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NON-REPORTABLE IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

CIVIL APPEAL NO. 9719  OF 2016              (@ SPECIAL LEAVE PETITION (C) No 28376 Of 2016)                (Arising out of CC No. 14007 of 2016)  

DELHI DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY    APPELLANT                                         VERSUS

HARI PRAKASH AND ORS.    RESPONDENTS                            

J U D G M E N T KURIAN, J. 1. Leave granted.   2. The appellant is before this Court aggrieved by the  declaration  that  the  entire  land  acquisition proceedings have lapsed in view of the operation of Section 24 (2) of The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement  Act,  2013  (hereinafter  referred  to  as “2013 Act”).   3. The  learned  counsel  appearing  for  Delhi Development Authority (DDA), on instruction, fairly concedes that as far as the land measuring 01 bighas 09 biswas belonging to Respondent No. 1 is concerned, the  possession  has  not  been  taken  by  the  DDA  and compensation has not been paid, though the award had

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been passed as far back as in 2004.  In that view of the matter, we see no reason to interfere with the impugned judgment of the High Court. 4. However,  the  declaration  as  above  and  the consequent  dismissal  of  this  appeal  is  without prejudice to the liberty available to the appellant to initiate proceedings afresh for the acquisition of the  subject land  under the  provisions of  the 2013 Act. 5. 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  2013  Act  for  initiation  of  the  acquisition proceedings afresh. 5. In  that  view  of  the  matter,  the  appeal  is dismissed. There shall be no order as to costs.        

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

.......................J.               [ ROHINTON FALI NARIMAN ]  NEW DELHI SEPTEMBER 26, 2016.  

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