RAGHUNATHE JEW AT BHAPUR vs STATE OF ORISSA

The Supreme Court upheld the decision of the Orissa High Court regarding the settlement of land in favor of a public deity under the Orissa Estates Abolition Act, 1952. The Court emphasized that the respondents' claim of tenancy rights was rejected based on the provisions of Sections 3-A and 38B of the Act, which stipulate that intermediary interests vest in the State free from encumbrances. The Court affirmed that the deity, recognized as a trust estate, is entitled to the land, thereby reinforcing the legal principle that public deities have rights over properties designated for their use.