In Brief
This case concerns a land acquisition by the Bangalore Development Authority in 1977–79 under the Land Acquisition Act for a residential layout. Sites were allotted to numerous persons, including appellants who constructed houses and resided there for decades. The original landowner repeatedly litigated across three decades—filing three civil suits (all dismissed or withdrawn) and six writ petitions—seeking to invalidate the acquisition and recover land. The High Court Division Bench, while not overturning an earlier Single Judge's dismissal, permitted the landowner to file a fresh civil suit. The Supreme Court held this erroneous: the acquisition had attained finality; the civil court lacked jurisdiction to challenge acquisition validity; and allowing re-litigation would unsettle the rights of hundreds of innocent site allottees. The appeal was allowed and the Division Bench's order set aside.
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