M/S Jassasram And Sons And Anr vs Uoi And Ors
2015 Latest Caselaw 2510 Del

$~24
*    IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI

%                                      Judgment delivered on: 24.03.2015

+       W.P.(C) 35/2015 and CM No. 62/2015

M/S JASSASRAM AND SONS AND ANR                                ..... Petitioners


                             versus


UOI AND ORS                                                   ..... Respondents

Advocates who appeared in this case:
For the Petitioners          : Mr Varun Tankha and Mr Arjun Nanda

For the Respondent No. 1   : Mr Sarat Chandra and Mr Sachin Chandra
For the Respondent No. 2   : Ms Mrinalini Sen
For the Respondent Nos.3&4 : Mr Yeeshu Jain and Ms Jyoti Tyagi


CORAM:
HON'BLE MR JUSTICE BADAR DURREZ AHMED
HON'BLE MR JUSTICE SIDDHARTH MRIDUL

                                 JUDGMENT

BADAR DURREZ AHMED, J (ORAL)

1. Mr Yeeshu Jain, the learned counsel, has handed over the counter

affidavit on behalf of respondent Nos. 3 & 4. The same is taken on record.

The learned counsel for the petitioners does not wish to file any rejoinder

affidavit inasmuch as he would be relying on the averments already

contained in the writ petition.

2. By way of this writ petition the petitioners are seeking the benefit of

section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land

Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (hereinafter referred

to as 'the 2013 Act') which came into effect on 01.01.2014. The petitioners,

consequently, seek a declaration that the acquisition proceeding initiated

under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (hereinafter referred to as 'the 1894

Act') and in respect of which Award No. 14/87-88 dated 26.05.1987 was

made, inter alia, in respect of the petitioners' land comprised in Khasra Nos.

645 Min (3-13) and 820 Min (3-00) measuring 6 bighas and 13 biswas in

Village Satbari shall be deemed to have lapsed.

3. It is an admitted position that neither physical possession of the

subject lands has been taken by the land acquiring agency, nor has any

compensation been paid to the petitioners. The award was made more than

five years prior to the commencement of the 2013 Act. All the ingredients of

section 24(2) of the 2013 Act as interpreted by the Supreme Court and this

Court in the following decisions stand satisfied:-

(i) Pune Municipal Corporation and Anr v.

Harakchand Misirimal Solanki and Ors: (2014) 3 SCC 183;

(ii) Union of India and Ors v. Shiv Raj and Ors:

(2014) 6 SCC 564;

(iii) Sree Balaji Nagar Residential Association v. State of Tamil Nadu and Ors: Civil Appeal No. 8700/2013 decided on 10.09.2014;

(iv) Surinder Singh vs. Union of India and Ors.:

W.P.(C) 2294/2014 decided 12.09.2014 by this Court.

4. As a result the petitioners are entitled to a declaration that the said

acquisition proceedings initiated under the 1894 Act in respect of the subject

lands are deemed to have lapsed. It is so declared.

5. The writ petition is allowed to the aforesaid extent. There shall be no

order as to costs.

BADAR DURREZ AHMED, J

SANJEEV SACHDEVA, J MARCH 24, 2015 SU