#Panchayati Raj Act

The Himachal Pradesh High Court has ruled that Gram Panchayats lack any statutory power to adjudicate private land disputes or mandate path access on privately owned property. Any such order is null and void from the outset, and execution proceedings based on it are legally unsustainable-even if no appeal is filed-reinforcing that civil courts alone have jurisdiction over title and possession claims.

Rajasthan High Court sets aside panchayat revision orders passed without hearing the petitioners, reinforcing that quasi-judicial bodies under the Panchayati Raj Act must adhere to the principles of natural justice. The ruling underscores that ex-parte decisions in land disputes are invalid if parties are not afforded a fair opportunity to be heard.

The Himachal Pradesh High Court ruled that imposing financial penalties under Section 142 of the Panchayati Raj Act before concluding adjudication on a show-cause notice breaches principles of natural justice. The court emphasized that premature recovery orders against local body officials are procedurally unfair and legally untenable.

Supreme Court holds that challenges to nomination rejection in Panchayat elections can only be raised via election petition under Article 243-O, barring writ jurisdiction.