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Syed Mohammed Shabbuddin v. The Union of India & Ors.

Not available · 2026 INSC 231Decided 23 Jan 2026
Not available
Justice B.V. Nagarathna · Justice Ujjal Bhuyan

Background

After a landowner secured an order directing the government to formally acquire land it had occupied for decades, separate appeals by two different government bodies produced two contradictory High Court outcomes.

Decision Breakdown

The Supreme Court held that once an order was already affirmed in one government appeal, a second, separate appeal by another government entity could not be allowed to undo the same relief. It set aside the later, contradictory remand order.

Lesson Learnt

When the same court order is challenged separately by different government parties, the outcomes cannot be allowed to contradict each other; a citizen shouldn't be sent back to square one by a second, inconsistent appeal.

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

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