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Disposition
Advocates
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Acts
  • Section XVII of the Act
  • Articles of War
  • Section XVII, Section XXVIII, Act 22 of 1864, Schedule appended to the Act
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Citation Codes
Equivalent Citations
citation codes
Case Number
Disposition
Advocates
Judges
Acts
  • Section XVII of the Act
  • Articles of War
  • Section XVII, Section XXVIII, Act 22 of 1864, Schedule appended to the Act
Smart Summary

Factual and Procedural Background

The litigation concerns a parcel of land measuring 11.37 acres in Survey No. 392 together with Bungalow No. 39 situated in the Sagar Cantonment area. The original plaintiff (now the review petitioner) filed a suit for declaration of title over this property and succeeded before the trial court; that decree was affirmed by the High Court in first appeal. The Chief Executive Officer, Cantonment Board, Sagar, obtained special-leave to appeal to the Supreme Court. In Chief Executive Officer v. Surendra Kumar Vakil, (1999) 3 SCC 555, the Supreme Court allowed the appeal and dismissed the plaintiff’s suit, principally by treating the land as held under “old grant” pursuant to Governor-General-in-Council Order No. 179 of 1836 (GGO 179/1836).

Seeking review of that judgment, the plaintiff contended that GGO 179/1836 had been repealed, rendering the earlier decision erroneous. The Supreme Court issued notice limited to this contention but, after full hearing, dismissed the review petition.

Legal Issues Presented

  1. Whether Governor-General-in-Council Order No. 179 of 1836 stood repealed by Act 22 of 1864 (specifically by Sections XVII and XXVIII), thereby vitiating the Supreme Court’s earlier reliance on that Order.
  2. Whether observations made by the Nagpur High Court in Shrideo Jankiramji Idol v. Governor General in Council (7 October 1949) regarding General Land Registers (GLR) under the Cantonment Land Administration Rules, 1925 had material bearing requiring reconsideration of the Supreme Court’s findings.
  3. Whether errors in appreciation of evidence, as alleged by the review petitioner, justified reopening the concluded judgment.

Arguments of the Parties

Review Petitioner’s Arguments

  • GGO 179/1836 is “referable to” Section XVII of Act 22 of 1864 and therefore ceased to operate by virtue of Section XXVIII; reliance on it in the 1999 judgment constitutes an error apparent on the face of the record.
  • The Nagpur High Court’s decision on GLR matters casts doubt on the Supreme Court’s earlier conclusion regarding title.
  • There were mistakes in the appreciation of evidence that warrant review.

Non-Petitioners’ (Respondents’) Arguments

  • No provision of Act 22 of 1864 repeals GGO 179/1836; the Order continued in force and was even amended by Order No. 1001 dated 8 July 1864, immediately after the Act came into force.
  • The Supreme Court’s own subsequent decision in Chitra Kumari v. Union of India, (2001) 3 SCC 208, acknowledges GGO 179/1836 as subsisting, confirming its validity.
  • The Nagpur High Court ruling is neither binding nor newly-discovered evidence; it had already been cited before the Court in the original appeal.
  • Alleged errors in appreciation of evidence cannot be canvassed in review proceedings.

Table of Precedents Cited

Precedent Rule or Principle Cited For Application by the Court
Raj Singh v. Union of India, AIR 1973 Del 169 Nature of property in British cantonment areas held under “old grant.” Earlier 1999 judgment (under review) had relied on this decision; the reference is noted but not reconsidered in review.
Chief Executive Officer v. Surendra Kumar Vakil, (1999) 3 SCC 555 Supreme Court’s final judgment dismissing plaintiff’s suit on the basis of GGO 179/1836. Judgment sought to be reviewed; its reasoning examined for alleged error.
Chitra Kumari v. Union of India, (2001) 3 SCC 208 Recognition that GGO 179/1836 remains in force. Cited by respondents to demonstrate that the Order has not been repealed.
Shrideo Jankiramji Idol v. Governor General in Council (Nagpur HC, 7 Oct 1949) Observations on entries in General Land Register under Cantonment Land Administration Rules 1925. Court held it neither binding nor admissible as fresh evidence in review; had already been available during original hearing.

Court's Reasoning and Analysis

The Court examined Sections XVII and XXVIII of Act 22 of 1864. Section XVII empowers the Local Government to frame rules for cantonments on matters of civil and criminal administration, public health, and local regulations. Section XXVIII suspends earlier local regulations only when such rules are actually framed under Section XVII. The Court concluded that:

  • GGO 179/1836 was issued by the Governor-General-in-Council and cannot be considered a rule or regulation made by a “Local Government” under Section XVII.
  • Consequently, Section XXVIII could not operate to repeal GGO 179/1836.
  • The subsequent amendment of GGO 179/1836 by Order No. 1001 dated 8 July 1864—after Act 22 of 1864 came into force—confirms its continued validity.
  • Recognition of GGO 179/1836 in Chitra Kumari (2001) further undermines the repeal argument.
  • The Nagpur High Court decision does not constitute binding precedent on the point at issue; moreover, it had already been cited in the original appeal and therefore cannot ground a review.
  • The alleged errors in appreciation of evidence do not amount to an error apparent on the face of the record and are impermissible in review.

Finding no legal or factual error warranting interference, the Court declined to recall or modify its 1999 judgment.

Holding and Implications

REVIEW PETITION DISMISSED.

The dismissal leaves intact the Supreme Court’s 1999 decision dismissing the plaintiff’s suit and thereby upholds the characterization of the land as held under “old grant” governed by GGO 179/1836. The ruling re-affirms that GGO 179/1836 has not been repealed by Act 22 of 1864. No new legal principle has been propounded; the decision’s effect is confined to confirming the earlier outcome between the parties.

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    Surendra Kumar Vakil And Others Petitioners/ v. Chief Executive Officer, M.P And Others

    R.C Lahoti, J.— The suit property consists of a piece of land measuring 11.37 acres comprising in Survey No. 392 and the structure standing thereon known as Bungalow No. 39 in Sagar Cantonment area. A suit for declaration of title filed by the review petitioner was directed to be decreed by the trial court and the decree was upheld by the High Court in first appeal. The Chief Executive Officer of Cantonment Board, Sagar preferred an appeal by special leave which was allowed by this Court and the suit filed by the review petitioner was directed to be dismissed. A perusal of the judgment under review reveals that in forming opinion against the review petitioner in the matter of title over the land in suit, this Court placed reliance on Order No. 179 of 1836 of the Governor-General-in-Council whereunder the land forming part of the suit property is known as one held under “old grant”. This Court also noted with approval the view of the law taken in Raj Singh v. Union of India AIR 1973 Del 169, 1972 Ren CR 718 as regards the properties in British Cantonment areas. The judgment sought to be reviewed is reported as Chief Executive Officer v. Surendra Kumar Vakil (1999) 3 SCC 555.

    2. In the review petition filed by the review petitioner, one of the pleas raised is that Order No. 179 of 1836 has stood repealed and therefore the judgment of this Court based on the said order was vitiated by an error of law apparent on the face of the record. It is mainly this plea which persuaded the Court to issue notice in review petition. The non-petitioners herein have disputed the availability of any merit in any of the pleas raised by the writ petitioner and have submitted that no case for review was made out.

    3. We have heard the learned counsel for the parties at length and we are satisfied that the judgment under review does not suffer from any such infirmity as to call for recalling of the judgment in exercise of review jurisdiction of this Court.

    4. The first submission of the learned counsel for the review petitioner has been that GGO No. 179 of 1836 has stood repealed by Act 22 of 1864 which received the assent of the Governor General on the first day of April, 1864 and came into force on that day. In the submission of the learned counsel for the review petitioner Sections XVII and XXVIII are relevant, which are extracted and reproduced hereunder:

    “XVII. And may make rules and regulations to provide for certain matters hereinafter mentioned the same to be general or special.—The Local Government shall have power to make rules and regulations not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act or of any other law in force, to provide within the limits of any military cantonment for the matters hereinafter mentioned, and from time to time to repeal, or alter, such rules and regulations. The rules and regulations made under this section may be general for all military cantonments in the territories under the local Government making the same, or special for any one or more of such cantonments, according as the local Government shall direct.
    XXVIII. Effects of rules made under Section XVII of the Act in respect of regulations previously.—Whenever in any military cantonment, rules and regulations have been made under Section XVII, so much of any regulation or Act as may be held to empower the Commanding Officer to make local regulations regarding matters other than military shall cease to have any effect in such cantonment, and all local regulations for any military cantonment which may have been made before the promulgation of the rules and regulations for such cantonment made under such Section XVII, shall cease to have any effect. Provided that nothing in this section shall be held to interfere with any Military Authority vested in the said Commanding Officer under Articles of War.”

    5. The learned counsel for the review petitioner submitted that Order No. 179 of 1836 is referable to Section XVII and, therefore, stands repealed by Section XXVIII.

    6. We have carefully perused the two provisions relied on by the learned counsel and we find no merit in the submission made. Under Section XVII, the local Government is empowered to make rules and regulations generally for all military cantonments in the territories under that Local Government or in respect of one or more of such cantonments. The nature of the rules and regulations which can be framed by the Local Government is indicated by the preamble which reads as under:

    “Preamble

    Where it is expedient to make provision for regulating the administration of civil and criminal justice and the superintendence of police and conservancy, for protecting the public health within the limits of military cantonments and for laying down local rules and regulations to be enforced within such limits, it is enacted as follows:”

    7. Once the rules and regulations have been framed by the Local Government then the power of the Commanding Officer to make local regulations regarding matters other than military comes to an end. Order No. 179 of 1836 issued by the Governor-General-in-Council cannot be said to have been issued under Section XVII and, therefore, the question of its ceasing to operate by reference to Section XXVIII does not arise. There are certain Acts and regulations which have been specifically repealed by Act 22 of 1864 as per Section 2 read with the Schedule appended to the Act but Order No. 179 of 1836 is not to be found mentioned therein.

    8. In addition, the learned counsel for the non-petitioners has pointed out that Order No. 179 of 1836 was amended by Order No. 1001 dated 8-7-1864 by the Governor-General-in-Council and such amendment would not have been made if Order No. 179 of 1836 would have stood repealed with effect from 1-4-1864 by Act 22 of 1864. It is also pointed out that the decision of this Court in Chitra Kumari v. Union of India (2001) 3 SCC 208 decided on 14-2-2001 also takes notice of GGO No. 179 of 1836 as still in force.

    9. The first plea raised by the review petitioner fails.

    10*. It was then submitted that in the decision of the Nagpur High Court dated 7-10-1949 in Shrideo Jankiramji Idol v. Governor General in Council, Delhi certain observations have been made regarding general land register (GLR) maintained under the Cantonment Land Administration Rules of 1925 and those observations would have a material bearing on the facts of this case. The decision of the Nagpur High Court cannot be relied on by the review petitioner as a precedent because there is no such point of law decided as may be capable of being read as precedent for the purpose of this case. If the judgment though not judgment inter partes, is yet sought to be relied on as a piece of evidence, then it should have been tendered in evidence which has not been done. Be that as it may, it is not disputed at the Bar that this judgment was very much available before the Court when the appeal was argued and the judgment of the Nagpur High Court was specifically referred to in the note of written submissions made on behalf of the respondent in the appeal (review petitioner herein). A point that has been heard and decided cannot form a ground for review even if assuming that the view taken in the judgment under review is erroneous.

    11. The third contention raised on behalf of the review petitioner relates merely to appreciation of evidence and we do not think it is available to be urged now.

    12. No case is made out for entertaining the review petition. It is dismissed.

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    Surendra Kumar Vakil And Others Petitioners/ v. Chief Executive Officer, M.P And Others
    (Mar 15, 2004)