In Brief
In this case involving rival claims to land acquired by NOIDA, the Supreme Court held that fraud completely vitiates judicial orders and is an exception to the doctrine of merger. Reddy obtained a High Court order declaring himself sole owner by deliberately excluding his co-owner Vishnu from the writ petition and suppressing material facts about earlier litigation where Reddy had asserted joint ownership. The Court found that such fraud unravels everything—including prior Supreme Court orders upholding the impugned judgment. The Court set aside both the High Court order and the Supreme Court's prior decision, holding that natural justice requires impleading necessary parties and that no procedural technicality can prevent justice where fraud is established. The matter was remanded to the High Court for fresh consideration with all rightful claimants impleaded.
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