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Issues Involved:
1. Jurisdiction of the Settlement Officer under Section 56(1)(c) of the Andhra Pradesh (Andhra Area) Estates (Abolition and Conversion into Ryotwari) Act. 2. Maintainability of the eviction petition filed by the appellant. 3. Interpretation of Section 56(1)(c) in relation to Sections 55 and 56(1)(a) and (b) of the Act. Issue-wise Detailed Analysis: 1. Jurisdiction of the Settlement Officer under Section 56(1)(c) of the Andhra Pradesh (Andhra Area) Estates (Abolition and Conversion into Ryotwari) Act: The primary issue in this case was whether the Settlement Officer had exclusive jurisdiction to decide who the lawful ryot of a holding was under Section 56(1)(c) of the Andhra Pradesh (Andhra Area) Estates (Abolition and Conversion into Ryotwari) Act. The respondents argued that the lands were situated in an Inam Estate taken over by the Government, and they had occupancy rights, thus no landlord-tenant relationship existed post-takeover. The Tehsildar and the Revenue Divisional Officer dismissed the appellant's eviction petition, stating that the question of lawful ryot had to be decided by the Settlement Officer. The High Court upheld this view, emphasizing that the Settlement Officer had exclusive jurisdiction under Section 56(1)(c). 2. Maintainability of the eviction petition filed by the appellant: The appellant's eviction petition was dismissed by the Tehsildar and the Revenue Divisional Officer on the grounds that the respondents had occupancy rights and that the petition was not maintainable. The High Court also dismissed the revision petition under Article 227 of the Constitution, reiterating that the Settlement Officer had exclusive jurisdiction to decide the question of lawful ryot. The Supreme Court, in this appeal, upheld the decisions of the lower authorities, affirming that the question of lawful ryot was within the exclusive competence of the Settlement Officer. 3. Interpretation of Section 56(1)(c) in relation to Sections 55 and 56(1)(a) and (b) of the Act: The appellant's counsel argued that Section 56(1)(c) should be interpreted narrowly, suggesting it only applied when questions arose in connection with Sections 55 and 56(1)(a) and (b). This view was supported by the Full Bench decision in Cherukuru Muthayya v. Gadde Gopalakrishnayya and Ors. However, the Supreme Court disagreed, stating there was no justification for restricting the scope of Section 56(1)(c). The Court referred to the Full Bench decision in I. Munuswami Naidu (died) and Ors. v. R. Venkata Reddy and Ors., which overruled the earlier decision and held that Section 56(1)(c) conferred complete and exclusive jurisdiction on the Settlement Officer to decide rival claims of ryots for the grant of ryotwari patta. The Court emphasized that the Andhra Pradesh Estates Abolition Act was a self-contained code with provisions for adjudicating various disputes through specially constituted tribunals. The Act aimed to protect ryots and introduce ryotwari settlements, and it would be anomalous if it did not provide for determining who the lawful ryot was. The Court concluded that Section 56(1)(c) was not controlled by Sections 55 and 56(1)(a) and (b), and the Settlement Officer had exclusive jurisdiction to decide the question of lawful ryot. Conclusion: The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal, affirming that the Settlement Officer had exclusive jurisdiction under Section 56(1)(c) to decide who the lawful ryot of a holding was. The Court rejected the narrow interpretation of Section 56(1)(c) suggested by the appellant, emphasizing the need to give effect to the Act's objective of protecting ryots and introducing ryotwari settlements.
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