‘Lower benches bound by Constitution bench ruling’

New Delhi: A judgement of a Constitution bench would be “binding” on benches of lesser strength, the Supreme Court has held while recalling its April 2022 verdict in a matter related to land which was meant exclusively for common use by the inhabitants of a village in Haryana.

In its order dated April 7, 2022, the apex court had held that a panchayat cannot claim ownership of the land which has been taken from the real owners from their permissible ceiling limits under the land law in Haryana.

The apex court had consequently said panchayats can only manage and control the land which has been taken from the owners and cannot claim title.

“It is pertinent to note here that for the land taken from the proprietors by applying pro-rata cut from the permissible ceiling limits of the proprietors, management and control alone vests with the panchayat but such vesting of management and control is irreversible and the land would not revert to the proprietors for redistribution as the common purposes for which land has been carved out not only include the present requirements but the future requirements as well,” it had said.

The top court had delivered the verdict on a batch of appeals against a full bench verdict of the Punjab and Haryana High Court which had examined the legality of sub-section 6 of Section 2(g) of the Haryana Village Common Lands (Regulation) Act, 1961.