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PETITIONER: P.V. DEVASSIA

       Vs.

RESPONDENT: STATE OF KERALA & ORS.

DATE OF JUDGMENT01/03/1995

BENCH: RAMASWAMY, K. BENCH: RAMASWAMY, K. HANSARIA B.L. (J)

CITATION:  1995 SCC  (3) 528        JT 1995 (3)   383  1995 SCALE  (2)565

ACT:

HEADNOTE:

JUDGMENT: ORDER 1.   Leave granted. 2.   This  appeal by special leave arises from the  judgment of the High Court of Kerala in C.R.P. No.1916/84 dated Janu- ary  29,  1988.   The appellant has two  married  sons.   He executed  two gift deeds, Ex.R-1 and Ex.R-2  bequeathing  10 acres  and 11 acres respectively in favour of his sons.   He had  applied for exemption of those lands from  his  ceiling area  prescribed  under  the Kerala Land  Reforms  Act.   On remand by the High Court, the Land Tribunal gave the benefit of  six  acres to each of the sons.  For rest  of  the  land covered by the gift deeds, the revision petition was  filed. The High Court confirmed the order of the Land Tribunal  and dismissed the revision petition. 3.   Section 84(1A) reads thus:               "Section   84(IA):  Notwithstanding   anything               contained  in sub-s.(1), or in  any  judgment,               decree   or  order  of  any  court  or   other               authority,  any voluntary transfer  effect  by               means  of  a  gift deed  executed  during  the               period  commencing on the 1st day of  January,               1970 and ending with the 5th day of  November,               1974  by  a person owning or holding  land  in               excess  of the ceiling area in favour  of  his               son or daughter or the son or daughter of  his               predeceased  son or daughter shall be  not  to               be, or ever to have been, invalid -               (a)if the extent of the land comprised in  the               gift   does  not  exceed  the   ceiling   area               specified in clause (a) of sub-s.(1) of  s.82;               and               (b)if the extent of the land comprised in  the               gift exceeds the ceiling area specified in the               said  clause,  to the extent of  that  ceiling               area."

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             4.      Section 82(1)(a) reads thus:               "Section  82(1)(a):  In the case of  an  adult               unmarried  person or a family consisting of  a               sole surviving member, five standard acres, so               however  that  the ceiling area shall  not  be               less  than six and more than seven and a  half               acres in extent." 5.   A  conjoint reading of these provisions  would  clearly envisage that a gift 384 deed executed between the period commencing from January  1, 1970 and ending with November 5, 1974 by a person owning  or holding land in excess of the ceiling area in favour of  his son or daughter or son or daughter of the predeceased son or daughter  shall  not be deemed to be or ever  to  have  been invalid.   The  extent  of the land comprised  in  the  gift should  not exceed the ceiling area specified in clause  (a) of  s.82(1), which in the case of an adult unmarried  person or a family consisting of a sole surviving member, shall  be five standard acres, so however that the ceiling area  shall not be less than six and more than seven and a half acres in extent.   In  other words, if a gift deed is executed  by  a person  in favour of his son or daughter-etc.,  the  maximum land which s.82(1)(a) empowers the donor to gift, would  not be  less than six acres and not more than seven and  a  half acres  of  land  in extent.  The  Tribunal,  therefore,  had rightly  granted an extent of six acres of land to  each  of his married sons.  Therefore, we do not find any  illegality in the orders of the Tribunal and the High Court  warranting interference. 6.     The appeal is dismissed.  No costs. 385