CHANDRIKA SINGH (DEAD) THROUGH LRS. vs ARVIND KUMAR SINGH (DEAD) BY LRS. .

The Supreme Court held that under Section 16(3) of the Bihar Land Reforms (Fixation of Ceiling Area and Acquisition of Surplus Land) Act, 1961, a pre-emption application must be filed within three months of the registration of the transfer document. The Court affirmed the Deputy Collector's finding that the sale deed from Paras Sah to Smt. Ghurla Kuer was a sham transaction intended to defeat the pre-emption rights of Chandrika Singh. Consequently, the Court upheld the decision allowing the pre-emption application, reinforcing the legal principle that transactions aimed at circumventing statutory rights are invalid.