In Brief
The New Okhla Industrial Development Authority challenged a High Court judgment that had set aside a land acquisition award on the ground that it was passed beyond the two-year statutory period. The Supreme Court allowed the appeal, holding that once possession is taken under Section 17(1) of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, the statutory time limit for making an award (Section 11A) does not apply. The Court also found that the respondents were barred by the doctrine of laches and Order II Rule 2 of the Civil Procedure Code from raising this objection after losing two rounds of litigation without having previously raised it.
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