In Brief
The Tamil Nadu Housing Board appealed against a High Court judgment awarding interest on solatium (compensation component) in a land acquisition case. The core issue was whether respondents could claim interest on solatium under the Land Acquisition Act 1894. The Supreme Court held that the High Court was correct: where the reference court had not rejected the claim for interest on solatium, and the High Court explicitly kept it open pending a Constitution Bench decision, claimants could file for such interest after that decision was delivered. The Court confirmed the entitlement to interest, payable from 19 September 2001, though computation details were remitted to the reference court."
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