V.Ranganathan v. The District Collector

THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS DATED: 15.09.2025

CORAM:

THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE S.M.SUBRAMANIAM AND THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE C.SARAVANAN W.A.No. 2073 of 2024 and C.M.P.No.14642 of 2024 1.V.Ranganathan 2.V.Damthiran 3.Kamatchi ...Appellants Vs.

1.The District Collector, 2.The Sub-Collector, 3.The District Revenue Officer, 4.The Tahsildar, Tahsildar Office, 1/6

5.The Village Administrative Officer, 6.V.Selvarasu

...Respondents

PRAYER: The Writ Appeal filed under Clause 15 of the Letters Patent praying to set aside the order passed in W.P.No.4867 of 2024 dated 28.02.2024 and allow this Writ Appeal.

For Appellants : Mr.M.Muruganantham For Respondents : Mr.Vadivelu Deenadayalan Addl. Govt. Pleader ******

J U D G M E N T

(Judgment of the Court was delivered by S.M.SUBRAMANIAM, J.) The Writ order dated 28.02.2024 in W.P.No.4867 of 2024 is under challenge in the present intra-Court appeal.

2. The Writ Petitioners are the appellants herein. The order passed by the 2/6

Sub-Collector, Virudhachalam Taluk, Cuddalore District under the Patta Passbook Act in proceeding dated 24.09.2019 came to be challenged in the writ proceeding mainly on the ground that the appellants were not heard before passing orders by the Sub-Collector.

3. The learned Single Judge while dismissing the Writ Petition made an observation that the petitioner has to prefer an appeal before the District Revenue Officer for cancellation of patta. This Court has no other opinion regarding the decision arrived at by the learned Single Judge that the parties before approaching the High Court has to exhaust the statutory remedy contemplated under the Act and Rules.

4. However, in the present case, the Rules of natural Justice has been violated. Therefore, this Court is inclined to keep in abeyance the order passed by the Sub-Collector in proceedings No.Muu.Mu.(A4) 421/2019 dated 24.09.2019 till such time the appeal preferred by the appellants are taken on file by the District Revenue Officer, Cuddalore, provided such an appeal before the District Revenue Officer has been preferred by the appellant within a period of 30 days from the date of receipt of a copy of this order.

5. With the above observation this Writ Appeal is disposed of. No costs. 3/6

Consequently, the connected miscellaneous petition is closed. (S.M.S., J.) (C.S.N., J.) 15.09.2025 dsa Index :Yes/No :Yes/No 4/6

To:

1.The District Collector, 2.The Sub-Collector, 3.The District Revenue Officer, 4.The Tahsildar, Tahsildar Office, 5.The Village Administrative Officer, 5/6

S.M.SUBRAMANIAM, J.

and C.SARAVANAN, J.

dsa W.A.No. 2073 of 2024 15.09.2025 6/6