In Brief
The Supreme Court addressed the jurisdictional scope of Wakf Tribunals under the Wakf Act, 1995. In two consolidated civil appeals, the Court held that where the fundamental dispute concerns whether a property is Wakf property or not (a question covered by Sections 6 and 7 of the Act), such matters must be decided by the Wakf Tribunal, not the Civil Court. However, disputes concerning eviction of tenants or lessor-lessee rights (prior to the 2013 amendment extending Tribunal jurisdiction) remain triable in Civil Courts. The Court distinguished Ramesh Gobindram, clarifying that exclusion of Civil Court jurisdiction under Section 85 applies only to matters specifically required by the Act to be determined by the Tribunal, not all disputes relating to Wakf property. One appeal was allowed and the other dismissed accordingly.
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