REPORTABLE

SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION

CIVIL APPEAL NO.  4885   OF 2018 (Arising out of S.L.P.(Civil) No. 10422 of 2015)

RAMSINGBHAI (RAMSANGBHAI) JERAMBHAI      ...  APPELLANT (S)

VERSUS

THE STATE OF GUJARAT AND ANR. ... RESPONDENT (S)

J  U  D  G  M  E  N  T

KURIAN, J.:

Leave granted.

2. Whether an application under Section 28A of the Land Acquisition

Act, 1894 (for short “the Act”) for redetermination of the compensation

can be filed within a period of 3 months from the date of judgment of the

High Court or Supreme Court passed in appeal under Section 54 of the

Act is the question that arises for consideration in this case.

3. Section 28A(1) of the Act reads as follows :-

“ 28A.  Re-determination  of  the  amount  of compensation on the basis of the award of the Court. –(1)  Where in an award under this Part,  the  Court allows  to  the  applicant  any amount  of  compensation  in  excess  of  the amount awarded by the Collector under section 11, the persons interested in all the other land covered by the same notification under section 4, sub-section (1) and who are also aggrieved by

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the award of the Collector may, notwithstanding that  they had not  made an application to  the Collector  under  section  18,  by  written application to the Collector  within three months from the date of the award of the Court require that  the  amount  of  compensation  payable  to them may be re-determined on the basis of the amount of compensation awarded by the Court:  Provided that in computing the period of three months  within  which  an  application  to  the Collector shall be made under this sub-section, the  day  on  which  the  award  was  pronounced and the time requisite for obtaining a copy of the award shall be excluded.”

(Emphasis supplied)

It  is  clear  from  the  opening  words  of  the  provision  that  the

redetermination   under  Section 28A is  available  only  in  respect  of  an

“Award”  passed  by  the  “court”  under  Part  III  of  the  Act,  comprising

Sections 18 to 28A (both inclusive). The “court” referred to in Section 28A

of  the  Act  is  the  court  as  defined  under  Section  3(d)  to  mean  “...  a

principal civil court of original jurisdiction ...”. Thus, the judgment of the

appellate court is not within the purview of Section 28A. It is also to be

noted that the appellate courts under Section 54 are under Part VIII of the

Act whereas the redetermination is only in respect of the Award passed by

the Reference Court under Part III  of the Act. (See  Jose Antonio Cruz

Dos  R.  Rodriguese  &  another v. Land  Acquisition  Collector  &

another  1).  In  its  recent judgment  in  Bharatsing and others v. The

State  of  Maharashtra  and  others  2,  this  Court  has  surveyed  the

decisions on this issue and reiterated the legal principle.  1  (1996) 6 SCC 746 2  (2017) SCC Online SC 1453

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4. What the appellant seeks is redetermination of compensation under

the Act in terms of the judgment of the High Court passed under Section

54  of  the  Act.  In  view  of  the  settled  legal  position  which  we  have

explained  above,  the  appellant  is  not  entitled  to  such  a  relief;  his

entitlement, if any, is only in terms of Section 28A of the Act based on the

award of the Reference Court.   

5. The appeal is accordingly dismissed. Pending application (s), if any,

shall stand disposed of. No costs.  

      ...............................................J.         (KURIAN JOSEPH)

       .............................................J.       (MOHAN M. SHANTANAGOUDAR)

       .............................................J.          (NAVIN SINHA)

NEW DELHI; APRIL 24, 2018.

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