STATE OF ANDHRA PRADESH vs DUVVURU BALARAMI REDDY

The Supreme Court held that shrotriemdars do not possess rights in minerals, and thus the leases granted for mica mining by them lacked legal effect. The Court emphasized that the mere holding of an inam grant does not imply the inclusion of sub-soil rights unless explicitly stated in the grant. The original grant was unavailable, and the inam fair register did not indicate sub-soil rights, leading to the conclusion that the shrotriemdars could not renew the leases for mining. Consequently, the appeals by the State of Andhra Pradesh were upheld, affirming the lack of legal standing of the leases.