Title arguments cannot be judged by Revenue courts-Karnataka High Court

Bengaluru: "Revenue courts headed by deputy commissioners cannot judge title disputes and that section 67 of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act can be invoked only where title is not vested in any individual," says The Karnataka High Court.

"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 mentioned 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 Maharaja of Mysuru. It was also contended that many properties held by Maharaja have been described as private property, when a list was submitted to the Government of India in January 1950.