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NON-REPORTABLE IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION CIVIL APPEAL NO. 5395 OF 2016

[ @ SPECIAL LEAVE PETITION (C) NO. 24110 OF 2014 ] SURENDRA KUMAR GUPTA AND ORS                  Appellant(s)

                               VERSUS STATE OF U P AND ANR                          Respondent(s)

J U D G M E N T

KURIAN, J. 1. Leave granted.   

2. The  appellants  are  aggrieved  by  the  impugned Judgment  and  order  dated  05.08.2014  passed  by  the High  Court  of  Allahabad  in  Writ  Petition  (C)  No. 39957 of 2014.   

3. In the nature of the order we propose to pass, it is not necessary to go into the factual matrix.    4. The  appellants  took  up  the  contention  that  by virtue of the operation of Section 24(2) of the Right to  Fair  Compensation  and  Transparency  in  Land Acquisition,  Rehabilitation  and  Resettlement  Act, 2013  (in  short,  "the  Act"),  the  whole  acquistion proceedings  initiated  by  the  first  respondent  in respect of the appellants' property have lapsed.  The

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High Court declined to go into this aspect, stating that it is a belated contention.   

5. In the facts of this case, we are of the view that the High Court was not justified in declining to consider this aspect.  After all, the Act itself was introduced  only  on  01.01.2014.  Obviously,  the contention  regarding  operation  of  Section  24(2)  of the Act can be advanced only thereafter.

6. In  the  above  circumstances,  we  set  aside  the impugned Judgment and remit the matter to the High Court  to  consider  as  to  whether  acquisition proceedings  have  lapsed  by  virtue  of  operation  of Section 24(2) of the Act.   7. Needless  to  say  that  it  will  be  open  to  the parties  to  raise  all  available  contentions  on  the factual  aspect  of  lapse  and  file  additional documents.   

8. The  interim  order  passed  by  this  Court  shall continue till the writ petition is disposed of afresh by the High Court.       9. We request the High Court to dispose of the writ petition expeditiously and preferably before the end of this year.  

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10. In view of the above observations and directions, the appeal is disposed of.   

No costs.   .......................J.

             [ KURIAN JOSEPH ]  

.......................J.               [ ROHINTON FALI NARIMAN ]  New Delhi; June 29, 2016.