18Limitation as to claims to land sold or dealt with.Provision for such claims if preferred with in time.

No claim to any land, or to compensation or damages in respect of any land, sold or otherwise dealt with on account of ¹[the State Government] as waste land, shall be received after the expiration of three years from the date on which such land shall have been delivered by the Government to the purchaser, or otherwise dealt with.
If within three years after any lands have been delivered by the Government to the purchaser, or otherwise dealt with, any claimant or objector shall prefer a claim to the land so delivered, or otherwise dealt with, or an objection to such sale, or to compensation or damages in respect thereof, in the Court constituted under this Act for the District in which the land is situate; and shall show good and sufficient reason for not having preferred his claim or objection to the Collector or other Officer as aforesaid, within the period limited under Section I of this Act; such Court shall file the claim or objection, making the claimant or objector plaintiff, and the Collector of the District or other Officer as aforesaid (with the like provision as aforesaid if such other Officer be the presiding officer of the principal Civil Court of original jurisdiction in the District), the defendant in the suit;
and the foregoing provisions of this Act shall be applicable to the trial and determination of the suit.
The report of the Officer employed to give delivery, or to take possession, on the part of ¹[the State Government], of the land sold or otherwise dealt with, shall be conclusive evidence as to the date on which such delivery was made, or possession was taken.