In Brief
A private developer purchased land that had been reserved for a private school in Maharashtra's 1993 development plan but was never acquired for over three decades. After the statutory timelines for acquisition expired, the original owners served a notice under the law. When the State took no steps to complete acquisition within the legally required timeframe, the Supreme Court held that the reservation had lapsed. The Court ruled that property rights cannot be indefinitely restricted without compensation, and authorities must comply with statutory deadlines for land acquisition, otherwise reservations automatically expire and land reverts to the owner for development under permitted uses.
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