IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA CWJC NO.7980 OF 2003 ARJUN PRASAD SINGH, SON OF LATE JAMADAR SINGH, RESIDENT OF VILLAGE DHOUNI, POLICE STATION RAJOUN, DISTRICT BANKA .PETITIONER VERSUS 1. THE STATE OF BIHAR 2. THE DISTRICT MAGISTRATE, BANKA 3. THE SUB DIVISIONAL OFFICER, BANKA 4. THE DEPUTY COLLECTOR LAND REFORMS, BANKA 5. THE CIRCLE OFFICER, RAJOUN CIRCLE, BANKA 6. THE HEAD MASTER, RASTRIYA HIGH SCHOOL, DHOUNI, DISTRICT BANKA 7. KAILASH CHOUDHARY, SON OF NOT KNOWN, RESIDENT OF VILLAGE DHOUNI, POLICE STATION RAJOUN, DISTRICT BANKA ……………………………………………………………………….RESPONDENTS ********** 10 03/08/2010 Heard learned Counsel for the petitioner and the Counsel appearing on behalf of the State. The short facts are that the petitioner by an open bid has taken settlement of a piece of agricultural land belonging to the State of Bihar for a sum of Rs. 45,000/-. Accordingly, the petitioner deposited the said sum of Rs. 45,000/- on 21.03.2003 with the Circle Officer, Rajoun. In the mean time, respondent no. 7 made an offer of Rs. 62,000/- for the same piece of land and deposited half of the amount in token of the said offer. The petitioner filed a writ application before this Court and as such the matter remained pending. During the said proceeding, the petitioner also was ready to pay the higher amount of Rs. 63,000/-. The Circle Officer, Rajoun in stead of taking steps for settling the land in question allowed it to remain pending in view of the fact that the petitioner has - 2 - filed a writ application before this Court. The result was that the land could not be settled to any of the parties. The petitioner was stopped from irrigating and farming on the said piece of land settled in his favour, although it is said that he has remained in possession over the land in question from 21.03.2003 to 09.08.2003. This writ application has become infructuous. The only prayer made on behalf of the petitioner is that in view of the fact that he was not able to reap the benefit of the said settlement, he should be returned the amount he had deposited in view of the said settlement along with interest. This Court is not inclined to grant interest to the petitioner. However, the Circle Officer, Rajoun, Banka is directed to ensure that Rs. 45,000/- should be returned to the petitioner within a period of three months from the date of receipt/production of a copy of this order. This application is disposed of with the aforesaid observations and directions. Anand ( Sheema Ali Khan, J. )