In Brief
The Government of Delhi appealed against a High Court judgment that had declared a land acquisition proceedings lapsed under Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. The Supreme Court held that deemed lapse occurs only when neither possession nor compensation has been provided for five years before the Act's commencement. Since possession was taken, there was no lapse despite unpaid compensation. The Court also clarified that periods covered by interim court orders must be excluded from the five-year calculation. The High Court's judgment was quashed and set aside, and the appeal was allowed.
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