70-Year-Old Land Dispute Settled: Supreme Court Upholds 1957 Sale Deed
NEW DELHI: A land dispute that lasted longer than the careers of all past prime ministers has finally been resolved by the Supreme Court. The bench, comprising Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and N V Anjaria, ruled on a case originating from a sale deed executed on June 4, 1957, when neither judge was alive.
The dispute involved 15.5 bighas of land in Narsipur Kalan village, Haridwar, purchased by the predecessors of appellant Sarafat Ali. The sale deed was signed by the seller, but the buyers — minors at the time, represented by their father — later faced challenges when the land was not mutated in their names. Over decades, the case moved through revenue authorities, the consolidation officer, the trial court, and the High Court, which all ruled against the buyers. Four generations of the family were drawn into litigation, with Sarafat Ali himself dying before the Supreme Court verdict.
The Supreme Court set aside the concurrent findings of lower courts, holding the sale deed valid. Justice Mishra noted that the case began as a mutation proceeding but became entangled in the UP Zamindari Abolition and Land Reforms Act, 1950, and consolidation laws. The court observed that the seller had initially withdrawn objections to mutation, and the consolidation officer had recorded the appellants' names. However, subsequent challenges led to years of legal battles.
The judgment highlights the chronic issue of land disputes in India, where cases often outlive litigants and judges. The court emphasised the need for timely resolution, but stopped short of offering broader remedies.
