In Brief

This case involved 25 related civil appeals concerning land compensation awarded by the Punjab High Court to landowners whose lands were acquired for the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority. The High Court had awarded compensation of Rs. 19,85,700 per acre (in most cases) or Rs. 7,80,000 per acre (in one case), relying on its earlier decisions in Surjit Singh and Kapoor Singh cases. The Supreme Court held that since the High Court's decisions had themselves been enhanced in the Surjit Singh and Kapoor Singh appeals before the Supreme Court, these similarly situated landowners were entitled to the same enhanced compensation. The Court enhanced compensation by an additional Rs. 2,00,000 per acre (Surjit Singh cases) or Rs. 1,00,000 per acre (Kapoor Singh cases), but denied statutory interest from the High Court judgment date until the Supreme Court appeals were filed, due to substantial delay in preferring appeals.

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