In Brief
The Government of Delhi appealed a High Court judgment declaring that land acquisition proceedings had lapsed under Section 24(2) of the 2013 Land Acquisition Act. The Court held that acquisition does not lapse merely because compensation remains unpaid if possession has already been taken. Section 24(2) requires that neither possession nor compensation has been effected for five years or more—both conditions must be absent for lapse. The petitioner, not being the recorded owner with established title, lacked standing to challenge the acquisition. The Court overruled prior conflicting precedent and allowed the appeal, quashing the High Court's judgment.
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