In Brief
The appellants challenged land acquisition proceedings initiated in 1981 for a railway line, seeking quashing of the award despite possession being taken in 1986 and compensation paid and settled through multiple prior proceedings including a reference. The Supreme Court held that the challenge was barred by laches—the unreasonable delay in raising objections decades later, after the railway line had been constructed and matters finalized in earlier litigation. The Court dismissed the appeals, holding that even if fresh challenge were permitted, the appellants failed to overcome this legal bar.
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