# MALOJIRAO NARASINGllRft.0 SHITOLE v. THE STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH

- **Citation:** [1969] 3 S.C.R. 901
- **Court:** Supreme Court of India
- **Decided:** 1969-03-07
- **Bench:** M. Hidayatullah, V. Ramaswami, G. K. Mitter
- **Source:** https://unisonlegal.in/judgment/supreme-court-of-india/malojirao-narasingllrft-0-shitole-v-the-state-of-madhya-pradesh-4659
- **Pages:** 7

## Headnote

Madhya Bharat Abolition of Jagirs Act 28 of 1951, s. 29-Appeal
to Board of Revenue-No provision in Act for exclusion of time for
obtaining copies or to condone de/ay-S. 30 of Act making Ryotwari
Land Revenue and Tenancy Act Samwat 2007 applicable to proceedings
under Act-Effect of ss. 34 o·nd s. 149(2) of Ryotwari Act-Construction
of s. 149(2)-App/icability of s. 12 of Indian Limitation Act 1908.
Section 29 of the Madhya Bharat Abolition of Jagirs Act 28 of 1951
provided for appeals against orders of the Jagir Commissioner to the
Board of Revenue. The appeal was to be filed within 90 days of the communication of the decision to the party concerned. The Act did not in
terms contain any provision for exclusion of time taken in obtaining copies or for <Pndonation of delay in filing the apJ?"al·
However under s.
30 of the Act the procedure under the Ryotwan
Land
Revenue
and
Tenancy Act, Samwat 2007 was made applicable to the proceedings. Section 34 of the said Ryotwari Act provided for extension and computation
of the period of limitation and s. 149(2) thereof was in the following
terms : "Excpt where it is otherwise ptovided" in the general principles of
law of Limitation for the time being in force in the United State regarding extension of the principles of limitation
sha11 appJy to claims made
under this Act before a Revenue Officer ...
'
The appellant was a Sardar and Jagirdar in the erstwhile Gwalior State.
His Jagir was resumed by the State on December 4, 1952 under the
Madhya Bharat Abolition of Jagirs Act 1951.
He rec\lived a memorandum from the Jagir Commissioner on February 23, 1958 regarding the
compensation payable to him under s. 13 of the Act. On February 24,
1958 he applied to the Jagir Commissioner for a copy of the judgment
as the memorandum supplied to him did not show how the compensation
had been determined.
The application was returned to the appellant on
March 11, 1958 with an endorsement that the copy could be had on payment of fees. The very next day the appellant complied with the demand
and a copy of the judgment was given to him on March 18, 1958. The
appellant preferred his appeal to the Board of Revenue on June 2, 1958
but the Board dismissed it as time barred under s. 29 of the Act. The
High Court upheld the order df the BMrd.
In appeal to this Court,
HELD : The High Court was not right in upholding the order of
the Board of Revenue which ignored the provisions of ss. 34 and 149(2)
of the Ryotwari Act and the relevant provisions of the Limitation Act.
f907 B-C]
(i) U~der s. 34 of .th7 ~yotwari .Act the Board must guide itself by
the prov1s1ons of the L1m1tation Act in force for extension and computa·
tion of the period of limitation. It would appear that s. 149(2) was aim-
~d at givi~g a similar guide line to the Revenue Officer. To give the said
mterpretat1on to s. 149(2) it is necessary to read "extension of the principles of limitation" occurring therein as uextension of the period
of
limitation" for otherwise the section would be devoid of any meaning.
902
SUPREME COURT REPORTS
(1969] 3 S.C.R.
The word 'principles' therein was inserted due to inept or careless drafting
and what was· meant was 'period' and not 'principles'. However,. even if
the statute is read as it stands the principle of the Limitation Act is not
only to dismiss a suit, appeal o'r application if filed beyond time but also
to extend the time for filing an appeal if the delay is explained.
That
principle was clearly capable of extension in the present case. [905 D;
906 El
(ii) The general princ,lples of limitation are those contained in the
Limitation Act of 1908 which was in .force at the date when the present
appeal was filed before the Board of Revenue. Sections 3, 4, 5 and 29(2)
of the Limitation Act 1908 show that unless excluded by the Jagirs Act
or Ryotwari Act, s. 12 of the Limitation Act would be applicable to
appeals filed before the Board of Revenue under any of those Acts.
[905 E; 906 CJ
(iii) In view of the applicab

## Text

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MALOJIRAO NARASINGllRft.0 SHITOLE
v.
THE STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH
March 7, 1969
[M. HIDAYATULLAH, C.J., V. RAMASWAMI AND G. K. MITTER, JJ.]
Madhya Bharat Abolition of Jagirs Act 28 of 1951, s. 29-Appeal
to Board of Revenue-No provision in Act for exclusion of time for
obtaining copies or to condone de/ay-S. 30 of Act making Ryotwari
Land Revenue and Tenancy Act Samwat 2007 applicable to proceedings
under Act-Effect of ss. 34 o·nd s. 149(2) of Ryotwari Act-Construction
of s. 149(2)-App/icability of s. 12 of Indian Limitation Act 1908.
Section 29 of the Madhya Bharat Abolition of Jagirs Act 28 of 1951
provided for appeals against orders of the Jagir Commissioner to the
Board of Revenue. The appeal was to be filed within 90 days of the communication of the decision to the party concerned. The Act did not in
terms contain any provision for exclusion of time taken in obtaining copies or for <Pndonation of delay in filing the apJ?"al·
However under s.
30 of the Act the procedure under the Ryotwan
Land
Revenue
and
Tenancy Act, Samwat 2007 was made applicable to the proceedings. Section 34 of the said Ryotwari Act provided for extension and computation
of the period of limitation and s. 149(2) thereof was in the following
terms : "Excpt where it is otherwise ptovided" in the general principles of
law of Limitation for the time being in force in the United State regarding extension of the principles of limitation
sha11 appJy to claims made
under this Act before a Revenue Officer ...
'
The appellant was a Sardar and Jagirdar in the erstwhile Gwalior State.
His Jagir was resumed by the State on December 4, 1952 under the
Madhya Bharat Abolition of Jagirs Act 1951.
He rec\lived a memorandum from the Jagir Commissioner on February 23, 1958 regarding the
compensation payable to him under s. 13 of the Act. On February 24,
1958 he applied to the Jagir Commissioner for a copy of the judgment
as the memorandum supplied to him did not show how the compensation
had been determined.
The application was returned to the appellant on
March 11, 1958 with an endorsement that the copy could be had on payment of fees. The very next day the appellant complied with the demand
and a copy of the judgment was given to him on March 18, 1958. The
appellant preferred his appeal to the Board of Revenue on June 2, 1958
but the Board dismissed it as time barred under s. 29 of the Act. The
High Court upheld the order df the BMrd.
In appeal to this Court,
HELD : The High Court was not right in upholding the order of
the Board of Revenue which ignored the provisions of ss. 34 and 149(2)
of the Ryotwari Act and the relevant provisions of the Limitation Act.
f907 B-C]
(i) U~der s. 34 of .th7 ~yotwari .Act the Board must guide itself by
the prov1s1ons of the L1m1tation Act in force for extension and computa·
tion of the period of limitation. It would appear that s. 149(2) was aim-
~d at givi~g a similar guide line to the Revenue Officer. To give the said
mterpretat1on to s. 149(2) it is necessary to read "extension of the principles of limitation" occurring therein as uextension of the period
of
limitation" for otherwise the section would be devoid of any meaning.
902
SUPREME COURT REPORTS
(1969] 3 S.C.R.
The word 'principles' therein was inserted due to inept or careless drafting
and what was· meant was 'period' and not 'principles'. However,. even if
the statute is read as it stands the principle of the Limitation Act is not
only to dismiss a suit, appeal o'r application if filed beyond time but also
to extend the time for filing an appeal if the delay is explained.
That
principle was clearly capable of extension in the present case. [905 D;
906 El
(ii) The general princ,lples of limitation are those contained in the
Limitation Act of 1908 which was in .force at the date when the present
appeal was filed before the Board of Revenue. Sections 3, 4, 5 and 29(2)
of the Limitation Act 1908 show that unless excluded by the Jagirs Act
or Ryotwari Act, s. 12 of the Limitation Act would be applicable to
appeals filed before the Board of Revenue under any of those Acts.
[905 E; 906 CJ
(iii) In view of the applicability of ss. 34 and 149(2) of the Ryotwari
Act to the case, the time spent in obtaining a copy of the judgment forming the basis or giving the ieasons of the decision should have been excluded in computing the period of 90 days under s. 29 of the Jagirs Act.
The appellant was not guilty of any !aches. If there was any delay in
filing the · appeal the Board of Revenue should have considered whether
in the circumstances of the case the same should have been condoned.
The Board did not act judicially in throwin11 out the appeal. [906 F-907 Bl
Briirajsingh v. The Board of Revenue and Another, Misc. Civil Case
No. 22[1962 of the Madhya Pradesh Hiib Court decided on 18-3-63,
referred to.
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION : Civil Appeal No. 302 of
1966.
referred to.
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Appeal by special leave from the judgment 3(lld o;der dated
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November 13, 1962 of the Madhya Prades_!i. High Court, Gwalior
Bench in Misc. Civil Petition 64 of 1961.
B. Sen, P. W. Sahasrabudhe, A. G. Ratnaparkhi and S. V.
Tambwekar, for the appellant. ·
l. N. Shroff, for the respondent.
Ji'
The Judgment, of the Court was delivered by
Mitter, J'. This is an appeal by special leave from an order
of the Madhya Pradesh High Court under Art. 227 of the Constitution refusing to quash an order made by the Board of Revenue
of the State throwing out the appeal of the appellant on the ground
that it was barred by time.
·
The facts are ·as follows.
The appellant was a Sardar and a
Jagirdar in the former Gwalior State. His J agir known as Pohari
Jagir was resumed by the State on December 4, 1952 under the
Madhya Bharat Abolition of Jagirs Act, 28 of 1951., He received
a memorandum from the Jagir Commissioner on February 23.
1958 regarding the compensation payable to him under s. 13 of
the Act in respect of the resumption of his jagir. On February
24, 1958 he applied to the Jagir Commissioner for a copy of the
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MALOJJRAO v. M. P. STATE (Mitter, /.)
90 3
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judgment.
The memor~ndum received by him gave the total
amount of compensation detennined and the deductions to be
made therefrom. It did not contain the data forming the basis of
the calculations nor did it show how the authority disposed of the
appellant's claim to compensation and made its o'\Wl computation.
At the hearing, a copy of the judgment of the Jagir Commissioner
8
. running into twenty three pages was handed up to us giving full
details of the claim and showing how the same were dealt with for
fixing the amolJil]t payable to the appellant.
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It appears that the application of the appe!lant for a copy of
the judgment was returned to him on March 11, 1958 with an
endorsement that the same could be had on payment of fees. On
the very neii:t day the appellant applied for a copy of the judgment after paying the fees mentiqoed and a copy of the judgment
was given to him on March 18, 1958. The appellant preferred
his appeal to the Board of Revenue on June 2, 1958, As already
stated, the Board did not go into the merits of the case holding
the appeal to be barred by time under the provisions of s. 29 of
the Act.
It is necessary to note a few of the provisions of the Madhya
Bharat Abolition of .Jagirs Act, 1951 (hereinafter referred to
as the 'Act') to find out whether the appeal to the Board of Revenue was out of time.
Under s. 3 of the Act the Government had
to appoint a date for the resumption of an jagir }ands in the State,
as soon as may be, after the commencement of the Act.
The
consequences of the resumption of the jagir land are given i,n s. 4.
By the operation of that section the right, title and interest of
every jagtrdar and ol every other person claiming through him
in his jagir lands including forests, trees etc. whether being worked or oot, were to stand resumed to the State free of all encumbrances and certain other consequences were to follow. Section
5 of the Act however enabled the Jagirdar to continue to remain
in possession of lands personally cultivated by him and of certain
other items of property mentiqm:d .in cl. (b) of the said section.
Under s. 8 the Government was to be liable to pay to every jagirdar whose jagir land was resumed under s. 3 such compensation
as would be determined in ·accordance with the principles laid
down in Schedule I. Under s. 12 every Jagirdar whose jagir land
had been resumed ~er s. 3 was to file in the prescribed fonn
within two months from the date of. resumption, a statement ,<:J.
claim for compensation before the Jagir Commissioner.
Sub-s.
(2) of the section prescribed the particulars which such statement
of claim had to furnish.
On receipt of a statement of claim
under s. 12 or if no statement was received by him within the
period fixed, it was the duty of the J agir CommissiQrier to determine (a) the amount of compensation payable to the Jagirdar
904
SUPREME COURT REPORTS
[1969] 3 S.C.R.
under s. 8, (b) the amount recoverable from him under cl. (e) of
sub-s. ( 1) of s. 4, ( c) the amounts of the annual maintenance
allowances payable to maintenance holders, if ainy, under s. 9;
( d) the amounts payable annua,!ly to the Zamindars of the J agirdar, if any under s. 10 and ( e) the amount payable to the cosharers of a Jagirdar, if any, under s. 11. The section casts a duty
on the Jagir Commissioner to cornmlljilicate !tls decision to the
Government, the Jagirdar, the maintenance holders, the co-sharers
and the Zamindars, if any, as soon as may be practicable.
Under
s. 29 the Government or any person aggrieved by the decision of
the Jagir Commissio.ner under ss. 4, 10, 11, 13 or 14 had the right
to appeal to the Board of Revenue within 90 days from the date
of the communication of such decision to it or him and the decision of the Board of Revenue was to be final.
From the above provisions of the Act, it is amply clear that
neither the Government nor the Jagirdar nor any person aggrieved
by the decision of the J agir Commissioner under s. 13 can file an
appeal to the Board of Revenue to any purpose without a copy of
the judgment showing how the decision under s. 13 was arrived
at.
In this case, the memorandum of compensation merely showed that a sum exceeding Rs. 1 7 lakhs had been determined as the
amount payable to the appellant. 'l'he memorandum did not show
how the same was computed or how the claim for compeinsation
preferred by the petitioner under various heads was dealt with.
In order that an appeal may be effective the appellant must be
able to formulate his grounds for challenging the judgment which
has gone against him.
The question there.fore arises as to whether the time taken in
obtaining a copy of the judgment which forms the basis of the
decision in determining the compensation can be excluded from
the period of 90 days mentioned in s. 29 of the Jagirs Abolition
Act. There is no provision in the Act which expressly empowers
the Board of Revenue to entertain an appeal filed beyond the
period of 90 days from the date of the communication of the
decision under s. 13. Under s. 30 of the Act
"The Jagir Commissiqner, or any other officer conducting an enquiry under this Act, and the Board of
Revenue and the Collector hearing appeals from the
orders of the Jagir Commissioner or the Tahsildar, as
the case may be, shall follow the procedure applicable
to proceedings under the Revenue Administration and
Ryotwari Land Revenue and Tenancy Act,
Samvat
2007, so far as may be and shall have the same powers,
in relation to proceedings before them as a revenue
officer has in rel~tion to original or appellate proceed8
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MALOJIRAO v. M. P. STATE (Mitter, J.)
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ings, as the case may be, under the Act." (hereinafter
referred to as the Ryotwari Act).
Section 34 of the Ryotwari Act provides :
"Subject to the provisions of the Limitation Act in
force for the time being regarding the extension and
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computation of the period of !imitation :-
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( 1) no appeal to the Board shall be brought after
the expiry of ninety days from the date of the decision
or the order complained of;
(2)
"
Section 149(2) of the Ryotwari Act provides that
"Except where it is otherwise specially provided the
general principles of law of Limitation for the time
being in force in the United State regarding extensiOl)l
of the principles of !imitation shall apply to claims made
under this Act before a Revenue Officer."
It is clear from the language of s. 34 that in hearing an appeal
under the Ryotwari .Act the Board must guide itself by the provisions of the Limitation Act ·~ force for extension and computation of the period of limitation.
It would appear thats. 149(2)
was aimed at giving a similar guide .Jine to the Revenue Officer.
To give the said interpretation to s. 149(2) it is necessary to read
"extension of the principles of limitation" occurring therein as
"extensiO\Il of the period of limitation" for otherwise the section
would be devoid of any meaning. The general principles of limitation are those contained in the Limitation Act of 1908 which
were in force at the date when the appeal was filed before the
Board of Revenue. Section 3 of the Limitation Act, 1908 laid down
that subject to the provisions c<Jilltained in ss. 4 to 25 (inclusive).
every suit instituted, appeal preferred, and application made, after
the period of l~itation prescribed therefor by the First Schedule
was to be dismissed although limitation had not been set up as a
defence.
Under s. 5 ol. the Limitation Act of 1908 an appeal
could be admitted after the period of !imitation prescribed therefor when the appellant satisfied the court that he had sufficient
cause for not preferring or making the application within such
period.
Under s. 29(2) of the Limitation Act:
"Where any special or local law prescribes for any ·
suit appeal or application ai period of !imitation different
from the period prescribed therefor by the First Schedule, the provisions of section 3 shall apply, as if such
period were prescribed therefor in that Schedule and
for the purpose of determining any period of limitation
906
SUPREME COURT REPORTS
[1969] 3 S.C.R.
prescribed for any suit, appeal or applicatiqn by the
special or local Jaw-
( a) the provisions contained in section 4, sections
9 to 18 and section 22 shall apply only in so far as, and
to the extent to which, they are not expressly excluded
by such special or local Jaw; and
(b) the remaining provisiOlllS of this Act shaU not
apply."
These sections go to show that unless excluded by the Jagirs Act
or Ryotwari Act section 12 of the Limitation Act would be applicable to appeals filed before the Board of Revenue under any of
those Acts.
It has been held by a Division Bench of the Madhya Pradesh
High Court in Brijrajsingh v. The Board of Revenue and another(')
that the expressiqn "principles of limitation" in s. 149(2) mentioned above should be construed as extension of the period of !imitation.
For the reasons given above, we are in agreement with
the said conclusion of the Madhya Pradesh High Court. In our
view, the word 'principle' therein was inserted due to inept or
careless drafting aind what was meant was "period" and not
'principles'.
Even if we were to read the Statute as it is, the principle of the
Limitation Act is to dismiss a suit, appeal or applioation if filed
beyond time but also to extend the time for filing an appeal if the
delay is explained. That principle is clearly capable of extension
in the present case.
H sections 34 aind 149(2) were applical:ile to the facts of the
~ase before the Board of Revenue and we hold to that effect, the
time spent in obtaining a copy of the judgment forming the basis
or giving the reasons of the decision should have been excluded in
computing the period of 90 days under s. 29 of the Jagirs Act. The
appellant was ,not guilty of any !aches in his appeal to the Board of
Revenue.. He applied for a copy of the judgment of the J agir Commissioner 9n the day next after communication to him of the order
of the Jagir Commissioner.
Even if the application was unaccompanied by any fees prescribed for the purpose, the Board of
Revenue should have taken this fact into consideration before holding the appellant's appeal to be out of time. If the application for
the copy of the judgment made on the 24th February was in order,
the appeal was in time.
Even if the time taken in obtaining the
copy of the judgment be reckoned from the 12th March to 18th
March, 1958, the appellaint was out by two days only in filing the
appeal to the Board of Revenue. If the 1st of June 1958 which
(I) Misc. Civil Case No. 22{1962 decided on 18-3-63.
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MALOJIRAO v. M. P. STATE (Mitter, J.)
907
happened to be a Sunday be left out of consideration, the appellant
was out by one day only.
As appears from the order dated September 28, 19§1 the Board
of Revenue refused to entertain the appeal on the ground of limitation without considering the question as to whether the appellant
had made out a case for condonation of delay, if any. In our view,
the Board of Revenue had not acted judicially in throwing out the
appeal.
The High Coun: was therefore not right in upholding the
order of the Board of Revenue which ignored the provisiOtllS of
ss. 34 and 149(2) of the Ryotwari Act and the relevant provisions
of the Limitation Act. A sounder view of the law was taken by
another Division Bench of the same High Court in Brijrajsingh's
case(') noted above.
For the reasons given the appeal is allowed, the order of the
Board of Reveinue is quashed and the matter sent back to the Board
for disposal of the appeal according to law and in the ·light of the
observations made by us.
The appellant will have the costs of this
appeal.
G.C.
Appeal allowed.
(I) Misc. Civil case No. 22fl962 decided on !8·3-63 ..