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NON-REPORTABLE

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

CIVIL APPEAL  NO.  7471 OF 2008

GURBACHAN SINGH (D) THR. LRS . & ANR.      Appellant(s)

                               VERSUS

GURDIAL SINGH (D) THR. LRS . & ORS.        Respondent(s)

J U D G M E N T

KURIAN, J.

1. Members  of  the  same  family  have  been  in

litigation for the last four decades.  This appeal

itself has been pending before this Court for over a

decade.   Finding  that  there  is  an  element  of

settlement,  we  directed  the  parties  to  be  present

before this Court.  Accordingly, on 23.10.2018, this

Court passed the following order :-

“Thanks  to  the  intervention  of

Mr.Maninder  Singh,  learned  senior

counsel, who has graciously agreed to

mediate,  on  a  request  made  by  the

Court, the parties, who are present in

Court today, have made an effort to

reach an amicable settlement.   

What remains is only the demarcation

by meets and bounds of the share that

is  allotted  to  the  legal

representatives  of  Dhan  Kaur,  the

deceased daughter of the deceased Nand

Singh, the original owner.  It is not

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in  dispute  that  the  legal

representatives  of  Dhan  Kaur  are

entitled  to  44  Kanals,  out  of

approximately  132  Kanals  of  land

belonging to late Nand Singh.

We  direct  the  Tehsildar  of  Samrala

District,  Ludhiana  to  demarcate  44

Kanals  of  land  out  of  approximately

132 Kanals of land of late Nand Singh

by  meets  and  bounds  and  prepare  a

sketch  and  submit  a  report  to  this

Court.   

We direct both the sides to present

themselves  before  the  Tehsildar,

Samrala  District,  Ludhiana  on

25.10.2018  at  11.00  AM  with  their

respective  proposals  regarding  the

segregation  of  44  Kanals.   If  they

agree on the location of 44 Kanals,

the  Tehsildar  will  proceed  to

demarcate and fix the boundary.  But

if the Tehsildar finds that there is

no agreement, he may take an equitable

decision  as to  the 44  Kanals to  be

allotted  to  the  share  of  the  legal

representatives  of  Dhan  Kaur  and

demarcate  the  same  and  prepare  a

sketch.   

The  parties  have  agreed  that  there

shall be no claim on the two houses

owned  by  late  Rur  Singh  and  there

shall be no claim for mesne profits or

interest from the side of the legal

representatives of Dhan Kaur.   

Post  on  13.11.2018  at  02.00  PM  in

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misc. list.   

Since  some  of  the  parties  have  to

travel abroad, we direct the Tehsildar

to complete the process on or before

12.11.2018 and submit a report to this

Court.   

It will be sufficient that the report

is  filed  through  any  one  of  the

parties also.  Needless to say that

copies of the report will be given to

both the parties.

We  express  our  gratitude  for  the

strenuous  efforts  taken  by  Mr.

Maninder  Singh,  learned  senior

counsel,  to  find  a  solution  to  the

decades long dispute among the members

of the family.”  

2. The  Tehsildar,  Samrala,  has,  accordingly,

forwarded  a report  dated 10.11.2018.   The  same is

taken  on  record.   Copies  of  the  report  have  been

furnished to the parties as well.  We have heard the

learned  counsel  appearing  for  the  parties  on  both

sides.   Though  the parties  have raised  some minor

objections to the report, we are of the view that the

Tehsildar  has  done  a  fair  job  and  has  made  an

equitable distribution of the property by demarcating

it in metes and bounds.  We record our appreciation

for  the arduous  job undertaken  by the  Tehsildar -

Mr.Navdeep  Singh  Bhogal.   We  direct  the  District

Collector,  Ludhiana  to  give  an  appropriate

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appreciation entry in the Annual Confidential Report

(ACR)  of  Mr.  Navdeep  Singh  Bhogal  in  this  regard

since on account of the efforts taken by him, the

Court  is  in  a  position  to  put  an  end  to  the

litigation.

3. Though  the  learned  counsel  on  both  sides  have

raised some minor objections, we are of the view that

in the interest of the parties, at least in the third

generation,  the  litigations  should  be  given  a

quietus.  Accordingly, this appeal is disposed of in

terms of the report submitted by the Tehsildar.  The

report shall form part of the decree.

4. We find that the respondents may not have any

source of water for irrigating their part of the land

since the water source has gone to the share of the

appellants.  They are free to approach the competent

authority  for  appropriate  permission,  if  any

required, for setting up a tubewell, in which case,

the competent authority shall examine their case and

pass appropriate orders in accordance with law in the

matter, in any case, within six months from the date

of the application.

5. Once there is sanction of the tubewell, we direct

the  Electricity  Board  to  give  the  electricity

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connection within another one month.

6. We  also  record  our  deep  appreciation  for  the

sincere efforts taken by Mr. Maninder Singh, learned

senior counsel, who has spent quite a few days with

the  parties  for  helping  them  to  arrive  at  a

reasonable settlement.  

.......................J.               [ KURIAN JOSEPH ]  

.......................J.               [ HEMANT GUPTA ]  

New Delhi; November 16, 2018.