In Brief
The Supreme Court heard an appeal by landowners whose property in village Rawali was acquired under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. The High Court had awarded compensation at Rs.7,100 per acre, but the claimants relied on another Reference Court decision for the same village (with acquisition notification only seven months later) which awarded Rs.15,402 per acre—an amount the State accepted by withdrawing its appeal. The Court held that comparable acquisitions in the same location with minimal temporal gap are relevant for determining just compensation. Finding no material changes between the two acquisitions, the Court allowed the appeal and fixed compensation at Rs.15,402 per acre with all statutory benefits.
The lawyer headnote and full judgment text are available to registered users.