THE HONOURABLE SRI JUSTICE C.V. RAMULU WRIT PETITION No.23916 OF 2009 DATED: 06.11.2009 Between: Boya Ramappa and another .. Petitioners And The Joint Collector-cum-Additional District Magistrate, Ananthapur and others. .. Respondents ORDER: According to the petitioners, they are the owners and possessors of the land in an extent of Ac.7.28 cents in Sy.No.174/2 situated at Mandalapalli Village, Gorantla Village, Gorantla Mandal, Ananthapur District, having purchased the same under three registered sale deeds dated 03.11.1982, 27.02.1983 and 25.04.1985, from one Mala Subbanna, father of the 4th respondent herein, and pattadar passbooks and title deeds have also been issued in their name, duly mutating the concerned revenue records. It is their case that when the 4th respondent, son of their vendor, tried to interfere with their possession of the subject land, they filed a civil suit in O.S.No.195 of 2008 on the file of the Junior Civil Judge’s Court, Penukonda, seeking permanent injunction, and the same is pending disposal. While so, the 3rd respondent- Tahsildar, Gorantla Mandal, initiated proceedings under the A.P. Assigned Lands (Prohibition of Transfers) Act, 1977, alleging that the subject land was assigned in favour of the father of the 4th respondent and the petitioners purchased the same in contravention of the Act, and ultimately passed orders dated 20.12.2008, ordering restoration of the subject land to the 4th respondent. Aggrieved by the same, the petitioners preferred an appeal before the 2nd respondent- Sub Collector, Penukonda, and the 2nd respondent, at the first instance, having granted police protection to maintain status quo till the adjudication of the matter, ultimately dismissed the appeal on 18.08.2009. The petitioners further carried the matter in appeal before the 1st respondent- Joint Collector, Anantapur, along with an application seeking stay of the operation of the orders passed by the 2nd and 3rd respondents. The 1st respondent, having taken the appeal on file, rejected to grant stay sought by the petitioners, by the impugned order dated 24.09.2009. Questioning the same, the present writ petition is filed. Heard the learned counsel for the petitioners and the learned Government Pleader for Revenue appearing for respondents 1 to 3. Since the petitioners have been in possession and enjoyment of the subject land for the last 25 years, having purchased the same under registered sale deeds, and obtained pattadar passbooks and title deeds in their favour, it is not desirable to evict them from the subject lands pending the appeal preferred by them before the 1st respondent. In the circumstances, the 1st respondent is directed to dispose of the appeal purported to have been filed by the petitioners, in accordance with law, within a period of three months from the date of receipt of a copy of this order, and till such time, the petitioners’ possession of the subject lands shall not be disturbed. With the above directions, the writ petition is disposed of. No order as to costs. _________________ JUSTICE C.V. RAMULU 6th November, 2009. Note:- Issue CC in five days. BO IBL