STATE OF MAHARASHTRA vs GULAB RAO

The Supreme Court examined the applicability of Section 10 and Section 53A of the Maharashtra Agricultural Lands (Ceiling on Holdings) Act, 1961, in the context of a dispute regarding surplus agricultural land. The Court upheld the Bombay High Court's decision that the agreements of sale, although unregistered, were protected under Section 53A, and that the respondent's actual possession needed to be reassessed. The Court remanded the case for a fresh decision by the Maharashtra Revenue Tribunal, emphasizing the need to determine the genuineness of the sale agreements and the actual possession of the land.