CIVIL WRIT JURISDICTION CASE No.8737 of 1993 In the matter of an application under Articles 226 and 227 of the Constitution of India ------------ 1. MAHAVIR PRASAD S/O SRI KRISHNA PRASAD R/O KALIBAGH, PS. BETTIAH, DISTRICT WEST CHAMPARAN, TENANT OF SHOP NO. A/1 GHANDI BAZAR, BETTIAH TOWN 2. CHANDRA MOHAN MISHRA S/O LATE GIRIJA NAND MISHRA R/O KALIBAGH PS- BETTIAH,DISTT- WEST CHAMPARAN 3. VIJAY KUMAR BARNWAL S/O LATE LANGAD PRASAD R/O PURANI GUDARI PS. BETTIAH, DISTT- WEST CHAMPARAN, TENANT OF SHOP NO. E/1 GANDHI BAZAR 4. JAGARNATH PRASAD S/O LATE JANGILAL LAL SAH R/O PURANI GUDARI PS.- BETTIAH, TENANT OF SHOP NO. E/2,GANDHI BAZAR 5. RAJENDRA PRASAD S/O RAM RATAN PRASAD R/O PURANI GUDARI PS. BETTAIH,TENANT OF SHOP NO. B/1,GANDHI BAZAR 6. SATYADEO PRASAD S/O JAGDEO PRASAD GUPTA R/O PURANI GUDARI PS- BETTIAH, TENANT OF SHOP NO. E/5 GANDHI BAZAR 7. BRIJ MOHAN PRASAD S/O LATE THAKUR PRASAD R/O PURANI GUDARI PS.- BETTIAH, TENANT OF SHOP NO. E/14,GANDHI BAZAR 8. REMESH KUMAR S/O PARAS PRASAD R/O JODA INAR,PS-BETIAH, TENANT OF SHOP NO. E/SPECIAL,GANDHI BAZAR 9. SURAJO DEVI W/O BHOLA PRASAD R/O PURANI GUDARI PS.- BETTIAH, TENANT OF SHOP NO. C/2 GANDHI BAZAR 10. AMAR LAL S/O BHOLA PRASAD R/O KALIBAGH,PS- BETTIAH, DISTT- WEST CHAMPARAN 11. SARSWATI DEVI W/O MADAN PRASAD R/O PURANI GUDARI PS. BETTIAH, TENANT OF SHOP NO. A/12, GANDHI BAZAR 12. BANSI SAH S/O JIUT SAH R/O PURANI GUDARI PS.- BETTIAH, TENANT OF SHOP NO. B/2-GANDHI BAZAR 13. MANGAL SAH S/O PRITAM SAH R/O AVARAIYA PS.- BETTIAH, TENANT OF SHOP NO. E/7, GANDHI BAZAR 14. NAGENDRA PRASAD S/O LATE GANGA RAM R/O KALIBAGH PS.-BETTIAH, TENANT OF SHOP NO. E/19, GANDHI BAZAR 15. RAMESHWAR PRASAD JAISWAL S/O YAMUNA PRASAD JAISWAL R/O KOTWALI CHOWK PS. BETTIAH TENANT OF SHOP NO. D/7, GANDHI BAZAR 16. GULBADAN DEVI W/O HARIHAR PRASAD R/O GANJ NO. 2, PS- BETTIAH TENANT OF SHOP NO. C/7,GANDHI BAZAR 17. JAWAHAR PRASAD GUPTA S/O SHRI NARAIN PRASAD R/O PURANI GUDARI PS.- BETTIAH, TENANT OF SHOP NO. E/11, GANDHI BAZAR 18. MOTI LAL S/O LATE NARSINGH PRASAD R/O KALIBAGH PS.- BETTIAH, TENANT OF SHOP OF E/21 GANDHI BAZAR 19. KANHAIYA LAL SHARMA S/O RAM LOCHAM SHARMA R/O SANSARAIYA PS. BETTIAH, TENANT OF SHOP NO. A/10 GANDHI BAZAR 20. JAGARNATH PRASAD SHRIVASTAVA S/O LATE RAGHUBIR LAL R/O PURANI GUDARI PS.- BETTIAH, TENANT OF SHOP NO. D/8 GANDHI BAZAR 21. SHYAM SUNDER SHRIVASTAVA S/O JAGARNATH PRASAD SHRIVASTAV R/O PURANI GUDARI PS.- BETTIAH,TENANT OF SHOP NO. F/SPECIAL, GANDHI BAZAR 22. DILIP KUMAR S/O SHIVAJEE PRASAD R/O PURANI GUDARI PS. BETTIAH,TENANT OF SHOP NO. A/11-GANDHI BAZAR - 2 - 23. SANJAY KUMAR GUPTA S/O MURARI PRASAD GUPTA R/O KALIBAGH PS.- BETTIAH TENANT OF SHOP NO. E/8- GANDHI BAZAR 24. SOHAN PRASAD S/O RAM CHANDRA PRASAD R/O GANDHI BAZAR PS.-BETTIAH, TENANT OF SHOP NO. D/3,GANDHI BAZAR 25. SHANKER PRASAD BARNWAL S/O BASDEO PRASAD R/O PURANI GUDARI PS.- BETTIAH, TENANT OF SHOP NO. E/4- GANDHI BAZAR 26. PREM CHAND PRASAD S/O RAGHUNATH PRASAD R/O KALIBAGH PS- BETTIAH, TENANT OF SHOP NO. E/20,GANDHI BAZAR 27. PURSUHOTAM PRASAD S/O LATE VISHWANATH PRASAD R/O LAL BAZAR PS.- BETTIAH, TENANT OF SHOP NBO. D/6,GANDHI BAZAR 28. MURARI LALL S/O GOVINDRA PRASAD R/O MISHRA CHOWK PS. BETTIAH,TENANT OF SHOP NO. E/17,GANDHI BAZAR 29. KRISHNA DEVI W/O PANNA LAL R/O KALIBAGH PS- BETTIAH, TENANT OF SHOP NO. E/12, GANDHI BAZAR 30. BAIJNATH PRASAD SHRIVASTAVA S/O RAGHUBIR LAL R/O PURANI GUDARI PS- BETTIAH, TENANT OF SHOP NO. B/7 GANDHI BAZAR 31. BAIJNATH PRASAD BARNWAL S/O DWARIKA PRASAD R/O KALIBAGH PS.- BETTIAH,TENANT OF SHOP NO. B/6,GANDHI BAZAR 32. SURENDRA PRASAD S/O THAKUR PRASAD R/O NUNIA TOLI PS.- BETTIAH, TENANT OF SHOP NO. F/1,GANDHI BAZAR 33. SHAMBHU KUMAR S/O BALIRAM PRASAD R/O PRIYA CINEMA ROAD PS.- BETTIAH, TENANT OF SHOP NO. A/21 GANDHI BAZAR 34. ARUN KUMAR BARNWAL S/O KEDAR PRASAD R/O KALIGABH PS.- BETTIAH,TENANT OF SHOP NO. A/4,GANDHI BAZAR 35. LALJI PRASAD S/O LATE CHANDAN SAH R/O KRISHCHIAN QUARTER PS.- BETTIAH, TENANT OF SHOP NO. A/14- GANDHI BAZAR. AND ALL DISTRICT OF WEST CHAMPARAN,BETTIAH------------------ PETITIONERS Versus 1. THE STATE OF BIHAR 2. THE SUB-DIVISIONAL OFFICER, BETTIAH, WEST CHAMPARAN 3. BETTIAH MUNICIPALITY THROUGH ITS EXECUTIVE OFFICER, BETTIAH, DISTT- WEST CHAMPARAN----- RESPONDENTS ----------- For the Petitioners: Mr. B. N. Mishra, Advocate Mr. B.K. Mishra, Advocate For the State: Mr. Rajesh Kumar J.C to AAG-6 ---------- P R E S E N T HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE AJAY KUMAR TRIPATHI ***** A.K.Tripathi,J. Contention of these petitioners who are tenants of a shopping complex known as Gandhi Bazar, Bettiah is that they were inducted on the decision made by the municipal authority. More than 77 shops have come up on the said property. They - 3 - approached the High Court because certain exercise with regard to the rental and arrears thereof came to be demanded by way of notices as would be evident from annexures 2 and 3. Contention of learned counsel for the petitioners is that the property in question does not come within the definition of Public Property under the Bihar Government Premises (Rent Recovery and Eviction) Act 1956. If this was so then there was no occasion for the Sub-Divisional Officer to exercise authority and the notices and action flowing therefrom is devoid of any legal power or authority vested in the Sub-Divisional officer. There does not seem to much of the dispute as to who was the authority to induct these petitioners as tenants. If the property in question belongs to the municipal authority of Bettiah then they need to exercise their power in this regard. In absence of any affidavit on behalf of the State, the Court is inclined to quash the notices contained in annexures 2 and 3 and direct the concerned and competent authority of Bettiah Municipality to do the needful in the matter. This writ application is allowed. (Ajay Kumar Tripathi,J.) Patna High Court, Patna Dated the 4th December, 2008 NAFR (RPS)