In Brief
The appellant, a land owner whose property was acquired for the Hubli-Ankola Broad Gauge Railway Line, sought enhancement of compensation. The Reference Court awarded Rs 25,000 per gunta (Rs 10,00,000 per acre), but the High Court reduced it to Rs 5,10,000 per acre. The Supreme Court held that identically-situated claimants who delayed in appealing deserve parity with those who succeeded earlier. The Court restored the Reference Court's compensation but denied interest for the 2,928-day delay, balancing substantive fairness with procedural discipline.
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