In Brief
A Ghaziabad Development Authority acquired land for housing and residential colonies using an emergency clause under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. Landowners challenged the acquisition on grounds that the urgency was unjustified and proceedings had lapsed. The Supreme Court held that invoking urgency merely to prevent unauthorized construction—a law and order matter—was invalid and unjustified. However, as substantial housing projects had been completed on the land, the Court declined to order restoration. Instead, it treated the judgment date as a fresh acquisition notification for the appellants' property, requiring compensation under current fair compensation law while preserving the completed public developments.
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