Haryana State and Anr. v. Gram Panchayat Village Kalehri
Background
This order sends the case back; it does not decide the dispute. The State of Haryana and a Gram Panchayat disputed the ownership of a parcel of land in Karnal district. The Trial Court and the first Appellate Court both decided in favour of the Gram Panchayat, and the High Court dismissed the State's second appeal at the threshold, holding that it raised no substantial question of law under Section 100 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
Decision Breakdown
This is not a final decision on the dispute. The Court held that the High Court made a jurisdictional error, because the ownership dispute did raise substantial questions of law on the interpretation of documentary exhibits. It set aside the dismissal and sent the second appeal back to the High Court of Punjab and Haryana for a full hearing on merits, preferably within six months, without expressing any opinion on the merits. It also directed the High Court to first attempt a settlement between the parties under Order 27 Rule 5B of the Code.
Lesson Learnt
There is no final ruling yet on who owns the land. A second appeal that turns on the interpretation of documents cannot be dismissed at the threshold for want of a substantial question of law.