In Brief
In this land acquisition case, agriculturists challenged the High Court's rejection of their compensation appeal due to a 3671-day delay in filing. The Supreme Court held that in land acquisition matters affecting agriculturists with no bona fide negligence, courts should adopt a pragmatic, justice-oriented approach rather than apply strict technical rules. The Court condoned the delay (attributing it to the intermediary's failure to file despite their instructions), awarded enhanced compensation of Rs.1500 per pomegranate tree and Rs.250 per lime tree (instead of the Collector's rates), granted statutory benefits including solatium, but declined interest during the delay period. The appeal was partly allowed.
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