DELHI DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY Vs. KUSHAM JAIN AND ANR.
Supreme Court of India (Division Bench (DB)- Two Judge)
Appeal (Civil), 8477 of 2016, Judgment Date: Aug 31, 2016
REPORTABLE
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION
CIVIL APPEAL NO. 8477 OF 2016
(Arising out of S.L.P.(C) No.8467 of 2015)
DELHI DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY APPELLANT(S)
Versus
KUSHAM JAIN AND ANOTHER RESPONDENT(S)
J U D G M E N T
KURIAN, J.
Leave granted.
The appellant is aggrieved by the judgment dated 10.11.2014 passed by the
High Court of Delhi in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 4232 of 2014. The High
Court has granted a declaration that the land acquisition proceedings
culminating in the Award dated 19.9.1986 in respect of 1 bigha 4 biswas of
land in Khasra No. 89/23/2 in village Palam, New Delhi has lapsed. At
paragraph 2 of the judgment, the admitted position of non payment of
compensation has been recorded by the High Court. Paragraph 2 of the
judgment reads as under :-
“2. Though the respondents claimed that possession of the said land
was taken on 04.01.2002, the petitioner disputes this and maintains that
physical possession has not been taken. However, insofar as the issue of
compensation is concerned, it is an admitted position that it has not been
paid.”
Shri Amrendra Sharan, learned senior counsel appearing for the appellant-
Delhi Development Authority submits that the requisitioning authority had
already paid the amounts to the Land Acquisition Collector and the
appellant may not be visited with adverse consequences for the delay, if
any, on the part of the Land Acquisition Collector in disbursing the
amount. Shri Sharan submits that in any case, the payment has been made
prior to 1.1.2014, the date on which the 2013 Act came into force, by
depositing the same in Court in December, 2013.
We are afraid that the above submissions cannot be appreciated. Even going
by the list of dates as given in the SLP paper book, it is only on
22.2.2002, the appellant had made the payment of Rs.1,60,000,00,00/-
(rupees on hundred and sixty crores only) to the Land Acquisition Collector
on account of compensation to be paid to the land owners. The Award was
passed in the year 1986, and the possession, even according to the
appellant had been taken on 04.01.2002 but the payment to the Land
Acquisition Collector was made only on 22.2.2002.
Be that as it may, in terms of Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair
Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and
Resettlement Act, 2013 (in short, the Act), in the event either the
possession not being taken 5 years prior to 1.1.2014, or the compensation
not paid to the land owners as on 1.1.2014, the acquisition proceedings
shall be deemed to have lapsed. The question of depositing in treasury
even according to the Standing Orders arises only in case the land owner
does not receive the same when the Award is passed, or when the land owner
does not turn up despite notice for receipt of the amount, or in the event
of any inter se dispute. There is no case for the appellant that there was
any offer of payment of money at the time of passing the Award. There is
also no case for the appellant that after the Award, notice was issued to
the land owners requesting them to receive the compensation. There is also
no case that any effort was taken by the Land Acquisition Collector, in
terms of the Standing Orders for disbursing the compensation to the land
owners. Only in the above-mentioned circumstances, the Standing Orders
contemplate deposit in treasury.
The question of deposit in Court arises only in the event of a contingency
as provided under Section 31(2) of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894. Section
31(2) of the Act reads as under:-
“31. Payment of compensation or deposit of same in Court.-
xxx xxx xxx xxx
(2). If they shall not consent to receive it, or if there be no person
competent to alienate the land, or if there be any dispute as to the title
to receive the compensation or as to the apportionment of it, the Collector
shall deposit the amount of compensation in the Court to which a reference
under Section 18 would be submitted.
Provided that any person admitted to be interested may receive such
payment under protest as to the sufficiency of the amount:
Provided also that no person who has received the amount otherwise
than under protest shall be entitled to make any application under section
18:
Provided also that nothing herein contained shall affect the
liability of any person, who may receive the whole or any part of any
compensation awarded under this Act, to pay the same to the person lawfully
entitled thereto.”
There is no case for the appellant that any of such contingencies had
arisen compelling the Land Acquisition Collector for depositing the amount
of compensation in Court. Quite strangely, what is deposited in Court in
the year 2013 is the amount in terms of the Award passed in the year 1986,
without any interest as provided under the Act for the intervening period.
Had there been a deposit in 1986, the land owner could have sought for an
investment of the money in interest bearing deposits or other approved
securities, as per Section 33 of the 1894 Act. In any case, such deposit
in Court which is not contemplated or permitted under Land Acquisition Act,
1894 cannot be treated as a payment of compensation to land owners for the
purpose of Section 24(2) of the 2013 Act. The payment of
compensation/deposit in court has to be made as per the provisions under
the 1894 Act, and, in no other way, as held by this Court in Pune Municipal
Corporation and Anr. Versus Harakchand Misirimal Solanki and Ors. reported
in (2014) 3 SCC 183. The payment or deposit having not admittedly been done
in terms of the 1894 Act, the deeming provision on lapse under Section
24(2) of the 2013 Act has to operate.
Shri Sharan submits that the possession having been taken long back and in
some cases, since various developments have also taken place, the appellant
– Delhi Development Authority and third parties will be visited with very
serious consequences.
We do not find any substance in the above submission as well. Section 24(2)
itself has given sufficient protection in such cases. In the event of any
lapsing of the acquisition proceedings under Section 24(2), it is open to
the appropriate Government, if they choose so, to initiate proceedings for
acquisition of such land afresh but the only rider is that the acquisition
should be in accordance with the provisions under 2013 Act.
Therefore, without prejudice to the liberty available to the appellant to
initiate steps afresh for acquisition of the subject land under the
provisions of the 2013 Act, this appeal is dismissed.
In the peculiar facts and circumstances of this case, the appellant is
given a period of one year to exercise its liberty granted under Section
24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land
Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 for initiation of
the acquisition proceedings afresh.
We make it clear that in case no fresh acquisition proceedings are
initiated within the said period of one year from today, by issuing a
Notification under Section 11 of the 2013 Act, the appellant shall return
the physical possession of the land to the original land owner.
Pending applications, if any, stand disposed of.
...................J.
(KURIAN JOSEPH)
.........................J.
(ROHINTON FALI NARIMAN)
New Delhi,
August 31, 2016