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REPORTABLE IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

CIVIL APPEAL NOS. 1867-1872 OF 2009

BALWAN SINGH & ORS.  APPELLANTS                                   VERSUS

LAND ACQUISITION COLLECTOR & ANR.  RESPONDENTS

               J U D G M E N T

KURIAN, J.

1. The short issue arising for consideration in this appeal  is whether the appellants are entitled to interest for the  period  from  the  date  of  dispossession  to  the  date  of  Notification under Section 4(1) of the Land Acquisition Act,  1894  (For  short  `the  Act').   That  issue  is  no  more  res  integra.  In  the case of R.L. Jain (D) by Lrs. Vs. DDA & Ors.  reported in (2004) 4 SCC 79 at paragraph 18, this Court has  taken the view that the land owner is not entitled to interest  under the Act.  However, it has been clarified that the land  owner will be entitled to get rent or damages for use and  occupation for the period the Government retained possession  of the property.

2. Noticing the above position, this Court in the case of

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Madishetti  Bala  Ramul  (dead)  by  Lrs. Vs.  Land  Acquisition  Officer reported in (2007) 9 SCC 650, took the view that it  may not be proper to remand the matter to the Collector to  determine the amount of compensation to which the appellants  therein would be entitled for the period during which they  remained  out  of  possession  and  hence,  in  the  interest  of  justice, this Court directed that additional interest at the  rate  of  15%  per  annum  on  the  amount  awarded  by  the  Land  Acquisition Collector, shall be paid for the period between  the date of dis-possession and the date of Notification under  Section 4(1) of the Act.

3. The said view was followed by this Court in the case of  Tahera  Khatoon  &  Ors.  Vs.  Revenue  Divisional  Officer/Land  Acquisition Officer & Ors. reported in (2014) 13 SCC 613.

4. Following  the  above  view  taken  by  this  Court,  these  appeals are disposed of directing the respondents to award  additional interest by way of damages, at the rate of 15% per  annum  for  the  period  between  1.7.1984,  the  date  when  the  appellants  were  dis-possessed   till  2.9.1993,  the  date  of  Notification under Section 4(1) of the Act.

5. Needless to say that this compensation will be on the  basis of land value fixed by the Reference Court.  The amount

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C.A. Nos. 1867-1872/2009

as  above,  shall  be  calculated  and  deposited  before  the  Reference Court within a period of three months from today.

6. The appeals are disposed of with no order as to costs.

     ................J.  [KURIAN JOSEPH]

.......................J. [ROHINTON  FALI  NARIMAN]

NEW DELHI; MARCH 09, 2016

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