Buyers Of 1962 Government-Granted Gomal Land Get Survey Subdivision Order: Karnataka HC Gives Officials Six Months After Fresh Applications, Citing Prior Grant Validation

The petitioners sought Phodi/Durasth of lands in Survey No. 54, Sathnur Village, Yelahanka Taluk.

The lands had been granted to their predecessors in 1961–62, and the petitioners claimed through registered sale deeds; the revenue records reflected the grants and subsequent ownership.

Following complaints by third parties, proceedings under Section 136(3) of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act were initiated.

The Assistant Commissioner found the grants genuine, and the Deputy Commissioner subsequently dropped the proceedings and upheld their validity.

The Tahsildar rejected the petitioners’ applications for Phodi/Durasth by endorsements dated 24 July 2026.

The petitioners sought to quash those endorsements and obtain directions for the survey work.

The Court considered Section 136(3) of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act in relation to the earlier proceedings concerning entries in the revenue records.

It proceeded on the case-specific basis that, where the grants had been examined by the revenue authorities and upheld, and the relevant records supported those grants, the Tahsildar’s stated grounds for rejecting Phodi/Durasth were untenable.

The Court relied on the grant records, revenue entries, and the outcomes of the Section 136(3) proceedings.

The Assistant Commissioner had examined the original records and found the grants genuine; the Deputy Commissioner then dropped the proceedings and upheld the grants.

Given that history, the Court held that the grants could not be doubted and that the reasons stated in the Tahsildar’s endorsements were incorrect and untenable.

It therefore found grounds to set aside the endorsements and direct the requested survey work.

The work was to be completed within six months from receipt of the petitioners’ applications, submitted both online and in person.