In Narmada Bachao Andolan v. State of Madhya Pradesh
& Anr. AIR 2011 SC 1989, this Court has observed that it would
depend upon the facts of individual case whether possession has
been taken or not. However, this Court had appointed a
Commissioner in the said case to find out the possession on the
spot and DVDs. and CDs were seen to hold that landowners were in
possession. District Judge, Indore, recorded the statements of the
tenure-holders, which were referred to by this Court in the said
judgment. Said decision has to be treated as confined to its own
facts, as the mode adopted for determining the possession by the
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help of Commissioner is doubtful. The Commissioner could not
have determined the factum of possession. It is the function of the
court and this cannot abdicate to Commissioner its function. Even
under Order XXVII CPC function of Commissioner is not to
determine possession and once possession has been taken, whether
there was re-entry or trespass had not been examined in the said
case.