In Brief
The Supreme Court held that once a Government takes possession of land acquired for a public purpose under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, it cannot later withdraw the acquisition proceedings. The case concerned land acquired for road widening in Visakhapatnam; despite possession being taken and compensation determined in 1982, the authorities repeatedly attempted to withdraw the acquisition. The Court ruled that Section 48 of the Act permits withdrawal only before possession is taken. The Court quashed the High Court's order that had allowed withdrawal, criticized the lower courts for showing undue sympathy to land-owners, and held that the acquisition should remain valid as road widening constitutes a public purpose."
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