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NON-REPORTABLE IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION CIVIL APPEAL NO. 2980 OF 2017

[@ SPECIAL LEAVE PETITION (C) NO. 6033 OF 2017 ] [@ SPECIAL LEAVE PETITION (C).....CC NO. 3207 OF 2017 ]

DELHI DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY      Appellant(s)                                 VERSUS

PUNEET LAKRA AND ORS.  Respondent(s) J U D G M E N T

KURIAN, J. 1. Delay condoned. 2. Leave granted. 3. The issue, in principle, is covered against the appellant by judgments in Civil Appeal No. 8477 of 2016 arising out of Special Leave Petition (C) No. 8467  of  2015  and  Civil  Appeal  No.  5811  of  2015 arising out of Special Leave Petition (C) No. 21545 of 2015. 4. This appeal is, accordingly, dismissed. 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 Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land  Acquisition,  Rehabilitation  and  Resettlement Act,  2013  for  initiation  of  the  acquisition proceedings afresh.

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6. 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  Act,  the appellant,  if  in  possession,  shall  return  the physical possession of the land to the original land owner.   

Pending applications, if any, stand disposed of. No costs.        

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

.......................J.               [ A. M. KHANWILKAR ]  

New Delhi; February 17, 2017.