In Brief
Delhi Development Authority challenged a High Court judgment that declared land acquisition proceedings had lapsed under Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. The Supreme Court allowed the appeal, holding that lapse occurs only when neither possession has been taken nor compensation paid. Since possession was taken in 2005, no lapse occurred despite non-payment. The Court also ruled that the respondent, a subsequent purchaser under an Agreement to Sell, had no standing to claim lapse—only the original recorded owner could do so.
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