Private Land Disputes Must Move to Civil Courts: HC

The Jharkhand High Court has ruled that the responsibility for demarcating disputed private lands lies with the civil courts, not with local administrative authorities. While hearing a petition filed by an aggrieved party, the court noted that Circle Officers and other revenue officials lack the statutory power to intervene in boundary disputes between private citizens. The petitioner’s legal counsel successfully argued that these powers are inherently judicial and cannot be exercised by the executive branch without specific legal backing. Consequently, the High Court has stayed the measurement of disputed lands by administrative staff across the state. The bench has directed the state government to clarify the legal framework under which these officials were previously operating. This shift aims to uphold the separation of powers and ensure that property rights are protected under the scrutiny of the law.