Ratnam Ramdas Vs The State of Telangana, Department of Forest

RATNAM RAMDAS S/o..Rayalingu Hindu aged about 50 years, Occ. Asricutture, Resideni oi i. rvo-iij,,6notXFair_r virrrs". post BoyApALLt. Tandoor lrrinoii. noiiioji oiltri"t. Lingadari Gudem

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2 MUDIMADUGULA RAJALLINGU, S/o Umma Rao, Hindu aged about 45 years, occ. Aqricurture- Resident ot xesiArr,lpEii'uirtrg". Tandur lvrandar. Adilabad Distriat. ptN_504272.

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...PETITIONERS

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AND

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1 The State of Telanoana. Department of Forest, Represented by its principal secretary, secretaiiat nvoeijoio. pir.r so"odii^''""'""'

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z The Divional Forest officer, BELLAMPALLT, Adirabad District. prN.504251 3 The Sub-Divisionat Foresr Rglgg O[g9.r, Chemicat Coat Complex, BELLAIMPALLI. ADTALBAD oisirici iir.r_'so i;si:' """

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4 The Tahasildar, TANDUR Mandal, Adilabad District plN SO4ZS1.

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...RESPONDENTS

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Petition under Articre 226 0f rhe constitution of India praying that in the circumstances stated in the affidavit riteo tneiewitr, the Hi;;'c;u.t irv'0" pleased to issue writ or order or.direction ,oru pr.ti"rtrrly one in the nature of writ of Mandamus decraring the action or tne responolnis z-ano a in ,t".i"ring';t agricultural operations of the petitioners rand io an extent of acres g-00 and Acres 4-00 in S.No.50/ 45 and 50/67 respectively, of nnf<epaff, village Tandur ,r"J"f Adilabad district without any notice and rriir,ort "nf"nquiry and identification of land in the presence of the 4th respondent, iiiir6gur arbitrary and vioration of principles of naturar justice a.nd consequenfly direci tL respondents 2 and 3 not to g-"If* with the agricurturar operations ot ti,," pliitiln"rs rand in s.No.50/ 45 and 50/67 to an extent of acres.g-,b. ald Acres a-oo respecfivery situated in Ankepary village, Tandur mandar Adirabad district without rotdwing due proceJure oi-il" i" the interest of justice

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l.A. NO:^'t OF 201tjl!{/MP. NO: 1359 OF 2016)

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Between:

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'I . The State o.Tt,,l,angana, Department of Forest, Represenbc b1 its Principal Secretary, S.ecrertariat Hyderabad. PIN 500017.

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The Diviqnal Fr:)rest Officer, BELLAIUPALLI, Adilabad Districi^FrlN.504251

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3, The Sub-Di,,isi:rnal Forest Range Officer, Chemical Coal Co nplex, BELLAMPA.-L ADIALBAD District. PIN-504251.

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...PETITIONERS/Rli:SPONDENTS

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AND

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1 RATNAM FtAl/DAS, S/o Rayalingu Hindu aged about 5,) years, Occ. Agriculture, Resident of H.No.2-B'1, CHOTAPALLI Village. Lingadari Gudem Post BOYAI)Al. [.1. Tandoor Mandal. Adilabad District.

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) MUDIwADLGtIt.A RAJALLINGU, S/o Umma Rao, HindLr aged about 45 years, Ocr;. A9r culture, Resident of KASTAMPETA village. landur Mandal. Adilabad Dir;tri .;t PIN-504272.

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...RESPONDE N''!'S/PETITIONERS

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The Tahasiliar TANDUR Mandal, Adilabad District PIN 5C425 .

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Petition uncer Section^'151 CPC praying that in the circumstzrnces stated in the affidavit fileC n ; rpport of the petition, the High Court mrry 5e pleased to vacate the interim orc r:rs in W.P.M.P.No.26338 of 20 15 in W.P No.1:14440 of 2O15dt. 08.07.2015 anc dir; riss the above Writ Petition

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LA. NO: 1 OF 2011i(!vl'MP. No: 26338 OF 2015)

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Petition uncer Section 151 CPC praying that in the circumst.rnces stated in the affidavit filed ir sr.^p,port of the petition, the High Court may b,e pl,,rased to direct the respondents 2 anl 3 not to interfere with the agricultural ope'ations of the writ petitioners over th3 I,rrrd in S.No.50/45 and 50/67 to an extent cf e,cres 8-00 and Acres 4-00 respe:tive ly of Ankepally village, Tandur mandal Ad labad district; pending the dispos.al o' the writ petition in the interest of justice

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Counsel for the P,:titioners: SRl. SURENDRA DESAI

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Counsel for the R:spxrndent Nos.1 to 3: AGP FOR FORESTS

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Counsel for the R:spondent No.4: AGP FOR REVENUE

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The Court made the I'ollowing: ORDER

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HON'BLE MRS JUSTTCE SUREPALLI NANDA

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R P ON o.2 44 F 1

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ORD ER:

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Heard Sri Surendra Desai, learned counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioners, rearned Assistant Government Pleader for Forest, appearing on behalf of the respondent Nos.1 to 3 and the learned Assistant Government pteader for Revenue, appearing on behalf of the respondent No.4,

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2. Th ch th Co s tn ra ra

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under:

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"to issue writ or order or direction more particularly one in the nature of writ of Mandamus declaring the action oF the respondents 2 & 3 in interfering with agricultural operations of the petitioners land to an extent of acres B_ 00 and Acres 4-00 in S.No.50/45 and 50/67 respectivety, of Ankepally village Tandur mandal Adilabad district without any^- notice and without any enquiry and identification of land in the presence of the 4th respondent, as illegal arbitrary and violation of principles of natural justice and consequenuy direct the respondents 2 and 3 not to interfere with the agricultural operations of the petitioners land in S.No.5O/4S and 50/67 to an exrent of acres 8-00 and Acres 4-00 respectively situated in Ankepally village, Tandur mandal Adilabad district without

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2 SN,J \'P 20440 2015

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following 1ui:^{procedure of law; in the interestc)t iustice} and^pass such other^{order as it may deemjust ard fit} under the circumstances^{of the case."}

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The case of the^{petitioners,in brief, is that the peti:ioler No'1} is the owner and^{lccupierof the agricultural land to att extent of} Ac.0.31^{gunt,ls inSy.No.50/4611and Ac'8'00 guntas in} Sy.No.50/45^{oF ArkepalliVillage, Tandur Mandal, AdilatradDistrict} andthepetitio-re-No.2istheownerandoccupieroftheag.icultural Iand to an ex-ent^{of Ac.4.00 guntas in Sy'No'50/67 c'f} '\nkepalli Village,TandurMandal,AdilabadDistrict,andhavebeercrtltivating thesaidlandsfo-overl0years.TherespondentNo..lhadissued title books^{(F.e corl of Rights) and Pahani records recogni:lingtheir} ownership. Orr^{:. t.05.2015, the respondentNo'3 anC his staff} entered into ttre^{arnd of the petitioners, forcibly stoppec cultivation} workandthreatenedtoinitiatecriminalactionagelinstthe petitioners. H 3n,::(:, the^{petitioners approached the responr:lentNo'2} and complain('d^{sgainst the highhandedaction of the respondent} No.3 and his^{subordinates.Since, no action has beent;lkr':n by the} respondent No.:;l against^{the respondentNo.3, the petitioners} approached the^{.e,spondent No.4 and complainedagainsit lhe illegal} action of the r,:spondent Nos.2 and 3^{and requesl:e(: him to} intervene in lh(, matter and clarify the^{position by crlnducting}

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proper survey, however, no action has been taken by the respondent No.4. Aggrieved by the same, the^petitioners filed the present writ petition.

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This Court, vide its order dated O8.O7.2O15 oassed in w.P.M.P.No.26338 of 2O15 ssed interim orders in favour of the oetationers observino as under:

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"It is submitted by the learned counsel for the petitioners that the petitioners are in possession of Ac.8.00 and Ac.4.00 in Sy.Nos.50/45 and 50/61 respectively, Ankepally Village, Tandur Mandal, Adilabad District and their^possession is supported by^valid documents and title.

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In the circumstances, respondent Nos.2 and 3 are restrained from interfering with the^possession of^the petitioners without following due process of law.

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Notice."

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PERUSED THE RECORD

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It is the case of the^{respondents that the petitionersare} attempting to encroach the^{forestland by levelling the same by} removing the kanuga^{plantation raised by the Department.}

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A bare ce.rrsal of the averments made at paragraph No.2 of the counter affidavit filed on behalf of the respondent No.3 clearly indicates that thr: revenue authorities had issued pattas ir favour of the. petitioners ;,rrrd under the guise of the pattas, thtl I)etitioners are encroaching cn to forest land.

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[t is bc rni: on record that this Court vide its order dated 08.07.2015 pas:;t:d in W.P.M.P.No.26338 of 2015, hal restrained the responder'ts ;t and 3 from interfering with the possr:ssion of the petitioners wil hc,ut following due process of law. The s;rid orders of this Court dated 18.07.2015 passed in W.p.M.p.No.26:t3;rl of 2015 (referred to and sxtracted above) are in force as on dat().

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Taking intn consideration the fact that even according to the avennents made in the counter affidavit filed on behalf of th,e respondent No.3, pattas had been i:ssued to assignees like petitioners, the writ petition is disposed of directing the respondents to follow due process ol, l:rw. It is also observed frhrat it is open to the respondents to initiate appropriate. actlon in accordance to law in the e'rrent the petitioners e ncroach the forest land. However, there shall be no order as t,o costs.

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