Delhi High Court directs SDM to conduct demarcation of farmland situated in Fatehpur Beri

The Delhi High Court has instructed the Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Mehrauli in the capital to carry out the demarcation of farmland located in Fatehpur Beri within two months, a process that had been delayed for seven years. The directive, issued by Justice Tushar Rao Gedela’s bench last week, mandates that the demarcation be completed within the specified timeframe, with the resulting report provided to the landowners within two weeks thereafter.

Vijay Uppal and Viney Uppal, siblings who own a 2.5-acre farmland in Fatehpur Beri, Tehsil Mehrauli, Delhi, expressed concerns about potential encroachment by locals or land mafia. They filed a writ petition in the Delhi High Court, highlighting the lack of demarcation despite multiple applications submitted since 2016, along with the requisite fees.

The court, led by Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, questioned why the land had not been demarcated over the past seven years. The petitioners’ counsel, Advocate Sumit Gehlot, argued that the authorities’ inaction violated legal provisions mandating demarcation in case of boundary disputes, as outlined in the Delhi Land Revenue Act, 1954, and the Delhi Land Revenue Rules, 1962.

Gehlot emphasized the petitioners’ fear of unlawful encroachment and asserted that the authorities’ failure to demarcate the land had led to irreparable harm. Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, acknowledging the gravity of the situation, promptly directed the SDM Mehrauli to conduct the demarcation within two months and provide the report to the landowners, thereby granting the writ petition.

The petitioners were represented by Sumit Gehlot and TS Thakran Advocates from Fidelegal Advocates and Solicitors.