The Muzaffarnagar appellate court overturned a 2017 ruling. (Rohit)
Muzaffarnagar: The Arya family has secured a major legal victory in a decades-long property dispute over the historic Paith Ground in Shahpur, Muzaffarnagar district. Additional District Judge and Fast Track Court No. 3 Judge Ravi Kumar Diwakar on Thursday allowed the appeal filed by Satyabir Arya and others, overturned the trial court’s 2017 judgment and dismissed the original suit filed by the Shahpur Town Area Committee in 1975.
The appellate court also upheld the validity of the sale deed executed in 1963 for the disputed land, bringing a significant development in a legal battle that has continued for more than five decades.
The dispute dates back to 1975, when the Shahpur Town Area Committee approached the court claiming ownership rights over the land. The committee sought cancellation of a sale deed executed on August 19, 1963, by Mehr Ilahi Khan and Ata Ilahi in favour of Ilam Chand Arya and others. It also sought possession of the disputed property.
The ownership issue remained under litigation between the two sides for decades. On November 30, 2017, the Civil Judge, Senior Division, Fast Track Court, Muzaffarnagar, delivered a verdict in the matter.
Dissatisfied with that decision, Satyabir Arya and others filed First Civil Appeal No. 100/2017, challenging the judgment before the appellate court.
After examining the arguments and documents submitted by both sides, the appellate court accepted the Arya family’s appeal. It set aside the earlier judgment and decree and dismissed the original suit filed by the town area committee.
The court upheld the sale deed dated August 19, 1963, noting that it had been registered on November 20, 1963. The document is recorded in Registry Book Volume 463, pages 126 to 128, under registration number 2193.
The court also directed that a copy of its decision be sent to the concerned sub-registrar for necessary action.
The litigation concerned a total of seven bighas and nine biswa of land. The disputed property included Khasra No. 877, now numbered 421, measuring four bighas and 19 biswa, and Khasra No. 878, now numbered 420, measuring two bighas and 10 biswa.
The records also mention the current property numbers 175, 176 and 177 in connection with the land.
Advocates Awadh Bihari Lal Gupta and Amit Gupta represented the Arya side during the proceedings. The appellate court’s ruling has provided major legal relief to Satyabir Arya and the other appellants after more than 50 years of litigation.
Reported by: Rohit
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