Holding

Section 54 is expressly excluded for tenancies covered by Section 129(b); therefore such tenancies are non‑heritable.

Summary

The appellants, trusts established for educational or public religious purposes, owned agricultural lands covered by Section 129(b) of the Bombay Tenancy and Agricultural Lands (Vidarbha Region) Act, 1958. Their tenants died, and the trusts sought eviction, arguing that the tenancies terminated on death because they were non‑heritable. The High Court had dismissed the trusts' writ petitions, relying on a prior decision that ordinary succession law would make such tenancies heritable. The Supreme Court examined the scheme of the Act and held that Section 54, which confers heritability, is expressly excluded for lands falling under Section 129(b); consequently, the exclusion also precludes the application of ordinary succession law. By reading Section 54 harmoniously with the Act, the Court concluded that tenancies of trusts covered by Section 129(b) are non‑heritable. The appeals were allowed, setting aside the High Court judgments.

Issues considered

Whether tenancies of lands belonging to trusts for educational purposes or institutions for public religious worship covered by Section 129(b) of the Bombay Tenancy and Agricultural Lands (Vidarbha Region) Act, 1958 are heritable on the death of a tenant.
Whether Section 54 of the same Act, which provides for heritability, applies to such tenancies, or whether ordinary law of succession fills the gap.

Subjects

tenancyheritabilitytrustseducational institutionspublic religious worshipSection 129(b)Section 54statutory evictioninterpretation of statuteslegislative intent

Judgment

SHRIRAM MANDIR SANSTHAN @ A
SHRI RAM SANSTHAN PUSDA
v.
VA TSALABAI AND OTHERS

DECEMBER 17, 1998
B

[SUJATA V. MANOHAR AND A.P. MISRA, JJ.]

Bombay Tenancy and Agricultural Lands (Vidarbha Region) Act 1958-
Sections 129 (b) and 54-Tenancy of lani:Js which are property of trusts, inter C
alia, for educational purpose or institutions for public religious worship,
whether heritable- Held, Section 129 excludes Section 54, which provides
for heritability of tenancies, in its application to such trust or institution-
Under the Tenancy Act of 1958, heritability is to be governed by Section 54-
By excluding Section 54, the clear intention is to make such tenancies non-
heritable- Interpretation of statutes-Legislative intent. D
Interpretation ofstatutes- Harmonious construction-Bombay Tenancy
and Agricultural Lands (Vidarbha Region) Act 1958-Sections 54 and 129
(b)-Section 129 excluding application of inheritance provided in Secti~n
54-Whether tenancies not covered by Section 54 would be governed by
ordinary law of succession- Held, an express provision which excludes the E
operation of certain provisions cannot be made nugatory by resorting to
general law-Where Section 54 is made expressly non-applicable to certain
lands under the Tenancy Act of 1958, the tenancy in those is not heritable
at all-Entire Section 54 must be read harmoniously.

The appellants were trusts set up for educational purpQ$e or institutions
F
for public religious worship covered by Section 129 (b) of the Bombay
Tenancy and Agricultural Lands (Vidarbha Region) Act 1958. The respondents
and/or their predecessors-in-title were tenants in respect of lands belonging
to the appellants. On the death of the tenant, the appellants filed an.application
for summary eviction of the respondents, contending that the tenancy had G
come to an end and that they were entitled to obtain possession of the lands.
)
The Maharashtra Revenue Tribunal, in revision, held that the tenants had
not become statutory purchasers, but they were entitled to succeed to the
tenancy. The Bombay High Court dismissed the writ petitions filed by the
appellants on the ground that the issue was covered by a Full Bench decision
585 I-I
586 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1998] SUPP. 3 S.C.R.

A of the High Court in Khanqah-Kadria Trust (Wakl), Ba/apur v. Shevantabai,
(1989) Mah LJ 891.

In appeal before this Court, the question was of the heritability of
tenancies of such trusts.

B Allowing the appeal, this Court

HELD: I. Section 54 of the Bombay Tenancy and Agricultural Lands
(Vidarbha region) Act which makes tenancies heritable is expressly made
inapplicable to tenancies of lands falling under Section 129(b). Section 54
is nothing but a statement of the ordinary law of inheritance and succession
C and makes, if at all, only a slight departure from it. Heritability is to be
governed entirely by Section 54. Therefore, by excluding Section 54, the
clear intention is to make such tenancies non-inheritable. [591-C]

2. The entire Section 54 must be read harmoniously. The legislative
intention as seen from the scheme of Section 54 is, that heritability of any
D tenancy falling within the definition of that term under the Tenancy Act of
1958 is governed exclusively by Section 54. Where Section 54 is made
expressly non applicable under the Tenancy Act of 1958 in Section 129, the
tenancy is not heritable at alL An express provision in the Act which excludes
the operation of certain provisions, cannot be made nugatory by resorting to
general law. The rights and privileges of any tenant of land belonging to a
E trust or religious institution would only be as prescribed under the tenancy
Act of 1958. A resort cannot be had to any other law for the time being in
force to determine their rights and privileges. [591-F; 592-81

Khanqah-Kadria Trust (Wakj), Balapur v. Shevantabai, (1989) Mah
LJ 891, overruled
F
Gian Devi Anand v. Jeevan Kumar, [19851 2 SCC 683, distinguished
Ratan Lal Adukia v. Union of India, [19891 3 SCC 537, referred to
3. The clear intention of Section 129 is to protect certain lands from
tenancy legislation where the lands or income from such lands or income
G from such lands or income from such is being utilised for public purposes
set out there. In this context, if the tenancy of such lands is not heritable
this would clearly be in furtherance of the purpose of exempting such lands
under Section 129. [593-C]

CIVIL APPEL LA TE JURISDICTION : Civil Appeal No. I 005 of 1991
H Etc.
SHRIRAM MAN DIR SANS THAN v. VA TSALABAI [SUJATA V. MANOHAR, J.] 587
From the Judgment and Order dated 21.3.90 of the Bombay High Court A
in W.P. No. 1564of1985.
A.M. Khanwilkar, Uday Umesh Lalit, S.V. Deshpande, A.K. Sanghi, Dr.
R.B. Masodkar and K.L. Taneja for the appearing parties.

The Judgment of Court was delivered by
B
MRS. SUJATA V. MANOHAR, J. The appellants in these appeals are
'·. trusts, either for an educational purpose or are institutions for public religious
worship. The entire income from the lands belonging to each of these
institutions is appropriated by it for the purposes of the trust. All these
institutions are covered by Section 129(b) of the Bombay Tenancy and
Agricultural Lands (Vidarbha Region) Act, 1958 (hereinafter referred to as the C
Tenancy Act of 1958'). Section 129 of the Tenancy Act of 1958 is as follows:

"129. Nothing in the foregoing provisions except section 2, the
provision of Chapter 11 (excluding sections 21,22,23, 24 and 37) and
section 91 and the provisions of Chapters X and Xll in so far as the
provisions of the said Chapters are applicable to any of the matters D
referred to in sections mentioned above shall apply -

(a) ............ ..

(b) to lands which are the property of a trust for an educational
purpose, hospital Panjarpole, Gaushala, or an institution for public E
religious worship, provided the entire income of such lands is
appropriated for the purpose of such trust; and

(c) ............ ..
(d) ............ ..

Explanation - For the purpose of clause (b), a certificate granted by F
the Collector after holding an inquiry, that the conditions mentioned
in the said clause are satisfied by the trust shall be the conclusive
evidence in that behalf."

Each of these trusts have been granted a certificate by the Collector
under the Explanation to Section 129 of the Tenancy Act of 1958. G
The respondents in each of the appeals and/or their predecessors-in-
title were tenants in respects of the lands belonging to the appellants. On the
death of the tenant, the appellants filed an application for summary eviction
of the respondents under Section 120 of the Tenancy Act of 1958. The
appellants contended that on the death of the tenant, the tenancy came to H
588 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1998] SUPP. 3 S.C.R.

· A an end and they were entitled to obtain possession of the lands. In these
proceedings, ultimately the Maharashtra Revenue Tribunal in revision held
that the tenant of the appellants-trust had not become a statutory purchaser
under the Tenancy Act of 1958. However, the heirs of the deceased tenant
were entitled to succeed to the tenancy. Hence the revision application of the
appellants was dismissed. This decision was challenged by the appellants by
B filing a writ petition before the High Court. The High Court has dismissed the
writ petitions so filed on the ground that the issue is covered against the
appellants by a decision of the Full Bench of the Bombay High Court in
Khanqah-Kadria Trust (Wakf), Balapur v. Shevantabai wd/o Raoji Shivaji
(19'!9 Mh.L.J. 891 ). This has led to the filing of the present appeals.
c The question which requires consideration in all these appeals is whether,
in the case of lands belonging to a trust or an educational institution falling
within Section 129(b) of the Tenancy Act of 1958, the ten/lllC)( is heritable on
the death of a tenant, by his heirs. Under Section 54 which forms a part of
Chapter III of the Tenancy Act, 1958, it is provided as follows:
D
"54. (I) Where a tenant dies, the landlords shall be deemed to have
continued the tenancy-

(a) if such tenant was member of an undivided Hindu family to
the surviving member of the said family, and
E (b) if such tenant was not a member of an undivided Hindu
family, to his heirs, on the same terms and conditions on which
such tenant was holding at the time of his death.

(2) Where the tenancy is inherited by heirs other than the widow of
the deceased tenant, such widow shall have a charge for maintenance
F on the profit of such land.

(3) The interest of an occupancy tenant in his holding shall on his
death pass by inheritance or survivorship in accordance with his
personal law."

G The marginal note to Section 54 sets out, "Rights of tenants to be
heritable".

Section 129, however, which deals with the tenancy of lands belonging,
inter alia, to places of public religious worship and educational institutions,
provides, (inter alia) that Chapter III of the Tenancy Act, 1958 will not apply
H to such institutions. Therefore, Section 54 does not apply to the tenants of
SHRIRAM MANDIR SANSTHAN v. VATSALABAI [SUJA TA V. MANOHAR, J.] 589
these institutions. Are these tenancies heritable under any other provision of A
law?

To answer this question we will have to examine, broadly, the scheme
of the Tenancy Act of 1958. The preamble to the Act states, inter alia, that

"WHEREAS it is expedient to amend the law which governs the B
relations of landlords and tenants of agricultural lands ....... in the
Vidarbha Region of the State of Maharashtra with a view to bringing
the status and rights of tenants as far as possible in line with those
prevailing in certain other parts of the State;

AND WHEREAS it is expedient in the interests of the general public C
to regulate and impose restrictions on the transfer of agricultural
lands .......... belonging to or occupied by agriculturists, agricultural
labourers, .......... and to provide for the assumption of the management
of agricultural lands in certain circumstances and to make provisions
of certain other matters hereinafter appearing ........ " • .D

The Act, therefore, ostensibly seeks to bring the relationship of landlords and
tenants in the Vidarbha Region in line with the position prevailing in other
parts of the State of Maharashtra. The other object of the Act is to regulate
and impose restrictions on the transfer of agricultural lands and to provide
for the assumption of the management of the agricultural lands and to make E
certain. other provisions. The Act, therefore, is not meant entirely for the
benefit of tenants although it gives valuable rights to the tenants of agricultural
land generally. Under Section 2(32) a "tenant" is defined to mean a person
who holds land on lease and includes - (a) a person who is deemed to be a
tenant under Sections 6, 7 or 8 and (b) a person who is a protected lessee
or occupancy tenant. F

Sections 6, 7 and 8 fall under Chapter II of the Tenancy Act of 1958
which deals with general provisions regarding ten11ncy. Under Section 46
which forms a part of Chapter Ill, there is a provision for transfer of ownership
of all lands held by tenants, which they are entitled to purchase from their G
landlords under any of the provisions of this Chapter with effect from 1st of
April, 1961. There are certain exceptions to these provisions which are set out
in that section. Under Section 49A which was inserted in Chapter III by the
Maharashtra Act 2 of 1962, notwithstanding anything contained in sections
41 or 46, on and from the l st of April, 1963, the ownership of all lands held
by a tenant being land which is not transferred to the tenant under section II
590 SUPREME COURT REPORTS (1998] SUPP. 3 S.C.R.

A 46, or which is not purchased by him under section 41 or 50, shall stand
transferred to and vest in such tenant who shall, from the date aforesaid, be
deemed to be the full owner of such land, if such land is cultivated by him
personally, and on condition that the landlord has not given a notice of
termination of tenancy as set out in that section and subject to the various
other provisions of that section. These sections which form a part of Chapter
B III do not apply to tenancies of lands covered by Section 129.

Only some of the preceding provisions of the Tenancy Act of 1958
apply to tenancies of lands belonging to trusts for educational purposes or
institutions for public religious worship provided the entire income of such
C land is appropriated for the purposes of such trusts. The provisions which
apply are Section 2, all sections falling under Chapter II with the exception
of Sections 21, 22, 23, 24 and 37; Section 91, Chapter X and Chapter XII.
Section 54 which forms a part of Chapter III, therefore, does not apply to the
land belonging to such a trust or an institution for public religious worship.
The Full B~nch of the High Court in the case of Khanqah-Kadria Trust
D (Wakf), Balapur v. Shevantabai wd/o Raoji Shivaji (supra), however, held that
although Section 54 which makes a tenancy heritable does not apply, the
ordinary law relating to succession would apply and, theref!'re, tenancy of
lands belonging to such trusts for an educational purpose or institutions for
public religious worship would also be heritable.
E
To examine the correctness or otherwise of this view it is necessary to
emphasise that Section 54 which makes tenancies heritable is expressly made
inapplicable to tenancies of lands falling under Section l 29(b ). What is the
effect of Section 129 which excludes the application of Section 54 to the
tenancies of lands belonging to such trusts and institutions? The obvious
F effect is that the provisions contained in Section 54 will not apply. But is it
also !ntended thereby that such a tenancy shall not be heritable? The best
way to answer this question would be to see what would be the effect of
holding that such a tenan:y would be otherwise heritable. First of all, S-..:tion
54 makes, if it all, only a slight departure from the ordinary law of succession.
G Clause (b) of Section 54(1) provides that if the deceased tenant was not a
member of an undivided Hindu family, the tenancy would go to his heirs.
Since this is the ordinary law of inheritance, its exclusion must entail exclusion
of the ordinary law of inheritance. Sub-section (3) of Section 54 provides that
the interest of an occupancy tenant on his death shall pass by inheritance
or survivorship according to his personal law. This also is nothing but a
H statement of the ordinary law of inheritance and succession. If we were to
SHRIRAM MANDIR SANSTHAN v. VA TSALABAI [SUJATA V. MANOHAR,J.l 591

hold that the ordinary law of succession applies, the result would be, at least A
in the case of a tenant who is not a member of an undivided Hindu family,
and an occupancy tenant, that his heirs would be entitled to succeed to the
tenancy. At the same time, exactly the same provision in Section 54(l)(b) and
Section 54(3) would not apply! This would lead to a self-contradictory situation.
It is, therefore, clear that at least for tenants of the description falling under B
Section 54(l)(b) and Section 54(3), the ordinary law of inheritance is not
applicable in all cases where tenancies are not governed by Section 54. The
exclusion of Section 54 necessarily implies exclusion of ordinary law of
inheritance. However, the ordinary law also provides for testamentary
succession. Section 54 does not preserve the right of a tenant to make a will
bequeathing his tenancy to a person of his choice in the case of those C
tenancies which are governed by Section 54. Heritability is to be governed
entirely by Section 54. Therefore, by excluding Section 54, the clear intention
is to make such tenancies non-heritable.

Section 54(l)(a) makes a slight departure from Hindu Law of Succession.
Inheritance by survivorship is conferred on all members of the joint family D
instead of only the coparceners. Therefore, all members of the joint family
male and female inherit. The provisions in the Hindu Succession Act in cases
where there are female heirs of a male having an interest in the joint family
property, are also not applicable. The question is whether by reason of this
departure from ordinary law, the legislature intended that tenancies not covered E
by Section 54(l)(a) would nevertheless be governed by the ordinary law. In
our view Section 54(1)(a) cannot be read differently from Section 54(J)(b) or
Section 54(3). The entire section must be read harmoniously. The legislative
intention as seen from the scheme of Section 54 is, that heritability of any
tenancy falling within the definition of that term under the Tenancy Act of
1958 is governed exclusively by Section 54. Where Section 54 is made expressly F
non-applicable under the Tenancy Act of 1958, the tenancy is not heritable
at all. An express provision in the Act which excludes the operation of certain
provisions, cannot be made nugatory by resorting to generaUaw.

This conclusion is strengthened by the fact that Section 37 which forms
a part of Chapter II is also expressly excluded from application to the tenancies G
of such trust. Section 37 provides as follows :

"37. Save as provided in this Act, the rights and privileges of any
tenant under any usage or law for the time being in force or arising
out of any contract, grant, decree or order of a, court or otherwise,
howsoever, shall not be limited or abridged." H
592
-
SUPREME COURT REPORTS (1998] SUPP. 3 S.C.R.

A Therefore, in the case of tenancies of such trusts, preservation of rights and
privileges of a tenant under any law for the time being in force is excluded.
Therefore, the rights and privileges of any tenant of such land belonging to
a trust or religious institution would only be as prescribed under the Tenancy
Act 1958. A resort cannot be had to any other law for the time being in force
B to determine their rights and privileges.

Learned counsel for the respondents drew our attention to the decision
in the case of Gian Devi Anand v. Jeevan Kumar and Ors., [1985) 2 SCC 683.
The Court has observed in that case that in the absence of any provision in
the Act the ordinary law of succession would apply. However, under the
C Bombay Tenancy Act of 1958, there is an express provision which excludes
from the ambit of Section 54, tenancies of institutions covered by Section
129(b). Since Section 54 alone governs the heritability of tenancies covered
by the Tenancy Act, 1958, the exclusion of Section 54 necessarily implies the
exclusion of the ordinary law of succession and inheritance as well from the
tenancies so excluded. See in this connection Ratan Lal Adukia v. Union of
D India, [1989) 3 sec 537, where this Court applied the principle that a special
subsequent legislation which is a code in itself excludes the earlier general
law on the subject.)

The High Court was, therefore, not right when it held that although
E Section 54 is excluded, the ordinary law of succession and inheritance is n.it.
And, therefore, the tenancy of lands belonging the institutions covered by
Section 129(b) would be heritable under the ordinary law if not under Section
54. In fact, the Bombay High Court from 1958 to 1980 had consistently held
the view that the tenancy of a public trust was not heritable. But in 1980 the
High Court held that Section 40 of the Bombay Tenancy and Agricultural.
F Lands Act was not the only source of inheritance and as such the tenancy
of a public trust was heritable under that Act. The present Section 54 is the
relevant section as far as lands in the Vidarbha Region are concerned. The
Full Bench upheld the view taken in 1980. In our view, the exclusion of Section
54 by necessary implication also excludes the provisions of ordinary law of
G succession and inheritance from the tenancy of agricultural lands of institutions
falling under Section I 29(b ).

Section 129 clearly seeks to protect certain lands from the provisions
of the tenancy Act of 1958. The section thus protects lands held or leased
by a local authority or a university, lands which are the property of a trust
H for an educational purpose, hospital, panjarpole, Gaushala or an institution for
SHRIRAM MANDIR SANS THAN v. VA TSALABAI [SUJATA V. MANO HAR, J.) 593

public religious worship, provided the entire income of such land is appropriate A
for the purposes of such trust. It also protects lands assigned or donated by
any person before the commencement of the said Act for the purpose of
rendering services useful to the community, namely, maintenance of water
works, lighting or filling of water troughs for cattle. It also protects any land
taken under management by a civil, revenue or criminal court as set out B
therein. There is a further safeguard ensuring that the income from such lands
is appropriated for the purposes of a trust covered by Section 129(b). The
explanation provides for the grant of a certificate by the collector after holding
an inquiry. thus, the clear intention of Section 129 is to protect certain lands
from tenancy legislation where the lands or income from such lands is being
utilised for public purposes set out there. In this context, if the tenancy of C
such lands are not made heritable, this would clearly be in furtherance of the
purpose of exempting such lands under Section 129.

We, therefore, allow the~e appeals and set aside the impugned judgment
and order of the High Court in each of the appeals. There shall, however, be
no order as to costs. D

U.R. Appeals allowed.