Delhi Development Authority v. Deen Mohammad Deenu
Background
Another in the same batch of DDA land acquisition appeals decided on 31 August 2016. DDA appealed against an order favouring the respondent landowner, the issue being, in principle, already decided against DDA in an earlier case (Civil Appeal No.8477 of 2016).
Decision Breakdown
Leave was granted and the appeal dismissed, following the earlier ruling on the identical issue. DDA was given one year to exercise its liberty under Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, to initiate fresh acquisition proceedings via a Section 11 notification; otherwise, if in possession, it had to return physical possession of the land to the original owner.
Lesson Learnt
A one-year window to redo a defective land acquisition is not optional for the authority, missing it means the land must go back to the person it was taken from.