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Delhi Development Authority v. Satpal Singh and Ors.

Civil Appeal · Neutral citation not assigned (Civil Appeal No. 8706 of 2016)Decided 31 Aug 2016
Civil Appeal No. 8706 of 2016
Justice Kurian Joseph · Justice C. Nagappan

Background

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) appealed against a ruling favouring the original landowner, Satpal Singh, in a dispute over land whose acquisition under the earlier law had lapsed. The matter reached the Supreme Court via a Special Leave Petition converted into this appeal.

Decision Breakdown

The Court held the issue was already settled against DDA in principle by its earlier judgment in Civil Appeal No. 8477 of 2016, and dismissed the appeal on that basis. It gave DDA 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 restart acquisition by issuing a fresh Section 11 notification, failing which, if in possession, it would have to return physical possession to the original owner.

Lesson Learnt

Landowners caught in decades-old, legally lapsed acquisitions can get their land back if the acquiring authority fails to properly restart the process within the time the Court sets.

Official source (sci.gov.in)View Judgment (PDF)

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