Raghunath Laxman Wani and Ors. v. State of Maharashtra and Ors.
Case brief
What is this about?
Maharashtra Agricultural Lands (Ceiling on Holdings) Act 1961; ceiling area fixed with reference to appointed day (26-1-1962); no refixation or redetermination on increase or decrease in family members after appointed day; proviso to s. 6 — member holding land separately; additional 1/6th of basic ceiling area per member in excess of five; surplus land determination under ss. 14, 18, 21; appeal under s. 33; Deputy Collector and Maharashtra Revenue Tribunal concurrent finding rejecting partition of joint family land; Article 136 — non-interference with concurrent finding of fact; transfers/partitions to defeat the Act (ss. 8, 9, 10); Hindu Women's Rights to Property Act XVIII of 1937; Raghunath Laxman Wani v. State of Maharashtra.
What did the court decide?
The Deputy Collector and the Tribunal arrived at a concurrent finding of fact, after examination of the materials, that the appellants' case of severance of status and partition of the family lands in 1956 and 1960 was not acceptable; this Court will not interfere with such a concurrent finding of fact in an appeal under Article 136, and the appellants fail on the partition count.