Janardan Pandey v. The State of Bihar
Bihar Tenancy Act – Circle Officer, Piro – pending measurement application
Case brief
What is this about?
Patna HC, Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case No.11690 of 2022, decided 04-12-2025, single judge Shailendra Singh. Janardan Pandey v. The State of Bihar (through Principal Secretary, Land Reform and Revenue Dept.), Collector-cum-D.M. Bhojpur, S.D.O. Piro, Circle Officer Piro. Grievance: ancestral land at Mauja Khanani Khurd (old Khata 23/Plot 518, 2 decimals; new Khata 10/Khesra 720/995, Thana 37) could not be measured - untraceable in new survey map - and the Circle Officer took no action despite deposit of the Amin fee; rival claim by a co-villager alleging mutation in his own name since 2020. Court's approach: fee deposit implies the title-satisfaction stage had been reached, so the application should not have been kept pending, while permitting re-examination of title documents notwithstanding the Section 118(2) bar on title orders; Circle Officer directed to decide Annexure-3 within four weeks per Bihar Tenancy Act, 1885; recourse under Section 118(3) if dissatisfied. Disposition: writ petition disposed of under Article 226. Keywords: Anchal Amin, measurement, Khatiyan, old survey map, Amin fee, co-villager mutation claim.