The High Court held that an election petition is the exclusive remedy to challenge an elected office-bearer disqualified for prior land encroachment, as Section 131 applies only to disqualifications earned subsequently to the election.
Petition rejected; no order against the Director, Panchayati Raj in dismissing the victim's appeal was disturbed.
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IN THE HIGH COURT OF HIMACHAL PRADESH SHIMLA
CWP No.810 of 2008.
Judgment reserved on: 2.12.2010.
Date of Decision : 6.12.2010.
Smt.Suresh Kumari …Petitioner
Versus.
State of H.P. and others …Respondents. Coram:
The Hon’ble Mr.Justice Deepak Gupta, Judge.
Whether approved for Reporting? Yes
For the Petitioner(s): Mr.Ajay Sharma, Advocate. For the Respondent(s): Mr.Vivek Thakur, Addl.A.G. for Respondents No.1, 2 and 4. Mr.R.K.Gautam, Sr.Advocate with Ms.Archana Dutt, counsel for R-3.
Deepak Gupta, J .(oral)
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herein filed a complaint against Sh.Onkar Nath alleging that he had encroached upon Government land bearing khasra No.133, khata No.73 min, khatauni No.148 measuring 0-04-34 hectares and therefore he be removed from the post of Pardhan.
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again relying upon the judgment of this Court in Banolta’s case.
"122(1) : A person shall be disqualified for being chosen as, and for being, an office bearer, of a Panchayat _
(a) if he is so disqualified by or under any law for the time being in force for the purposes of the election to the State Legislature: Provided that no person shall be disqualified on the ground that he is less than 25 years, if he has attained the age of 21 years; (b) * * *
(c) if he has encroached upon any land belonging to, or taken on lease or requisitioned by or on behalf of, the State Government, a Municipality, a Panchayat or a Co-operative Society unless a period of six years has elapsed since the date on which he is ejected therefrom or he ceases to be the encroacher; or
(2) The question whether a person is or has become subject to any of the disqualifications under sub-section (1), shall after giving an opportunity to the person concerned of being heard, be decided _
(i) if such question arises during the process of an election, by an officer as may be authorized in this behalf by the State Government, in consultation with the State Election Commission; and
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(ii) if such question arises after the election process is over, by the Deputy Commissioner."
"243-O. Bar to interference by courts in electoral matters.-Notwithstanding anything in this Constitution-
(a) the validity of any law relating to the delimitation of constituencies or the allotment of seals to such constituencies made or purporting to be made under article 243K, shall not be called in question in any court; (b) no election to any Panchayat shall be called in question except by an election petition presented to such authority and in such manner as is provided for by or under any Law made by the legislature of a State."
precedence over other laws. The petitioner had filed the application for removal of Sh.Onkar Nath from the post of Pardhan under Section 131 of the Act which reads as follows:
131. Casual vacancies.- (1) If any person having been elected as an office bearer of a Panchayat-
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(a) subsequently becomes subject to any of the disqualification mentioned in section 122 and such disqualifications is not removable or being removable is not removed;
(b) absents himself from three consecutive meetings of the Panchayat or its Committee or does not attend half the number of meetings held during the period of six months without the leave of the Panchayat;
he shall, subject to the provisions of sub-section (2), cease to be such office bearer and his office shall become vacant:
Provided that where an application is made by an office bearer to the Panchayat for leave to absent himself under clause (b) and the Panchayat fails to inform the applicant of its decision on the application within a period of one month from the date of receipt of the application, the leave applied for, shall be deemed to have been granted by the Panchayat. (2) In every case the authority competent to decide whether a vacancy has occurred under sub-section (1) shall be the Deputy Commissioner in respect of Gram Panchayat and Panchayat Samiti and the Director in respect of Zila Parishad who may give his decision either on an application made to him by any person or on his own motion. Until the Deputy Commissioner or the Director, as the case may be, decides that the vacancy has occurred, the person shall not cease to be an office bearer:
Provided that no order shall be passed under this sub-section against any office bearer without giving him a reasonable opportunity of being heard.
(3) to (5) ……………………..”
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“13. It, therefore, clearly emerges from a combined reading of sub section (2) of section 122 and sub-section (1) and (2) of Section 131 that if any person having been elected as a Member of Zila Parishad subsequently “becomes subject to a disqualification.” Including a disqualification mentioned in clause (c) of sub section (1) of Section 122 the Deputy Commissioner may decide the issue and also decide that a vacancy has occurred and that the person chosen shall cease to be a member or office bearer, as the case may be proviso to sub section (2) of Section 131 clearly lays down that no order shall be passed against such a person without giving him a reasonable opportunity of being heard.
14.It would thus be clear that the scope of clause (ii) of sub section (2) of Section 122 is limited only to such fact situations where the allegation of encroachment upon the land of a municipality relates to a period of time after the election process was over, and not before the election process had started or during its pendency.”
12. Further it was held as follows:
“17. It would thus be clear that the scope of clause (ii) of sub section (2) of Section 122 is limited only to such fact situations where the allegation of encroachment upon the land of a municipality relates to a period of time after the election process was over, and not before the election process had started or during its pendency. 18. Based on the aforesaid reasoning we have no hesitation in holding that the order dated June 27, 2002 as passed by respondent No.4 declaring the petitioner as disqualified and setting aside his election, was patently erroneous and invalid because this order was passed by him in purported exercise of the power under clause (ii) of sub section (2) of Section 122 of the Act, but as noticed above, such a remedy was not available because the question of the petitioner being an encroacher upon the land of the municipality had
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not arisen after the election process was over because it was very much in existence, as per the allegation of respondent No.2 himself, much prior to the stage of the election process, and the only remedy therefore which was available to respondent No.2, was by way of filing an election petition under Section 163 of 1994 Act.”
“17. Once, thus, a person is declared to be an encroacher prior to the date on which he has been declared as elector and if the said order has attained finality, the question as to whether he stood disqualified in terms of the provisions of Section 122 of the Act, in our opinion, must be raised by way of an election petition alone. If the submission of Mr. Attri is to be accepted, the same may result in an anomalous position.”
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person is disqualified. The Apex Court dealing with Section 15 held as follows:
“15. It is no doubt true that Section 122 contemplates both the situations, viz., where a person shall be disqualified for being chosen as also for being an office bearer of panchayat inter alia if he has encroached upon any land belonging to any authority mentioned therein. In view of the language of the said provision, we are of the view that whereas an issue falling under clause (1) of Sub-section (2) of Section 122 of the Act must be determined before the Authorised Officer, any order of encroachment passed after the election process is over would be determined by the Deputy Commissioner.
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16. In Sarjivan Singh vs. Director Panchayati Raj and another,
2005 (3) Shim. L.C. 284, this Court held as follows:
“5. Sub-Section (1) of Section 131 clearly stipulates that a person “having been” elected as an office bearer of a Panchayat, if “subsequently” becomes subject to any of the disqualifications mentioned in Section 122, shall cease to be such an office bearer etc. etc. On the face of it, therefore, and without any doubt or ambiguity, sub-section (1) (a) of Section 131 clearly caters to a fact situation where the person after having been elected as an office bearer of a Panchayat becomes subject to any of the disqualifications mentioned in Section 122. The word “subsequently” used in clause (a) of subsection (1) leaves no manner of any doubt in any one’s mind that a person who before or at the time of his election was subject to any disqualification is not covered by this provision because this provision applies to only such person who after his election as an office bearer becomes subject to any disqualification. The word “subsequently”, therefore, is very relevant to understand the true scope, ambit and applicability of Section 131 of the Act.”
Hon’ble the Chief Justice in Sarjivan Singh’s case. If the provisions of Sections 122, 131(1), 163 of the Act are read along with Article 243-O of the Constitution of India, the only logical conclusion is that Section 131 is attracted only if the disqualification is earned subsequent to the election as office bearer of the Panchayat. In all other cases election petition has to be filed and an election of an elected office bearer of a Panchayat cannot be set-aside by any other means except by filing an election petition.
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In view of the above discussion, I find no merit in the petition which is accordingly rejected. No costs.
December 6, 2010 ( Deepak Gupta ) PV Judge.
2 issues framed by the court
Whether an election petition is the only available remedy when an alleged encroachment on government land predates the election.
Whether Section 131 of the H.P. Panchayati Raj Act applies to disqualifications earned prior to election.
Colour shows how this judgement treated each authority
State of H.P. and others vs. Surinder Singh BanoltaFollowed¶12
State of H.P. and others vs. Surinder Singh Banolta, (2006) 12 SCC 484 · Who else cites this
Sh.V Surinder Singh Banolta vs. State of H.P.Followed¶11
Sh.V Surinder Singh Banolta vs. State of H.P., Latest HLJ 2003 (HP) 782
Sarjivan Singh vs. Director Panchayati Raj and anotherRelied on¶16
Sarjivan Singh vs. Director Panchayati Raj and another, 2005 (3) Shim. L.C. 284
4 provisions across 2 enactments
Suresh Kumari
State of H.P.
Sh. Onkar Nath
Deepak Gupta
As recorded by the court registry
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