A decades-old land dispute in Maharashtra has taken a new turn. The High Court has made a decision on a complicated case involving several people and pieces of land, with the issue starting back from a 1955 decision. The main problem is about dividing the land and figuring out who really owns different parts of it.
The land dispute started with a court case in 1949, where Pratik Nandkumar Mutha and others wanted to divide and take control of their share of lands in Nashik. This case led to a decision in 1955, which said that the people who brought the case would get control of certain lands and a share in others.
The decision said that the people involved were entitled to all of Survey No.80/3 and a quarter share in Survey No.867/1 and 867/2. However, carrying out this decision has been caught up in legal problems and appeals over the years.
In 2024, the Revenue Minister allowed a review of the partition chart, which was said not to match the original decision. This was challenged, leading to the current High Court ruling.
"The partition chart was not prepared according to the terms of the consent decree," noted the High Court.
The court decided that the execution of the decision regarding Survey No.80/3 was correct and should not be changed. However, it ordered a new division of Survey No.867/1 and 867/2, following the original decision.
M/s. Thakker Developers and other buyers, who bought plots from the disputed lands, found their ownership questioned. The court's decision gives them back their rights over Survey No.80/3, but the division of other lands is still being looked at.
The court has decided that the division of Survey No.80/3 was done correctly, but a new division is needed for Survey No.867/1 and 867/2 to match the original decision. This means that while some buyers have their ownership confirmed, others will have to wait for further actions to determine who owns what parts of the land.
