Inder Singh Vs State of Madhya Pradesh (Supreme Court of India)
The Supreme Court of India has dismissed an appeal filed by Inder Singh against a Madhya Pradesh High Court order. That order had condoned a significant delay in the State’s filing of a Second Appeal concerning a land dispute. While acknowledging the general principle that all litigants, including the State, must act promptly in legal proceedings, the apex court ultimately prioritized the adjudication of the matter on its merits, particularly as it involves land claimed by the State for public purposes and currently in its possession.
The core of the dispute centers on a 1.060-hectare parcel of land in Village Mohrirai, Ashoknagar. Inder Singh, the appellant, initiated a civil suit in 2012, seeking declaration of title, possession, and a permanent injunction over this property. He claimed the land was allotted to him in 1977, but a clerical error led to another individual’s name being wrongly recorded, which he stated was rectified in 1978. Inder Singh also asserted that he secured a bank loan to dig a well on the property. His suit contended that the State later declared the land as ‘Government Land’ without prior notification to him.
The State of Madhya Pradesh countered these claims before the Trial Court. It asserted that the entire area, including the disputed parcel, was government land from its inception, recorded as graze land. The State explained that parts of this land had been subsequently reserved for the Youth Welfare Department and the Collectorate. It also denied Inder Singh’s claim of possession over the land.
