In Brief
The Supreme Court partially allowed appeals challenging land acquisition compensation. The High Court had awarded Rs. 2,19,413 per acre based on a small exemplar property sold in 1983, with a 67.5% deduction for development charges. The Court held that post-notification sale deeds cannot determine compensation, upholding that date of notification under Section 4(1) of the Land Acquisition Act is critical. However, the Court reduced the development deduction to one-third (standard practice), increasing compensation to Rs. 4,43,258 per acre for agricultural land to be developed for warehouse construction. Appellants were barred from claiming interest for appeal delays.
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