Sale of Dev-Inami (Temple) Agricultural Land in Gujarat – Legal Position Acts & Remedies suggested by Advocate Paresh M Modi
1. INTRODUCTION (English)
In Gujarat, agricultural land recorded in the name of a temple (Devsthan) and originally granted under Dev-Inami system (pre-abolition era, e.g., 1953) is governed by special statutes. Such lands are not ordinary private properties and cannot be freely sold without complying with statutory restrictions.
The primary law applicable is:
- Gujarat Devasthan Inams Abolition Act, 1969
- Bombay Public Trusts Act, 1950 (applicable in Gujarat)
- Gujarat Land Revenue Code, 1879
These laws impose strict conditions on transfer, alienation, and sale of Devsthan land.
เซง. เชชเชฐเชฟเชเชฏ (Gujarati)
เชเซเชเชฐเชพเชคเชฎเชพเช เชฎเชเชฆเชฟเชฐ (เชฆเซเชตเชธเซเชฅเชพเชจ) เชจเชพ เชจเชพเชฎเซ เชจเซเชเชงเชพเชฏเซเชฒ เชเซเชทเชฟ เชเชฎเซเชจ, เชเซ 1953 เชเซเชตเซ Dev-Inami เชฏเซเชเชจเชพ เชนเซเช เชณ เชเชชเชตเชพเชฎเชพเช เชเชตเซ เชนเซเชฏ, เชคเซ เชธเชพเชฎเชพเชจเซเชฏ เชเชพเชจเชเซ เชฎเชฟเชฒเชเชค เชจเชฅเซ. เชเชตเซ เชเชฎเซเชจ เชตเซเชเชพเชฃ เชฎเชพเชเซ เชเชพเชธ เชเชพเชฏเชฆเชพเชเซเชฏ เชฎเชฐเซเชฏเชพเชฆเชพเช เชฒเชพเชเซ เชชเชกเซ เชเซ.
เชฎเซเชเซเชฏ เชเชพเชฏเชฆเชพ เชจเซเชเซ เชฎเซเชเชฌ เชเซ:
- เชเซเชเชฐเชพเชค เชฆเซเชตเชธเซเชฅเชพเชจ เชเชจเชพเชฎ เชเชเซเชเซเชฆ เช เชงเชฟเชจเชฟเชฏเชฎ, 1969
- เชฌเซเชฎเซเชฌเซ เชชเชฌเซเชฒเชฟเช เชเซเชฐเชธเซเช เช เชงเชฟเชจเชฟเชฏเชฎ, 1950
- เชเซเชเชฐเชพเชค เชฒเซเชจเซเชก เชฐเซเชตเชจเซเชฏเซ เชเซเชก, 1879
2. NATURE OF DEV-INAMI LAND (LEGAL STATUS)
English
Dev-Inami land means land granted for religious purposes to temples or religious institutions. After abolition under the Gujarat Devasthan Inams Abolition Act, 1969, such lands generally:
- Vest in the State Government OR
- Are regranted to the institution or holder subject to conditions
As per law, unauthorized occupation is liable to eviction by Collector .
Also, temple property is not personal property of pujari or trustee; they act only as custodians .
Dev-Inami Scheme refers to a historical land grant system in India, particularly in Gujarat, where agricultural lands were allotted by the erstwhile rulers or State to temples, religious institutions, or their managers (pujaris) for the purpose of maintaining religious services and rituals. Such lands were not granted as absolute ownership but were subject to conditions tied to the performance of religious duties. After independence, these lands came under statutory regulation, especially through the Gujarat Devasthan Inams Abolition Act, 1969, which abolished the inam system and regulated regrant, tenure, and transfer restrictions of such lands.
เชเซเชเชฐเชพเชคเซ
เชฆเซเชต เชเชจเชพเชฎเซ เชเชฎเซเชจ เชเชเชฒเซ เชฎเชเชฆเชฟเชฐ เช เชฅเชตเชพ เชงเชพเชฐเซเชฎเชฟเช เชนเซเชคเซ เชฎเชพเชเซ เชเชชเชตเชพเชฎเชพเช เชเชตเซเชฒเซ เชเชฎเซเชจ. 1969เชจเชพ เช เชงเชฟเชจเชฟเชฏเชฎ เชฌเชพเชฆ:
- เชเชฎเซเชจ เชธเชฐเชเชพเชฐเชฎเชพเช เชตเชธเซ เชเซ, เช เชฅเชตเชพ
- เชถเชฐเชคเซ เชธเชพเชฅเซ เชซเชฐเซเชฅเซ เชซเชพเชณเชตเชตเชพเชฎเชพเช เชเชตเซ เชเซ
เช เชจเชงเชฟเชเซเชค เชเชฌเชเซ เชนเซเชฏ เชคเซ เชเชฒเซเชเซเชเชฐ เชฆเซเชตเชพเชฐเชพ เชเชพเชฒเซ เชเชฐเชพเชตเซ เชถเชเชพเชฏ เชเซ
เชชเซเชเชพเชฐเซ เชเซ เชเซเชฐเชธเซเชเซ เชเชฎเซเชจเชจเชพ เชฎเชพเชฒเชฟเช เชจเชฅเซ, เชฎเชพเชคเซเชฐ เชธเชเชเชพเชฒเช เชเซ.
3. WHETHER SUCH LAND CAN BE SOLD? (Core Legal Position)
Direct sale is NOT permissible unless following conditions are satisfied:
(A) Conversion / Regrant / Regularization
- Dev-Inam land must be converted into Occupancy Class-I land
- This requires permission from:
- Collector / State Government
- In many cases, premium (Jantri based) is required
(Courts have recognized conversion of Dev-Inam land into Class-I tenure before transfer )
(B) If Treated as Trust Property
If land belongs to temple/public trust:
๐ Section 36 of Bombay Public Trusts Act, 1950
- Prior permission of Charity Commissioner is mandatory
- Without permission โ Sale is void
(Example: Trust land sale allowed only after Charity Commissioner approval )
(C) Gujarat Land Revenue Code Restrictions
- If land is new tenure / restricted tenure
- Then sale requires:
- Collector permission
- Payment of premium
เชเซเชเชฐเชพเชคเซ (เชฎเซเชเซเชฏ เชเชพเชฏเชฆเชพเชเซเชฏ เชธเซเชฅเชฟเชคเชฟ)ย เชธเซเชงเซ เชตเซเชเชพเชฃ เชฎเชพเชจเซเชฏ เชจเชฅเซ, เชจเซเชเซเชจเซ เชถเชฐเชคเซ เชตเชเชฐ:
(A) เชฐเซเชชเชพเชเชคเชฐ / เชจเชฟเชฏเชฎเชฟเชคเชคเชพ
- เชเชฎเซเชจเชจเซ เชเชเซเชฏเซเชชเชจเซเชธเซ เชเซเชฒเชพเชธ-1 เชฎเชพเช เชซเซเชฐเชตเชตเซ เชชเชกเซ
- เชเชฒเซเชเซเชเชฐ เช เชฅเชตเชพ เชฐเชพเชเซเชฏ เชธเชฐเชเชพเชฐเชจเซ เชฎเชเชเซเชฐเซ เชเชฐเซเชฐเซ
- เชเชจเซเชคเซเชฐเซ เชฎเซเชเชฌ เชชเซเชฐเซเชฎเชฟเชฏเชฎ เชเซเชเชตเชตเซเช เชชเชกเซ
(B) เชเซเชฐเชธเซเช เชฎเชฟเชฒเชเชค เชนเซเชฏ เชคเซ
๐ เชฌเซเชฎเซเชฌเซ เชชเชฌเซเชฒเชฟเช เชเซเชฐเชธเซเช เช เชงเชฟเชจเชฟเชฏเชฎ, 1950 เชจเซ เชเชฒเชฎ 36
- เชเซเชฐเชฟเชเซ เชเชฎเชฟเชถเชจเชฐเชจเซ เชฎเชเชเซเชฐเซ เชซเชฐเชเชฟเชฏเชพเชค
- เชฎเชเชเซเชฐเซ เชตเชเชฐ เชตเซเชเชพเชฃ เช เชฎเชพเชจเซเชฏ
(C) เชฐเซเชตเชจเซเชฏเซ เชเชพเชฏเชฆเชพ เชฎเซเชเชฌ
- เชเซ เชเชฎเซเชจ เชจเชตเซ เชถเชฐเชคเชตเชพเชณเซ เชนเซเชฏ
- เชคเซ เชเชฒเซเชเซเชเชฐเชจเซ เชฎเชเชเซเชฐเซ เช เชจเซ เชชเซเชฐเซเชฎเชฟเชฏเชฎ เชเชฐเซเชฐเซ
4. STEP-BY-STEP REMEDY TO SELL SUCH LAND
Step 1: Verify Title
- Check 7/12, village form, tenure (Old tenure / New tenure / Dev-Inam)
Step 2: Determine Nature
- Whether:
- Government vested land OR
- Trust land OR
- Regranted land
Step 3: Apply for Conversion
- Application to Collector:
- Convert Dev-Inam โ Occupancy Class-I
Step 4: Trust Permission (if applicable)
- File application under Sec. 36 BPT Act
- Publish notice, invite bids (if required)
Step 5: Pay Premium
- Jantri-based premium for conversion
Step 6: Obtain Final Order
- Collector / Charity Commissioner approval
Step 7: Execute Sale Deed
- Only after above approvals
เชเซเชเชฐเชพเชคเซ (เชชเซเชฐเชเซเชฐเชฟเชฏเชพ)
เชชเชเชฒเซเช 1: 7/12 เชเชเชพเชธเชฃเซ
เชชเชเชฒเซเช 2: เชเชฎเซเชจเชจเซ เชชเซเชฐเชเซเชคเชฟ เชเชพเชฃเซ เชฒเซ
เชชเชเชฒเซเช 3: เชเชฒเซเชเซเชเชฐ เชชเชพเชธเซ เช เชฐเชเซ
เชชเชเชฒเซเช 4: เชเซเชฐเชฟเชเซ เชเชฎเชฟเชถเชจเชฐเชจเซ เชฎเชเชเซเชฐเซ
เชชเชเชฒเซเช 5: เชชเซเชฐเซเชฎเชฟเชฏเชฎ เชเซเชเชตเชฃเซ
เชชเชเชฒเซเช 6: เช เชเชคเชฟเชฎ เชเชฐเซเชกเชฐ
เชชเชเชฒเซเช 7: เชตเซเชเชพเชฃ เชฆเชธเซเชคเชพเชตเซเช
5. IMPORTANT LEGAL RISKS
English
- Sale without permission = Void Transaction
- Criminal liability possible (cheating / breach of trust)
- Land may be resumed by Government
- Mutation entry can be cancelled
เชเซเชเชฐเชพเชคเซ
- เชฎเชเชเซเชฐเซ เชตเชเชฐ เชตเซเชเชพเชฃ = เช เชฎเชพเชจเซเชฏ
- เชซเซเชเชฆเชพเชฐเซ เชเชพเชฐเซเชฏเชตเชพเชนเซ เชถเชเซเชฏ
- เชธเชฐเชเชพเชฐ เชเชฎเซเชจ เชเชฌเชเซ เชฒเช เชถเชเซ
- เชเชจเซเชเซเชฐเซ เชฐเชฆ เชฅเช เชถเชเซ
6. EXPERT LEGAL OPINION
In practice, Dev-Inami temple land cases involve:
- Revenue Law
- Trust Law
- Tenancy Law
- Constitutional implications
Hence, proper legal structuring is mandatory before any transaction.
CONCLUSION
Dev-Inami (Temple) agricultural land cannot be directly sold.
The legally correct route is:
โ Conversion to Class-I tenure
โ Charity Commissioner permission
โ Collector approval
โ Premium payment
Without this, any transaction is illegal and void ab initio.
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Dev-Inami Scheme
Dev-Inami Scheme refers to a historical land grant system in India, particularly in Gujarat, where agricultural lands were allotted by the erstwhile rulers or State to temples, religious institutions, or their managers (pujaris) for the purpose of maintaining religious services and rituals. Such lands were not granted as absolute ownership but were subject to conditions tied to the performance of religious duties. After independence, these lands came under statutory regulation, especially through the Gujarat Devasthan Inams Abolition Act, 1969, which abolished the inam system and regulated regrant, tenure, and transfer restrictions of such lands.
Conclusion:
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Contact Advocate Paresh M Modi
In Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, Mumbai, Maharashtra, Pune, Delhi, For legal consultation or representation in matters of Anticipatory bail, Regular bail, Discharge Applications, Special Act Cases, FIR Quashing, Cheque Return Cases, or Criminal Appeals and For expert legal advice and services, Advocate Paresh M Modi can be contacted during office hours.
- Office Landline: 079-48001468 (Time 10:30 AM to 6:30 PM, Monday to Saturday).
- WhatsApp SMS: 9925002031 (Time 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM).
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- Office Address: Office No. C/112, Supath-2 Complex, Opp. Kohinoor Plaza Hotel, Near Old Wadaj Bus Stand, Ashram Road, Ahmedabad – 380013, Gujarat, India.

