In Brief
The Court allowed the appeal of Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority against the High Court's quashing of land acquisition proceedings for a property requisitioned since 1979. A Single Bench had directed the state to either acquire the property within six months or release it within six months thereafter. When no release order was formally passed under statutory procedures, the requisition legally continued. The state thereafter issued a valid acquisition notification under section 4(1)(a). The Court held that a High Court direction to complete proceedings within specified time does not disable the exercise of statutory powers if the statutory prerequisites remain satisfied, and the property remained validly under requisition until formally released with possession delivered.
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