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NON-REPORTABLE IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION CIVIL APPEAL NO. 2690 OF 2017

[@ SPECIAL LEAVE PETITION (C) NO. 17287 OF 2016 ] DELHI DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY      Appellant(s)

                               VERSUS RAJENDER SINGH CHAUHAN & ORS. Respondent(s)

J U D G M E N T KURIAN, J. 1. Leave granted.

2. 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.   3. This appeal is, accordingly, dismissed.

4. In the peculiar facts and circumstances of this case, the appellant is given time upto 31st December, 2017 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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5. We  make  it  clear  that  in  case  no  fresh acquisition proceedings are initiated within the said period 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 13, 2017.