Holding

The respondent, as the holder of the watan, is entitled to regrant of the watan lands under section 4 of the Bombay Pargana and Kulkarni Watans (Abolition) Act, 1950, and the earlier rejection under section 10 is immaterial.

Summary

The appellants claimed ownership of certain paragana watan lands that had been resumed under the Bombay Pargana and Kulkarni Watans (Abolition) Act, 1950. The respondent, a descendant of the original watandar, applied for regrant of the lands under section 4 of the 1950 Act, while the appellants contested his entitlement. The lower authorities, except the Revenue Tribunal, held that the respondent was the rightful holder of the watan and entitled to regrant, interpreting the 1872 Sanad as granting only freedom from full assessment, not the royal share of revenue. The Revenue Tribunal reversed this, but the High Court restored the regrant order in favor of the respondent. The Supreme Court affirmed that the rejection of the respondent’s earlier section 10 application was irrelevant, and that the Sanad did not convey the royal share, thereby confirming the respondent’s right to regrant under section 4. Consequently, the appeals were dismissed with costs.

Issues considered

The respondent’s entitlement to regrant of the watan lands under section 4 of the Bombay Pargana and Kulkarni Watans (Abolition) Act, 1950.
Whether the 1872 Sanad granted the soil or merely the royal share of revenue.
The relevance of the rejection of the respondent’s application under section 10 of the Bombay Hereditary Offices Act, 1874 to the regrant claim.

Legislation cited

Subjects

watanregrantBombay Pargana and Kulkarni Watans (Abolition) Act 1950hereditary officesland revenuesection 4section 10Sanadcolonial settlementproperty rights

Judgment

·116 '.

SHRISHAILAGOUDA AND OTHERS ETC.
V:
GURUSANGAPPA RAMASOMAPPA DESAI AND ANOTHER
.B July 29, 1980
[A. C. GUPTA AND P. N. SHINGHAL, JJ.)
Bombay Pargana and Kulkarni Watans (Abolition) Act, 1950, Section 4,
scope of-Regrant of watan lands under section 4 of the 1950 Act /zas no
nexus to the rejection of an application under section 10 Bombay lferedirary
Offices Act (Act III of 1874)-Grant was of the soil and .not of the royal share
c of the revenue.
The respondent's ancestors continuously enjoyed the watan property
through the years since the 17th century when it was granted and performed
the duties of the office of the watandar in spite of political changes in the
country. After the death of the then holder of the watan in 1851, a11 enquiry
into the rights of his son Bhimrao was started under the Bombay Rent Free
D Estates Act, 1852 and later in 1863 a .settlement known as "Gordon Settlement"
was made under section 15 of the Bombay Hereditary Offices Act, (Act III of
1874), whereby a sanad was issued by the British Government to the
respondent's ancestor Bhimrao in 1872. The Sanad is in the standard form
of a Gordan Sanad and says that the lan.ds and cash allowances shall be
continued ini lineal succession from generation to generation on condition
that the persons in enjoyment and their heirs shall be obedient to the British
E Government and act faithfully and honestly and shall go on paying to
Government permanently every year the amount mentioned in the Sanad.
In 1874 some of these watan lands were auction-sold in execution of a
money decree obtained by the appellants' ancestors and as a result of a
compromise decree obtained in 1912, the ancestors of the appellant, being
decree holders, were allowed to be in possession of these lands during the
F life time of Bhimrao and his adopted son Ramasomappa. Bhimrao ilied in
1918 and Ramasomappa in 1944. Section 5 of the Bombay Hereditary Offices
Act, 1874 forbids a watandar to alienate the watan property beyond his
lifetime to any person not a.watandar 'of the same watan. After Ramasomappa's
death therefore the appellants ceased to have any right to continue in
possession of the lands. Respondent Gurusangappa is Raniasom2ppa'5 son.
Consequent on the coming into force of the Bombay Pargana and
G Kulkarni Watans (Abolition) Act, 1950 abolishing the watans, the watan
lands were resumed and were made subject to the payment of land revenue
subject to the provisions of section 4. Respondent Gurusangappa and also
the appellants applied to the prescribed authority for regrant of the aforesaid
watan lands under section 4 of the Act. Earlier to this an application made
in 1947 made on behalf of respondent Gurusangappa under section 10 of the
Bombay Hereditary Offices Act, 1874 when he was a minor was rejected.
H
The appellants lost before all authorities under the Act who held that
the respondent was the holder of the watan !ind was a~ such entitled to an
order of regrant. The Mysore Revenue Appellant Tribunal, B~lgaum howeve1
i SHRIS.HAILAGOUDA ·v. GURUSANGAPPA. (Gupta, J.)

set aside in revision the .order of regrant in favour of _the. respondent. Tho A
High Court allowed the writ petition of the respondent challenging the order
of the Revenue Tribunal· and restored the order of regrant in his favour.
Dismissing the appeal from the order of the High Court, the Court,
>
HELD : (I) On the facts found by the· authorities under the 1950 Act
except the Revenue Tribunal the respondent would be clearly entitled to the
Watan lands being regranted to him under section 4. of the Act. All -the
authorities . including the Revenue Tribunal having held that the appellants
were strangers to the walan and, therefore, could not as]\ for an order under
section 4. in their favour and the appellants not having challenged this
finding it has become final. [120E·F]
Collector of South Satara and another v. Laxman Madhav Deshpande and
others [1964] 2 SCR 48, followed.
(2) The Sanad_ granted to Bhimrao in 1872 was on the basis that there
-, was a watan and that Bhimrao was the holder of the watan. The Sanad of
1872 granted only the right to hold the watan lands free from full assessment.
The Revenue Tribunal was wrong in thinking that the Sanad granted the
royal share of the revenue. [120G·H]
Ramasqmappa Bhimrao Desai v. The Secretary of State for India in D
Council. 39 Born. L. R. 851, explained and held inapplicable.
(3) Section 10 of the Bombay Hereditary Offices Act, 1874 empowered
the Collector t_o issue a certificate on the basis of which the respondent could
bring an action against the appellants for recovery of possession ·of the lands.
The rejection of the application under section 10 of the Act is not a matter
relevant to the i,ssue whether the respondent is entitled to a regrant of the ··E
watan lands under section 4 of the 1950 Act. [122A·B, CJ

CrvIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION : Civil Appeal Nos. 345 to 348
of 1960.
From the Judgment and Order dated 20-7-1967 of the Mysore
High Court in 'Writ Petition Nos.· 1016 to 1018 and 1031/64.
R. B. Datar for the Appellants.
S. S. Javali, Mukul Mudgal and Vineet Kumar for Respond<-nt
No. J.
The Judgment of the Court was delivered by
,G
GQPTA, J. These four appeals by certificate are directed again~!
an order dated July 20, 1967 of the High Court of Mysore at Bangalore
.illlowjng four writ petitions made by the first respondent before us
(hereinafter called the respondent). By the impugned order the High
Court reversed the decision of the Mysore Revenue Appellate
if,r~~uµaJ, and re~tqred the order passed by the A~sistant Commissioner H
J.iµder, · s€ction_ ·4. of ·the 'Bo1,11bay Pargana and Kulkarni Watans
(Ab<iiition) Act, 1950 (h~reinafter referred to as the 1950 Act). The
118 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1981] 1 S.C.R.

A Assistant Commissioner's order directing regrant of a watan land to
the respondent had been affirmed by the other authorities under the
1950 Act before the Revenue Tribunal set it aside. The four writ
petitions relate to different parcels of the said watan land.
'The relevant facts which have been found· or admitted are as -·
follows. The lands in question are paragana watan lands. "Paragana
B
watan" has been defined in section 2(e) of the 1950 Act to mean
"a watan appertaining to the office of a hereditary District (Paragana)
Officer in respect of which a commutation settlement bas been
effected ............ " The watan in question was originally acquired in
.the 17th century by an ancestor of the respondent during the reign
c of the Adilshahi' Kings of Bijapur in recognition of the services
rendered by him. Except the Revenue Tribunal, the other authorities
under the 1950 Act, namely, the Assistant Commissioner, the Deputy
Commissioner and the Divisional Commissioner found that the grant
was of the soil and not of the royal share of the revenue. The
respondent's ancestor continued to enjoy the watan property through
D _the years and perform the duties of the office of watandar in spite
of political changes in the country. After the death of the then holder
- of the Watan in 1851, Government challenged the right of his son
Bhimrao to the privileges of the Watan. An inquiry into the rights of
Bhimrao was started under the Bombay Rent Free Estates Act, 1852
(known· as Inam Act). Ultimately, in 1863 a settlement was reached
E between the British Government and Bhimrao. The terms of the
settlement was similar to those of the other settlements arrived at
between the British Government and various other watandars under '--,'
which the British Government relieved the watandars of the liability
to perform the services attached to their offices in consideration of a
fixed annual sum charged upon the watan lands. Thi~ is commonly
F known as the Gordon Settlement because it was entered into by a
committee of which Mr. Gordon as Collector was Chairman. acting
on behalf of the Government. The settlement. was apparently made
under section 15 of the' Bombay Hereditary Offices Act (Act III of
1974), commonly known as the Watan Act. The relevant part of sec-
tion 15 of this Act is as follows:
G
"The Collector may, with the consent of the hold~r of a
watait, given in writing, relieve him and his heirs and
successors in perpetuity of their liability to perform service upon
such conditions, whether consistent with the provisions of this
Act or not, as may be agreed upon by the Collector and such
H holder.
Every settlement made or confirmed under this section shall
be binding upon both Government and the bolder of the watan
and bis heirs and successors."
SHRISHAILAGOUDA v. GURUSANGAPPA (Gupta, ].) 119

Following the settlement, a Sanad was issued by the British A
Government to respondent's ancestor Bhimrao in 1972. The Sanad
is in the standard form of a Gordon Sanad and says that the lands
and cash allowances shall be continued in lineal succession from
gep.eration to generation on condition that the persons in enjoyment
and their heirs shall be obedient to the British Government and act
faithfully and honestly and shall ·go on paying to Government B
permanently every year the amount as mentioned in the Sanad.
The effect of commutation of service on watan property has been
considered by this Court in Th~ Collector of South Satara and
another v. Laxman Mahadev Deshpande Qlld others.( 1) After referring
to the definitions of "watan property" and "hereditary offices" in c
section 3 of the Watan Act this Court observed :
"It is clear that the watan property, if any, the hereditary
office, and the rights and privileges attached thereto, together
constitute a watan and hereditary office does not lose its character
merely because the service originally appertaining to the office has
D
ceased to be demanded. Computation of service does not.
therefore, in the absence of an express agreement to that efiect
after the tenure of the land held as watan. By agreement the
State, for consideration, may agree to relieve the holder of the
office and his successors of the duties to perform the service
for purposes of which t.he grant was made, but the office and
the grant continue, subject to the terms of the settlement under
section 15 of the Bombay Hereditary Offices Act, 1874."
It is necessary to state a few more facts touching the watan lands
in question. In 1874 some of these lands were auction-sold in
execution of a money decree obtained by the ancestors of the
appellants against the respondent's ancestors. Ultimately in 1912 a F
compromise decree was passed concluding the dispute between the
parties in terms of which the decree holders were allowed to be in
possession of these lands during the life time of Bhimrao and his
adopted son Ramasomappa. The present respondent is Ramasomappa's
son. Bhimrao died in 1918 and Ramasomappa in 1944. After
G
Ramasomappa's death the appellants ceased to have any right
to continue in possession of the lands. Section 5 of the Bombay
Hereditary Offices Act, 1874 (Watan Act) also forbids a watandar
to alienate his watan property beyond bis lifetime to any person not
a watandar of the same watan.
The 1950 Act' abolished the paragana and Kulkarni watans from H
the date the Act came into force. Under section 3(3.) of this Act
(1) [1964] 2 S.C.R. 48.
1-20 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1981) 1 S.C.R.

all watan land was resumed and was made subject to the 'payment
of land revenue subject to the provisions of section 4. Section 4(1)
provides :

"A watan land resumed under the prov1s10ns of this Act
shall .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . . . be regranted to the holder of the watan to
B which it appertained, on payment of the occupancy price equal
to twelve times of the amount of full assessment of such land ...
...... .... . .... and the holder shall be deemed to be an occupant
within the meaning of the Code [Bombay Land Revenue Code,
1871:1], in respect of such land and shall primarily be liable to
pay land revenue State Government ... ~ ........ ".
c
The appellants and the respondent both applied to the prescribed
authority .for regrant of the aforesaid watan lands to ,them under
section 4 of the Act. The Assistant Commissioner, Jamkhandi, held
that the respondent was the holder of the watan and as such was
entitled to an order of r~grant. On appeal preferred by the appellants
D the Deputy Commissioner, Bijapur, affirmed the order of the
Assistant Commissioner. The Divisional Commissioner, Belgaum,
dismissed the appeal against the order of the Deputy Commissioner
filed by the appellants. The Mysore Revenue Appellate Tribunal,
Belgaum Bench, allowed the rev1s10n application made by
the appellants setting aside the order of regran,t in favour of the
E respondent. The High Court of Mysore at Bangalore allowed the
writ petitions made by the respondent challenging the order of the
Revenue Tribunal and restored the order of regrant in his favour.
On the facts found by the authorities under the 1950 Act ;!Xcept
the Revenue Tribunal, the respondent would be clearly entitled .to
F the watan lands being regranted to him under section 4 of the Act.
All the arnthorities including the Revenue Tribunal hield that
the appellants were strangers to the watan and therefore .could not
ask for an order under section 4 in their favour; the appellants not
having challenged this finding it has become finaL . The Revenue
Tribunal however. was of the view that under the Sanad issued in
G favour of the respondent's ancestor what was granted was only the
royal share of the revenue, it was not a grant of the ·soil, and that
as such the lands in question could not be regranted to the respondent
under section 4.. The facts stated earlier make it clear that the Sanad
was granted on the basis that there was a watan and that
the respondent's ancestor Bhimrao to whom the Sanad was granted
H was the 'holder of the watan. The Sanad of 1872 granted only the
right to hold the watan lands free from full assessment. The view
taken by the Revenue Tribunal appears to be based ori~ a'ijutlgment
SHRISHAILAGOUDA v. GURUSANGAPPA (Gupta, J.) 12 l

of the Bombay High Court, Ramasomappa Bhimrao Desai · v. The A
'Secretary of State for India in Council.( 1) disposing of an appeal
that arose from a suit instituted in. 1929 by the respondent's father
Ramasomappa against the Secretary of State for India in-Council in
1929. According to the Tribunal the Bombay High Court had held
in that case that the grant to the respondent's ancestor did not include
the right to the soil. It may be necessary here to state a few facts B
upon which Ramasomappa's suit was instituted. Bhimrao to whom
the Sanad was given adopted Ramasomappa in 1909. After Bhimrao;s
death in 1918. Government refused to recognise Ramasomappa's
adoption. He then applied to Government for the grant of ex post
facto sanction to his adoption by Bhimrao and, .alternatively, prayed
that in case the sanction was not given, then the watan might be
·c
resumed by the levy of full assessment on the lands and he should
not be evicted therefrom. Both these requests were turned down and
the Government passed orders for resuming possession of the lands·.
Ramasomappa then brought the suit against the Secretary of State
for a declaration that the orders passed by Government for D
resumption of possession of the watan lands were illegal. The trial
court having dismissed the suit Ramasomappa came up in appeal to
.. the Bombay High Court. The question whether the original grant
to the respondent's ancestor was of the soil or it was only a ;ight
to the royal share of the revenue did not arise for consideration in
Ramasomappa v. Secretary of Sta te (supra). The Bombay High
1

E
Court allowed Ramasomappa's appeal holding that the Sanad of 1872
did not purport to be a grant of the right to occupy the soil, it had
only reference to and was a grant of the right to hold the lands free
from full assessment, and that if any of the conditions of the grant,
namely the condition of remaining faithful to Government or the
condition of paying a fixed duty was broken, then Government was F
only entitle_d to claim full assessment on the lands but any right of
occupation which the bolder of the watan possessed apart from the
Sanad would remain untouched. The Tribunal's reading of the
judgment in Ramasomappa's case does not therefore seem to be
correct. , The judgment under appeal before us points out that the
decision in Ramasomappa v. Secretary of State (supra) has no bearing G
on the issue involved in the insta_nt case.

Counsel for the appellants also relied on the decision in
39 Bombay Law Reporter 851 in support of the appeal but, for the
reasons stated above, we do not think Ramasomappa's case at all
helps him. The only other ground urged was that an application H

(1) 39 Born. L. R. 851.
I

122 SUPREME COURT REPORTS (1981) 1 S.C.R.

A made on behalf of the respondent in 1947 (when he was a minor)'
under section 10 of the Bombay Hereditary Offices Act (Act III of
1874) having been rejected, the respondent's right to a regrant of --1.
the watan lands was extinguished. Section 10· empowered the
Colloctor to issue a certificate on the basis of which the respondent
could bring an action against the appellants for recovery of possessfon
B of the lands. The point was argued before the Deputy Commissioner
in the present proceedings who held that the rejection of the
application did not take away the right of the watandar to ask for
a regrant of the watan lands under section 4 of the 1950 Act. From
the judgment of the High Court it does not appear the point was
argued there, and normally the appellants should not be allowed;
c to take the point in this Court. In any case it seems to us clear,
that the rejection of the application under section 10 of the Bombay',
Hereditary Offices Act, 1874 is not a matter relevant. to the issue',
whether the resondent is entitled to a regrant of the watan lands under,
section 4 of the 1950 Act.
D The appeals are dismissed with costs; Qne hearing fee.

V.D.K. Appeal11 dismissed. ,

.,..
I