Revenue courts cannot adjudicate title disputes: Karnataka HC

BENGALURU: The Karnataka high court has said that revenue courts headed by deputy commissioners cannot adjudicate title disputes and that section 67 of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act can be invoked only where title is not vested in any individual.
"As the petitioners rely on registered instruments, the cancellation of which would require an appropriate declaration by Court as per Section 31 of the Specific Relief Act, 1963.Deputy Commissioner cannot be construed to be a court for the purposes of Section 31 of the Specific Relief Act, 1963" Justice Sunil Dutt Yadav has observed in his order, while quashing the orders passed by Deputy Commissioner of Mysuru on May 26,2015 declaring large chunk of lands in Kurubarahalli village as government lands and directing the local tahsildar to effect change in revenue entries.
The petitioners had claimed that title of all those lands originate from the then Maharaja of Mysuru. It was also contended that many of the properties have been described as private property held by the Maharaja, when a list was submitted to the Government of India in January 1950 when princely state of Mysuru merged with dominion of India.
Petitioners also claimed inordinate delay, running into decades and the same was accepted.