Ranjit Kumar Singh and Ors. v. The State Of Bihar and Ors.

Patna HC1 Jul 2025CWJC/19663/2014

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

CWJC No.19663 of 2014, Patna High Court, Justice Rajiv Roy, decided 01-07-2025; writ vs Deputy Director of Consolidation order dt. 17.8.1999 in Revision Case No. 356 of 1998 (Annexure 3); disposed with liberty to approach Bihar Land Tribunal, Patna within two weeks despite fifteen-year delay; Tribunal to weigh petitioner's ignorance-of-order plea and 2013-14 DCLR Mahua demarcation case no.291; delay condonation left to Tribunal.

What did the court decide?

Liberty to the petitioners to approach the Bihar Land Tribunal, Bihar, Patna, within two weeks; if approached within that period, the Tribunal to consider the petitioner's justification for the delay (writ petition having pended before this Court 2014-2015); failing which the Tribunal free to decide independently. ¶¶29

Ranjit Kumar Singh and Ors. Vs The State Of Bihar and Ors. — Patna HC (2025) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

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Issue for consideration

Whether, in view of the fifteen years' delay in challenging the Deputy Director of Consolidation's order dated 17.08.1999 (with the petitioners' plea that they were ignorant of the order until respondent no.4's demarcation case no.291 of 2013-14 before the DCLR, Mahua), the petition should instead be disposed of with liberty to seek relief from the Bihar Land Tribunal, Patna, with protection for the delay.

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Court's answer

Accepting the words of the petitioner, the writ petition was disposed of with liberty granted to the petitioners to approach the Bihar Land Tribunal, Bihar, Patna, in the next two weeks.

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Ratio / Principle

If the petition is preferred before the Tribunal within two weeks, the Tribunal shall take into account the petitioner's submission justifying the delay, together with the fact that the writ petition was pending before this Court between 2014-2015, before deciding the contention preferred.

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Key takeaways

The liberty was expressly confined to a period of two weeks only; if the petitioner fails to approach the Tribunal in the next two weeks, the Tribunal is free to take its own decision accordingly.ratio¶¶32
The writ petition stands disposed of.ratio¶¶33

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Patna High Court (Rajiv Roy, J.), CWJC No.19663 of 2014, decided 01-07-2025 — Petitioners sought quashing of the order dated 17.8.1999 passed by Sri Rajendra Prasad Singh, Deputy Director of Consolidation, Bihar, Patna, in Revision Case No. 356 of 1998 (Annexure 3). On the Court's query, counsel conceded the availability of a remedy before the Bihar Land Tribunal, Patna, pleading fifteen years' delay, and asserting ignorance of the 1999 order until respondent no.4 filed case no.291 of 2013-14 before the learned DCLR, Mahua for demarcation of land. Learned State counsel raised no objection to such an application being preferred within two weeks. Accepting the petitioner's words, the Court disposed of the writ petition with liberty to approach the Bihar Land Tribunal within two weeks, directing that if the petition is so preferred, the Tribunal shall take into account the submission justifying the delay, in light of the writ petition having been pending before this Court between 2014-2015. The liberty was expressly limited to two weeks; failing recourse within that window, the Tribunal was left free to take its own decision.

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IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case No.19663 of 2014

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======================================================

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Ranjit Kumar Singh

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Sudhir Kumar Singh Both Sons of Late Lakhendra Singh

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Most. Jalaso Devi Widow of Late Lakhindra Singh All R/o Vill-Bishunpur Mohan@Margi,P.S@Anchal-Mahua,District-Vaishali

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... ... Petitioner/s

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Versus

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The State Of Bihar

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Director of Consolidation,Bihar ,Patna

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The Deputy Director of Consolidation,Bihar ,Patna

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Jugeshwar Singh Son of Late Ram Bilash Singh

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Maheshwar Singh

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Shiv Chandra Singh Both Sons of Jugeshwar Singh

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Jindar Singh Son of Late Sakal Singh

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Pankaj Kumar

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Mukul Kumar

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Abhinash Kumar All Sons of Late Tarkeshwar Singh All R/o Vill.-Bishunpur Mohan@Margi,P.S@Anchal-Mahua,District-Vaishali

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... ... Respondent/s

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======================================================

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Appearance : For the Petitioner/s : Mr.Naresh Chandra Verma, Advocate For the Respondent/s : Mr.Sarvesh Kumar, GP-24. ======================================================

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CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE RAJIV ROY ORAL ORDER

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2 01-07-2025 Heard the parties.

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The present petition has been preferred for :-

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“That, this writ application is for quashing the order dated 17.8.1999 passed by Sri Rajendra Prasad Singh, Deputy Director of Consolidation, Bihar, Patna, in Revision Case No. 356 of 1998 as contained in Annexure 3.”

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After some arguments, the learned counsel for the

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Patna High Court CWJC No.19663 of 2014(2) dt.01-07-2025 2/3

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petitioners submits that he has a remedy before the Bihar Land Tribunal, Patna but there has been inordinate delay in moving before it, upon query by the Court that order by the Deputy Director of Consolidation, Bihar, Patna Division case No. 356 of 98 was passed on 17.08.1999 while fifteen years delay in filing the writ petition, the answer is that he never came to know about the said order and only when the respondent no.4 filed case no.291 of 2013-14 before the learned DCLR, Mahua was demarcation of his land, aggrieved, the present petition be disposed off.

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Learned State counsel submits that if such application is preferred, in two weeks, the State counsel has no objection.

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In that background and accepting the words of the petitioner, the writ petition is disposed off with liberty to approach the Bihar Land Tribunal, Bihar, Patna in next two weeks. If such a petition is preferred in two weeks, the Tribunal shall take into account the aforesaid submission of the petitioner justifying the delay in the further fact that the writ petition was pending before this court between 2014-2015, before deciding the contention preferred.

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It is made clear that this liberty has been granted

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Patna High Court CWJC No.19663 of 2014(2) dt.01-07-2025 3/3

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only for a period of two weeks and if the petitioner fails to approach the Tribunal in next two weeks, the Tribunal is free to take a decision accordingly.

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The writ petition stands disposed off.

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(Rajiv Roy, J)

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Saurav/-

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Ranjit Kumar Singh and Ors. v. The State Of Bihar and Ors.

Case brief

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Ranjit Kumar Singh and Ors. v. The State Of Bihar and Ors.

Case brief

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