CASE COMMENT:

RAMBUAI LEH A NGHAWNG KAL ZEL-

CASE COMMENT: V. KAPCHUNGNUNGA & ORS V. UNION OF INDIA
WP(C) NO. 171 OF 2016
Aldrin Zothanmawia1

Petitioners: V. Kapchungnunga leh midang pakua

Respondents: Union of India, Ministry of Home, Ministry of Home Affairs, Director
General HQ DGAR: Assam Rifles, The Defense Estate Officer: Gauhati
Circle, Finance Department: Government of Mizoram, Land Revenue &
Settlement Department: Government of Mizoram, Director: Land
Revenue & Settlement Department, Deputy Comissioner/Collector
Lunglei District: Government of Mizoram.
Court: Gauhati High Court, Aizawl Bench
Bench: Justice Nelson Sailo
Thutlukna siam ni: 24.06.2021

I. THUBUAI IRHCHHUAH DAN

Kum 1966 hma lam tawh khan thubuai pu luttu V. Kapchungnunga leh Kawmzawl khaw
mi eng emaw zat ten Kawmzawl Khua, Lunglei ah ram nei intiin, chung an ram neihte chu
Village Council pass hmangin Land Settlement Certificate, Garden Pass leh Periodic Patta-
ah te leh niin Revenue Department hnenah pawh lei man chhiah kum telin an lo chawi thin
tawh thu an sawi a. Mizoram-in ‘independence’ a sual tan kum/ rambuai hnu 1966 atanga
1986 thleng khan thubuai pu luttute ram chu India Sawrkarin/Sipai-in hnehchuh sakin ‘hel’
do letna turin an ram chu an awpbehsak a ni an ti a. Rambuai a zawh tawh hnuin State
sawrkar leh Central sawrkar inremsiamna hmangin chung ram neitute chu zangnadawmna
pek an nih tur thu thudelhkilh chu a awm ve na a, kum tam fe zangnadawmna chu an nghah
chhuah zawh loh avangin kum 1996 khan State sawrkar hnenah an harsatna ziaka thehluh
a ni a. State sawrkar chuan an ngenna leh dilna chu bawhzuiin, an zangnadawmna phut chu
a awmin a dik tawk a ni an ti a. Chuti chung chuan an thil dil chu tihhlawhtlin a nih chuan
si loh avangin kum 2007 khan thubuai pu luttu mi 29 te’n writ petition thehlutin(WP(C)
No. 62/2007), rambuai chhung zawnga vai sipaiin dik lo taka an ram an luahsak avanga
zangnadawmna an dawn ngei theih nan Court hnenah an zualko ta a ni.

1
IV Semester LLB, Govt. Mizoram Law College
 II. COURT-A THUBUAI KAL ZEL DAN LEH STATE LEH CENTRAL
SAWRKAR HOTU LU TE INKAR BORUAK

Chu thubuai chungchanga a thutlukna chu Court chuan ni 07.01.2009 kha tichhuakin- Joint
Verification Team a din a. Chu pawl chuan a hmunah ngei thubuai thehluttute ram chu Court
thupek a chhuah atanga thla thum chhung ngeia endiksak a, zangnadawmna pek tlak an nih
chuan thla thum chhung ngeia zangnadawmna pek tur an ni tiin thu a pe ta a ni. Joint
Verification Team chuan court thupek ang chuan a hmunah ngei chuan zirchianna chu an han
bei ta a. Amaherawhchu thubuai thehluttu mi 29 zinga mi 3 chauhte ram chu zangnadawmna
pek tlak an ni tih sawiin, midang zawng ram chu kum 1992-a buatsaih ‘Blueprint Area’ zinga
a tel ve loh avangin an zangnadawmna dilna chu hnawl tur a nih thu an sawi ta tlat mai a. Joint
Verification Team-in an thil hmuh chhuahah chuan lungawi lovin thubuai thehluttu zinga mi
15 te chuan court ah writ petition hmanginWP(C) No. 8/2010 hming hnuaiah an zualko leh ta
a ni. Chu court chuan Joint Verification Team ngai hnenah chuan ram buai chu endik nawn a,
thubuai thehluttute ram chu sipaiin an lo luah tawh ngei em tih endik tura thu pe-in, chu endikna
chu neih a nih laiin ram neitu ni a inchhal te chuan chu ram chu an ta ngei a ni tih fiahna’n
lehkha pawimawh zawng zawng chhawp chhuak vek turin thu a pe a. Chu mai bakah endiktu
pawl chuan thubuai thehluttute ram chu sipaiin a lo awp tawh ngei thin a ni tih a finfiah thei a
nih chuan sawrkar thuneitute chuan zangnadawmna an pe tur a ni tiin thu a chhuah leh ta a ni.
Joint Verification Team chuan ni 05.03.2014 khan ram buai chu endik nawn lehin tuna hemi
case-a thubuai thehluttu mi 10-te ram chu sipaiin awp chiah lo mah se, silai kah zirna hmun
atan te, sipai nunchan zirna atan te, bungraw chawkluhna atan-te leh security zone atan-te hman
a nih thin thu an hmu chhuak thar leh a. State leh Central Sawrkar hotu lu hrang hrangte’n ni 5
leh ni 6 March 2014-a a inhmuhkhawmnaa an meeting minute-ah chuan chu thil chu sawi lan
niin mi 10-te hnenah chuan zangnadawmna chu kum khatah Rs 1.249 per sq ft (Engineering
Code of Indian Railways duan dan) pek ni se ti a tihtluk a ni. Meeting minute chu Ministry of
Defence (Respondent 1), Defence Estate Officer (Respondent 5), State of Mizoram; Land
Revenue and Settlement Department (Respondent 7)leh Deputy Commissioner, Lungei
District(Respondent 9) te chuan an hming an ziah hnan a. Amaherawhchu Secretary to
Government of India, Ministry of Home (Respondent 2), Director, Ministry of Home Affairs
(Respondent 3) leh Director General, Assam Rifles (Respondent 4) te chuan hming an ziah
hnan ve duh lo a ni.

He thubuai irhchhuah tirh atanga hemi court bik a thubuai a luh dawn thleng hian petitioner leh
respondent inkar ai mahin respondent vek- State leh Central Sawrkar inkarah inhruipawhna a
nasa hle a. Vawi tam tak meeting Deputy Commissioner, Lunglei-in meeting a koh-ah Central
Sawrkar aiawh thenkhatte atangin meeting minute-a hming ziah hnan duh loh tum hnih lai mai
a thleng a ni. Chu mai bakah chuan Central Sawrkar lam hian thubuai thehluttute hian
zangnadawmna an chan hi a duh lo hle niin a lang a. ‘Blueprint Area’, 1992-a buatsaiha telh
an nih loh vang te, Village Council pass kaltlang ringawta ram neitu nihna an neih te chu
tanfung rintlak tawk lo a ni ti a sawiin hun rei tak chhung he buaina hi chinfel theih lohin
tihkhawtlai a ni a. Lehkha pawh tum eng emaw zat State leh Central sawrkar inkarah inthawn
kual a ni a. State sawrkar lam ve thung chu thubuai thehluttute lam hi a tang niin a lang a. Land
Revenue & Settlement Department, Government of Mizoram-in ni 13 June, 2016-a
Director(NE) Ministry of Home Affairs hnena lehkha a thawnah phei chuan thubuai
thehluttute’n an ram nia an chhal chu a rintlak tawk thu te, ram neitu nihna chhalna’n lehkha
pawimawh kawl thei dinhmuna an din loh thu te, thubuai thehluttute tanfung pheh thluk nana
Central Sawrkarin Blue Print Map kum 1992-a buatsaih a hmang chu a dik tawk loh thu te
sawiin, zangnadawmna an pek thuai loh chuan Court thupek zah lohna(contempt of court) a
nih theih thu an tarlang nghe nghe a ni.

Thubuai thehlut tu te’n writ petition an thehluh nawnna WP(C) No. 8 of 2010 chu an
khingpui(Respondent 2 leh 3) te chuan affidavit-in-opposition hmanga bei letin, thubuai ngai
a nih thu sawiin, bawhzui tlak loh a nih thu (not maintainable) an thehlut ve thung a, chu Court
chuan WP(C) No. 62/2007- a thupek chu a la nun avangin writ petition dang an thehluh chu
‘principles of res judicata’ hmangin a lo hnawl a ni.

(Res Judicata- thubuai ngaihtuah tawh chu a ngaihtuah nawn theih loh)
Chutia court hnena an zualkona ‘technicality’ vanga hnawl a nih mai tak si ang chuan, thubuai
thehluttu te chuan Writ Appellate Court hnenah W.A No. 6 of 2018 thlen lehin, chu court chuan
WP(C) No. 62/2007- a thupek leh WP(C) No. 8 of 2010 te thu ken chu a inang lo a ni tih sawiin,
‘res judicata’ vanga thubuai thehluttute thu thlen hnawl a nihna (01.02.2018) chu he court hian
hnawl ve leh chhawngin a tawpah chuan tuna Writ Court-ah hian a let leh ta a ni.

III. THUBUAI THEHLUT TU TANGFUNG

Thubuai thehlut tu te aiawh Counsel for the Petitioner Mr. Lalfakawma chuan Ministry of
Home Affairs-in a hriatfiah tawkloh lai leh a hnialkhanna chu Mizoram State sawrkarin a
sawifiah tawh thu leh, Ministry of Home Affairs in kum 1966 atanga 1986 thlenga thubuai
thehluttute ram a lo awhbeh tawhna, Joint Verification Team-in a tihchian tawhna ram neitute
chu zangnadawmna pek ngei an nih theihna’n Court chu a dil a. Tin, an
khingpuiten(respondent) Court hmaa an hnialkhan thehluhah Joint Verification Team thil
hmuh chhuah dik tawk lohna emaw kalh zawngin engmah thu an thehlut lo tih sawiin he writ
petition hnial kalh tura an counter affidavit thehluh chu pawm theih a nih lo thu a sawi bawk.
Hei bakah hian zangnadawmna chu khawtlai lova pek thuai a nih theihna’na court-in thu a pek
theih nan a dil bawk a ni. A tanfung sawh ngheh nan Supreme Court case pakhat- State of
Kerala vs. M.K Kunhikannan Nambiar Manjeri Manikoth, Naduvil (dead) & Ors., (1996) 1
SCC 435 –a thutlukna chu a tlip tel a ni.

IV. KHINGPUITE TANFUNG

Khingpuite aiawh, Ms. Zairemsangpuii, Central Government Counsel chuan Joint Verification
Team in ram buai an endik tum khatnaa an hmuhchhuah- zangnadawmna phuttu mi 29 zinga 3
chauh te chu a dawng thei zingah an tel a ni tih thu chu tanfungah hmangin, a bak zawng chu
‘Blue Print Area’ pawnah an awm thu court-ah chuan a thehlut a. Joint Verification Team
meeting minute ni 30.07.2014 thurel chu rawn sawi kaiin, land survey a awm reng rengin
settlement record/blueprint zulzuia endik hna thawh tur a ni a ti. Civil Administration lam
chuan thubuai thehluttute tanfung sawh nghet turin eng lehkha pawimawh mah an thawn loh
thu sawiin, Verification Team chuan survey a buatsaih lai hian ram neitu ni a inchhalte hi be
pawp satliah ringawtin, an thil chhal reng reng chu a dik zia fiahna turin eng lehkha pawimawh
nen mah en kawp lem lovin engkim mai chu dik turah an ngaih ngawt thu chu court-ah chuan
a thehlut a. Tin, chung ramte chu teh a nihin, vawi tam tak ngenna a luh tawh hnu ah pawh eng
khawl rintlak (entirnan: Global Positioning System) mah hman a nih loh thu sawiin ram neitu
ni a inchhalte thusawi chu a rintlak loh thu a sawi bawk. CGC vek hian Joint Verification tih a
nih lai hian ram neitu ni a inchhal mi za a 80% lai an awm loh thu tarlangin, a awmchhun za a
90% te pawhin ram neitu an nihna tifiah turin eng lehkha pawimawh mah an neih loh thu a
tarlang bawk. Chu mai bakah chuan CGC hian thubuai thehluttute thil chhal hi court pawna
khaw mite thusawi satliah- hearsay hmang ringawta a dik zia fiah a nih theih loh thu leh, chu
thil chuan sipai-in an ram chu an lo awp tawh ngei thin a ni tih a finfiah loh thu court ah hian
a thehlut bawk. Heng zawng zawng avang hian Respondent hian writ petition thehluh chu
hnawl turin court a ngen a ni.

Ms. Mary L. Khiangte, State of Mizoram aiawh ukil chuan State sawrkar atangin tihtur engmah
thu a dawn loh thu leh, counter affidavit State of Mizoram hian a thehluh ve loh avangin sawi
tur a neih ve loh thu a tarlang thung.

V. JUDGE THUTLUKNA

He case-a judge Justice Nelson Sailo hian Joint Spot Verification hrang hrang report atanga a
lan dan chuan thubuai thehluttute ram chu sipaiin silai kah zirna hmun atan te, sipai nunchan
zirna atan te, bungraw chawkluhna atan te leh security zone atan te hman a ni tih a chiang hle
tih a tarlang a. Blue Print Map, chungchangah chuan kum 1992-a buatsaih chauh a nih avangin
leh thubuai thehluttute ram hi kum 1966- 1986 inkara hnehchuh nia sawi a nih avangin Blue
Print Map, 1992 hi hman tlak a nih lo thu a sawi. Tin, thubuai thehluttute ram hi Blue Print
Area chhungah a chuang emaw chuang lo emaw, an ram chu sipai-in a awp a, ama bila a hmang
a nih phawt chuan chu chu zangnadawmna pekna tham a tling a ni a ti a ni. State leh Central
Sawrkar Meeting lo neih tak tawhte a Ministry of Home Affairs leh Defence Estate Officer ten
minute bu a hming an ziah hnan loh chungchang chu sawichhuakin, heng meeting minute-a
signature pek loh hian Joint Verification Team-te thil hmuh chhuah chu a kalhin a do lo a ni a
ti bawk. Chu mai bakah chuan writ petition kalh zawnga Respondent 3-in counter affidavit a
thehluh pawh chu Joint Verification Team Report hnialkhanna atan hman theih a nih loh thu a
tarlang bawk.

Judge hian thubuai thehluttu aiawh ukil-in Supreme Court case a tanfung sawhngheh nana a
rawn hman State of Kerala vs. M.K Kunhikannan Nambiar Manjeri Manikoth, Naduvil (dead)
& Ors., (1996) 1 SCC 435 thutlukna chu chip zuiin party-te pahnih inkara thupek emaw
thutlukna dan anga hna thawk thei lo (void order or decision) chu kawng engkimah awm miah
lo anga ngaih theih a nih lo thu a tarlang a. Chutiang thupek chu rorelna sang zawkah khin a
nih emaw chumi kaltlanga pumpelh a nih hma loh chuan a awm reng tur a ni a ti a ni.

A tawpah chuan, learned Judge chuan writ petition thehluh chu pawm/tihhlawhtlinsak tlak-ah
ngaiin, Respondent 2, 3 leh 4(Ministry of Home) hnenah chuan thu pe in, Respondent 9
(Deputy Commissioner, Lungei District)-in a chhut anga thubuai thehluttu- petitioners 9-te
hnenah zangnadawmna a rang thei ang bera pe turin leh, kum 14 teh meuh thubuai lo kal tawh
a ni tih ngaihtuah chungin thla thum chhungin Rs 6,48,74,429/- chu lo nei turin leh, chumi chu
Respondent 9 hnenah hlan a, a rang thei ang bera Respondent 9 in Petitioner 10 te hnena a lo
sem theihna tura thuchhuahin he case hi a titawp ta a ni.
VI. CRITICAL ANALYSIS

1. Learned Counsel for Petitioner (thubuai thehlut tu ukil hian) case law pakhat - State of
Kerala vs. M.K Kunhikannan Nambiar Manjeri Manikoth, Naduvil (dead) & Ors.,
(1996) 1 SCC 435 chiah a tanfung sawh nghet tur hian a thehlut a. He case law-a
thutlukna hi learned Judge pawh hian thual nawn mah se, eng vanga he case law hi cite
a nih na chhan khawi hmunah mah sawi fiah a ni lo a, khawi laiah nge Voidness of
Order/Decree principle- he case cite a nih na chhan tak hi hman a nih hriat theih a ni lo.
2. Facts of the case- thil thlen dan chungchang a ngai leh ngaiin vawi tam tak sawi nawn
a ni a, learned Judge hian hetiang thutlukna a siam na ah hian a thutlukna sawh ngheh
nan Counsel for Petitioner-in a case law cite chauh a thual nawn a, khawi laiah nge chu
‘precedent’ chu hman tur a nih tih hriat a harsat bakah ‘dictum’ a siam naa Joint
Verification Team Report a rintlakna leh a rin na chhan tarlan a ni lo. Ngaihruat chawp
dawn chuan court thutlukna hmasa lama compensation pek tur an nihna thupek,
tihhlawhtlin theih lawk loh kha sawina niin a lang.
3. Counsel for Respondent hian khawihah mah Joint Verification Team-in report a siam a
hnialkalh loh thu learned Judge hian a tarlang a, chutih lai chuan Para 20 kan en chuan
hetiang hian a chuang a:
“[20.] The learned CGC submits that during the Joint Verification, it was seen
that 80% of the petitioners were not present on the site and 90% of those who
were present failed to produce legal documents in support of their claims and
therefore, the claim for rental compensation was without basis. The learned
CGC, therefore, by referring to the affidavit of respondent No. 4 filed on
02.02.2017, submits that the claim of the petitioners cannot be said to be
established on the basis of some hearsay of the local people and it does not in
any manner amount to proof of occupation of land of the petitioners by the
Armed Forces. Therefore, under the facts and circumstances, the writ petition
involves disputed questions of fact, the same should be dismissed.”
Counsel for Respondent hian ram neitu ni a inchhal te hian neitu an nihna fiah nan za
ah 10% bakin lehkha pawimawh hmuh tur an nei lo a ti a. Amaherawhchu a thil chhal
hi ngaihtuah zui a ni lo a ni.
4. He judgement hi ram neitu ni a inchhal te ramah sipai in hmun a lo luah tawh ngei a ni
tih thu thehluh ah a innghat lian hle a, sipai in ram a lo awp tawh a nih phawt chuan
zangnadawmna pek tlakna tur a ti a. Chutih rualin chu ram chu sipai in lo awp tawh
thin pawh ni sela, chulai ram chu tuna ram neitu ni a inchhal te ta ngei hi a ni em tih
finfiah turin Joint Verification Team Report- ah a innghat lian hle a, JFT in an ram ngei
a ni tih chiang faka report an tarlanna hmuh tur a awm lo/ziahlan a ni lo.
5. Counsel for Respondent hian eng ‘precedent’ mah a hnialkhanna sawh ngheh nan a
tarlang lo a, Para[20] –a thu chhal pawh hi a dik a nih zia finfiahna turin data pawimawh
a thehlut tel lo niin a lang.