GURBAX SINGH vs STATE OF PUNJAB & ORS.

The Supreme Court held that under the Punjab Security of Land Tenures Act, 1953, a valid reservation of land by a landowner under Section 5(1) requires verification by the Patwari, and without such verification, the finding of no reservation is not erroneous. The Court clarified that the concepts of 'reserved area' and 'selected area' are closely related, and if a landowner fails to reserve land, they may select it under Section 5-B, but this does not grant the tenant the right to purchase under Section 18 if the land was not reserved. The appeal was dismissed, affirming the lower court's decision regarding the tenant's rights to purchase the land.