lessee since 1931, the Division<br \/>\nBench  held  that the appellant being non-agricultural\tuser<br \/>\nwas liable to pay the rent.  The Division Bench rejected the<br \/>\ncontention  raised  on behalf of the State and its  officers<br \/>\nthat  since  under the document of lease the  appellant\t was<br \/>\ngiven  a rent receiving right he is an intermediary for\t the<br \/>\npurposes of the Act.  On the said finding the Division Bench<br \/>\nset  aside  the\t judgment of the learned  single  Judge\t and<br \/>\ndirected  that\ta writ in the nature of mandamus  be  issued<br \/>\ndirecting  the\trespondents  not to realise  the  rent\tfrom<br \/>\nrespondent  No.4 (R-1 herein) who holds the land as a tenant<br \/>\nunder  the appellant and further directed issue of a writ in<br \/>\nthe  nature  of certiorari quashing the orders of the  State<br \/>\nGovernment  or its officers directing to treat the said land<br \/>\nas vested land and to realise rent from respondent No.4 (R-1<br \/>\nherein) in respect thereof.\n<\/p>\n<p>      Shri_Jaideep  Gupta, learned counsel appearing for the<br \/>\nappellants  strenuously urged that the Division Bench of the<br \/>\nHigh  Court committed error in holding that the interest  of<br \/>\nthe  lessor-respondent No.2 in the land in question did\t not<br \/>\nvest in the State under the West Bengal Estates&#8217; Acquisition<br \/>\nAct,  1953.   According to the counsel, the  Division  Bench<br \/>\nhaving\tfound  that  respondent\t  No.1\twas  undisputedly  a<br \/>\nnon-agricultural   tenant  holding  the\t  land\t under\t the<br \/>\nrespondent  No.2,  should have held that all such  interests<br \/>\nbetween\t the possessor of the land and the State  Government<br \/>\nwere  intermediary  interests which stood vested  under\t the<br \/>\nsaid  Act.   The learned counsel also submitted\t that  since<br \/>\nrespondent  No.2  himself  submitted a return  in  Form\t &#8216;B&#8217;<br \/>\nexpressing  the\t intention  to retain the lands\t in  dispute<br \/>\nthereby\t acknowledging\this status as an  intermediary,\t the<br \/>\nDivision Bench was not right in holding to the contrary.\n<\/p>\n<p>      Shri Manoj Chatterjee learned counsel for Respondent-1<br \/>\nalso  adopted  the  contention\traised\t on  behalf  of\t the<br \/>\nappellants.\n<\/p>\n<p>      Learned  counsel\tappearing for respondent  No.2,\t the<br \/>\nlessor\tsupported  the judgment of the Division Bench  under<br \/>\nchallenge  contending that in the facts and circumstances of<br \/>\nthe  case  respondent  No.2  could  not be  said  to  be  an<br \/>\n&#8216;intermediary&#8217;\tunder  the Act, and therefore, the  Division<br \/>\nBench  rightly\theld that his interest in the lands did\t not<br \/>\nvest in the State Government.\n<\/p>\n<p>      Since  the notification under section 4 of the Act was<br \/>\nissued\ton  1.4.1955  and the vesting  of  the\tintermediary<br \/>\nestate\ttherein\t took  effect from 14.4.1955  the  statutory<br \/>\nprovisions  of the Act as it stood prior to the amendment in<br \/>\n1961 are relevant for the purpose of deciding this case.\n<\/p>\n<p>      In  Section  2  of  the\tAct  are  incorporated\t the<br \/>\ndefinitions  of the different terms used in the Act.   Under<br \/>\nclause\t(f) of the said section it is provided that &#8220;estate&#8221;<br \/>\nor  &#8220;tenure&#8221; includes part of an estate or part of a tenure.<br \/>\nUnder  clause  (h) &#8220;incumbrance&#8221; in relation to estates\t and<br \/>\nrights of intermediaries therein does not include the rights<br \/>\nof  a raiyat or of an under-raiyat or of a  non-agricultural<br \/>\ntenant.\t  In  clause (I) &#8220;intermediary&#8221; means a\t proprietor,<br \/>\ntenure-holder, under-tenure-holder or any other intermediary<br \/>\nabove\ta   raiyat   or\t   a   non-   agricultural   tenant.<br \/>\nNon-agricultural  land is defined in clause (j) to mean land<br \/>\nother\t than\tagricultural\tland.\t  In   clause\t (k)<br \/>\n&#8216;non-agricultural   tenant&#8217;   means   a\t  tenant   of\tnon-<br \/>\nagricultural   land   who  holds   under  a  proprietor,   a<br \/>\ntenure-holder  or an under- tenure holder.  In section\t2(p)<br \/>\nit  is\tlaid down that the expressions used in this Act\t and<br \/>\nnot otherwise defined have in relation to the areas to which<br \/>\nthe  Bengal  Tenancy Act, 1885 (VIII of 1885), applies,\t the<br \/>\nsame  meaning as in that Act and in relation to other  areas<br \/>\nmeaning\t as similar thereto as the existing law relating  to<br \/>\nland tenures applying to such areas, permits.\n<\/p>\n<p>      In  Section  3 it is provided that the  provisions  of<br \/>\nthis  Act shall have effect notwithstanding anything to\t the<br \/>\ncontrary  contained  in\t any other law or  in  any  contract<br \/>\nexpress\t or implied or in any instrument and notwithstanding<br \/>\nany usage or custom to the contrary.\n<\/p>\n<p>      Section  4 in which provision is made regarding  issue<br \/>\nof notification vesting estates and rights of intermediaries<br \/>\nlays  down  in sub-section(1) that the State Government\t may<br \/>\nfrom  time to time by notification declare that with  effect<br \/>\nfrom the date mentioned in the notification, all estates and<br \/>\nthe  rights  of\t every\tintermediary  in  each\tsuch  estate<br \/>\nsituated  in any district or part of a district specified in<br \/>\nthe  notification,  shall  vest in the State free  from\t all<br \/>\nincumbrances.\n<\/p>\n<p>      In  section  5  the effects of a\tnotification  issued<br \/>\nunder  section\t4 are enumerated.  The relevant portions  of<br \/>\nthe same are quoted hereunder :\t &#8220;5.  Effect of notification\n<\/p>\n<p>&#8211;  Upon the due publication of a notification under  section<br \/>\n4, on and from the date of vesting &#8211;\n<\/p>\n<p>      (a)  the\testates and the rights of intermediaries  in<br \/>\nthe estates, to which the declaration applies, shall vest in<br \/>\nthe  State  free from all incumbrances;\t in  particular\t and<br \/>\nwithout\t prejudice  to the generality of the  provisions  of<br \/>\nthis  clause, every one of the following rights which may be<br \/>\nowned by an intermediary shall vest in the State, namely :-\n<\/p>\n<p>      xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx<\/p>\n<p>      (c)  until  the  provisions of Chapter  VI  are  given<br \/>\neffect\tto, every raiyat or non-agricultural tenant, holding<br \/>\nany land under an intermediary, shall hold the same directly<br \/>\nunder  the State, as if the State had been the intermediary,<br \/>\nand  on the same terms and conditions as immediately  before<br \/>\nthe date of vesting :\n<\/p>\n<p>      (d)  every  raiyat or non-agricultural tenant  holding<br \/>\nunder an intermediary shall be bound to pay to the State his<br \/>\nrent  and other dues in respect of his land, accruing on and<br \/>\nfrom  the  date\t of  vesting,  and  every  payment  made  in<br \/>\ncontravention  of  this\t clause\t shall be  void\t and  of  no<br \/>\neffect.&#8221;\n<\/p>\n<p>      In  Section  6  the   provisions\tregarding  right  of<br \/>\nintermediary  to  retain certain lands are enumerated.\t The<br \/>\nrelevant  provisions are quoted hereinbelow:  &#8220;6.  Right  of<br \/>\nintermediary to retain certain lands &#8211;\n<\/p>\n<p>      (1)  Notwithstanding anything contained in sections  4<br \/>\nand  5, an intermediary shall, except in the case  mentioned<br \/>\nin  the proviso to sub-section (2) but subject to the  other<br \/>\nprovisions  of that sub-section, be entitled to retain\twith<br \/>\neffect from the date of vesting &#8211;\n<\/p>\n<p>      (a) land comprised in homesteads;<\/p>\n<p>      xxxxx xxx<\/p>\n<p>      (b) land comprised in or appertaining to buildings and<br \/>\nstructures, whether erected by the intermediary or not;\n<\/p>\n<p>      (c)  non-agricultural land in his khas possession, not<br \/>\nexceeding  fifteen  acres  in area, and excluding  any\tland<br \/>\nretained under clause (a) &#8211;\n<\/p>\n<p>      Provided\tthat the total area, of land retained by  an<br \/>\nintermediary  under  clauses  (a) and (c) shall\t not  exceed<br \/>\ntwenty acres, as may be chosen by him;\n<\/p>\n<p>      Provided\tfurther\t that  if the land  retained  by  an<br \/>\nintermediary  under  clause (c) or any part thereof  is\t not<br \/>\nutilised  for  a period of five consecutive years  from\t the<br \/>\ndate  of  vesting, for a gainful or productive purpose,\t the<br \/>\nland  or  the  part  thereof may be  resumed  by  the  State<br \/>\nGovernment  subject to payment of compensation determined in<br \/>\naccordance  with the principles laid down in sections 23 and<br \/>\n24 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 I of 1894);\n<\/p>\n<p>      (d)  agricultural\t land  in his khas  possession,\t not<br \/>\nexceeding  twenty  five acres in area, as may be  chosen  by<br \/>\nhim:\n<\/p>\n<p>      Provided\tthat  if he does not cultivate such land  or<br \/>\nany part thereof for a period of four consecutive years from<br \/>\nthe  date of vesting, the State Government shall be entitled<br \/>\nto  resume  such land or part thereof upon payment  of\tsuch<br \/>\ncompensation  as  may be determined in accordance  with\t the<br \/>\nprinciples  laid  down\tin sections 23 and 24  of  the\tLand<br \/>\nAcquisition Act, 1894;\n<\/p>\n<p>      xxxxx xxxxxx &#8221;\n<\/p>\n<p>      (2)   An\tintermediary  who  is  entitled\t to   retain<br \/>\npossession of any land under sub-section (1) shall be deemed<br \/>\nto  hold such land directly under the State from the date of<br \/>\nvesting as a tenant, subject to such terms and conditions as<br \/>\nmay be prescribed and subject to payment of such rent as may<br \/>\nbe  determined\tunder  the  provisions of this\tAct  and  as<br \/>\nentered\t in  the  record-of-rights finally  published  under<br \/>\nChapter\t V  except  that no rent shall be payable  for\tland<br \/>\nreferred to in clause (h) or (i):\n<\/p>\n<p>      Provided\tthat  if  any  tank   fishery  or  any\tland<br \/>\ncomprised  in  a  tea-garden,\torchard,  mill,\t factory  or<br \/>\nworkshop  was  held immediately before the date\t of  vesting<br \/>\nunder a lease, such lease shall be deemed to have been given<br \/>\nby  the State Government on the same terms and conditions as<br \/>\nimmediately before such date.\n<\/p>\n<p>      (Emphasis supplied)<\/p>\n<p>      Section  10  which provides for the Collector to\ttake<br \/>\ncharge of estates and rights of intermediaries vested in the<br \/>\nState provides that upon the publication of any notification<br \/>\nunder  section 4, the Collector shall take charge of estates<br \/>\nand  interests\tof  intermediaries which vest in  the  State<br \/>\nunder section 5.\n<\/p>\n<p>      From  the statutory provisions referred to above it is<br \/>\nfairly\tclear that upon publication of a notification  under<br \/>\nsection\t 4  estates and the rights of intermediaries in\t the<br \/>\nestates\t to which the declaration applies are vested in\t the<br \/>\nState  free  from  all\tencumbrances.\tSection\t 6  vests  a<br \/>\nstatutory  right in the intermediary to retain certain lands<br \/>\nas  enumerated\tin the section.\t Under sub- section  (1)  of<br \/>\nsection\t 6  an intermediary is entitled to retain  the\tland<br \/>\ncomprised  in  or  appertaining to building  and  structures<br \/>\nowned  by  the\tintermediary or by any person, not  being  a<br \/>\ntenant,\t holding under him by leave or licence.\t Clause\t (c)<br \/>\nof  sub-section\t (1) which refers to non- agricultural\tland<br \/>\nprovides   that\t such  land  in\t  khas\tpossession  of\t the<br \/>\nintermediary including land held under him by any person not<br \/>\nbeing a tenant by leave or licence not exceeding 15 acres in<br \/>\narea  and excluding any land retained under clause (a)\ti.e.<br \/>\nland  comprised in homestead.  The different clauses (a)  to\n<\/p>\n<p>(j) in sub-section (1) of section 6 enumerated the different<br \/>\ntypes  of  land which an intermediary is entitled to  retain<br \/>\nafter vesting, each clause refers to a distinct and separate<br \/>\ncategory  of land which he is entitled to retain.   However,<br \/>\nthe  ceiling  on the extent of land under the  broad  heads,<br \/>\nagricultural land non-agricultural land and forests are also<br \/>\nprovided in the section.\n<\/p>\n<p>      In  the present case, as noted above, respondent\tNo.2<br \/>\nfiled  a return in Form &#8216;B&#8217; stating therein that he intended<br \/>\nto  retain the land in dispute with him after vesting.\tSuch<br \/>\na return could only be filed by an intermediary.  Respondent<br \/>\nNo.2  by submitting the return accepted the position that he<br \/>\nwas  an\t intermediary coming within the purview of the\tAct.<br \/>\nTherefore the question to be considered is whether the claim<br \/>\nfor  retaining the land under the provision of section\t6(1)\n<\/p>\n<p>(b)  is\t acceptable.  For deciding that question it was\t not<br \/>\nnecessary  for the Division Bench to embark upon the inquiry<br \/>\nwhether\t the  respondent No.2 was a non-agricultural  tenant<br \/>\nand  on that basis consider the further question whether his<br \/>\ninterest  in  the  land at all vested under  the  Act.\t The<br \/>\nrespondent  having himself accepted the position that he was<br \/>\nan  intermediary  the  High Court in the  writ\tjurisdiction<br \/>\nshould\tnot have embarked upon an inquiry which was  clearly<br \/>\nbeyond\tthe  scope  of the proceeding.\t Therefore,  in\t our<br \/>\nconsidered  view,  the Division Bench of the High Court\t was<br \/>\nnot  right  in taking up the question  whether\tKrishanamany<br \/>\nfrom  whom father of the respondent No.2 purchased the\tland<br \/>\nwas  a tenure holder and whether the interest of his  father<br \/>\nand  after him of respondent no.2 was also that of a  tenure<br \/>\nholder.\t In that connection certain provisions of the Bengal<br \/>\nTenancy\t Act, 1885 and decisions of Calcutta High Court\t and<br \/>\nthe  Privy  Council have been referred to.  In view  of\t the<br \/>\nmatter we have taken we do not feel called upon to determine<br \/>\nthe  question of correctness of the findings in that  regard<br \/>\non  merits.  At the cost of repetition we may reiterate that<br \/>\nthe  entire discussion on that question was unnecessary\t for<br \/>\ndecision of the case.\n<\/p>\n<p>      However,\tthat  is  not the end of the  problem.\t The<br \/>\nquestion  that\tremains\t to  be considered  is\twhether\t the<br \/>\nDivision  Bench\t was right in setting aside the judgment  of<br \/>\nthe  learned  single  Judge  holding  inter  alia  that\t the<br \/>\npetitioner respondent No.2 herein was not entitled to retain<br \/>\nthe land in dispute because he was not in khas possession of<br \/>\nthe  same.   In our considered view the Division  Bench\t was<br \/>\nright  in  setting aside the judgment of the learned  single<br \/>\nJudge.\t Section 6(1)(b) does not lay down that intermediary<br \/>\nshould\tbe  in khas possession of the land comprised  in  or<br \/>\nappertaining  to buildings or structures, whether erected by<br \/>\nhim or not.  On a close look at the section 6 it is manifest<br \/>\nthat  wherever\tthe  legislature intended to  lay  down\t the<br \/>\nrequirement  of\t &#8220;khas possession&#8221; as a condition  precedent<br \/>\nfor  the claim of right of retention it expressly stated so.<br \/>\nIn this connection the provisions of section 6(1)(c) and (d)<br \/>\nmay  be\t seen.\tSection 6(1) (b) clearly  and  unambiguously<br \/>\nlays  down that the intermediary shall be entitled to retain<br \/>\nthe  land  comprised  in  or appertaining  to  buildings  or<br \/>\nstructures  whether erected by the intermediary or not.\t  It<br \/>\nis  a well accepted principle of interpretation of statutory<br \/>\nprovisions  that  if  the plain language of the\t section  is<br \/>\nclear  or unambiguous it is not open to a Court to interpret<br \/>\nit  giving  a meaning different from the  plain\t grammatical<br \/>\nmeaning of the provision.  The learned single Judge, in view<br \/>\nof  the plain and unambiguous language of the provisions  of<br \/>\nthe  Act, was in error in introducing the condition of\tkhas<br \/>\npossession  in section 6(1)(b) even though the section\tmade<br \/>\nno  such provision.  Equally incorrect was the reason by the<br \/>\nlearned\t single\t Judge\tthat  if  the  requirement  of\tkhas<br \/>\npossession by the intermediary is not read into that section<br \/>\nit   will  result  in\tdiscrimination\t between   different<br \/>\ncategories  of lands which the intermediary may be  entitled<br \/>\nto  retain.   Each  clause  of section 6  (1)  refers  to  a<br \/>\nseparate category of land.  The reason for and the wisdom of<br \/>\nthe  legislature in insisting on khas possession in  respect<br \/>\nof  certain categories of land while not insisting upon\t the<br \/>\nsame  in others, cannot be questioned.\tWe are therefore  of<br \/>\nthe  view that the Division Bench of the High Court  rightly<br \/>\nset  aside  the\t judgment of the learned single\t Judge.\t  In<br \/>\nconclusion  while  not\tagreeing with the reasoning  in\t the<br \/>\njudgment  of  the Division Bench under challenge we  endorse<br \/>\nits  decision that the respondent No.2 is entitled to retain<br \/>\nthe  land which was leased in favour of the respondent\tNo.1<br \/>\nfor  construction  of  the cinema  hall.   Accordingly,\t the<br \/>\nappeal\tis  dismissed, but in the circumstances of the\tcase<br \/>\nwithout any order for costs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Supreme Court of India State Of West Bengal &amp; Ors vs Scene Screen (Pvt.) Ltd., &amp; Anr on 28 September, 2000 Author: D.P.Mohapatra Bench: R.P.Sethi, D.P.Mohapatro CASE NO.: Appeal (civil) 834 of 1981 PETITIONER: STATE OF WEST BENGAL &amp; ORS. Vs. RESPONDENT: SCENE SCREEN (PVT.) LTD., &amp; ANR. DATE OF JUDGMENT: 28\/09\/2000 BENCH: R.P.Sethi, D.P.Mohapatro [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-159284","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-supreme-court-of-india"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>State Of West Bengal &amp; Ors vs Scene Screen (Pvt.) 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