NATIONAL HIGHWAYS AUTHORITY OF INDIA Vs. TARSEM SINGH

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The instant Review Petition has been filed by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for recalling our order dtd. 4/2/2025, passed in Miscellaneous Application No. 1773/2021 (Tarsem Singh- II). [Union of India and another v. Tarsem Singh and others, 2025 SCC OnLine SC 235] Vide that order, this Court had dismissed NHAI's application seeking clarification whether the judgement dtd. 19/9/2019 passed by a Coordinate Bench of this Court in Union of India and another v. Tarsem Singh and others (Tarsem Singh-I) (2019) 9 SCC 304 would apply prospectively.

(2.) Notably, several Special Leave Petitions preferred by the NHAI/its Project Director are also tagged with the instant Review Petition, challenging different orders passed by the High Courts of Bombay and Chhattisgarh.

(3.) The High Courts, vide those orders, have, inter alia, directed NHAI and its officers to pay (i) interest, (ii) solatium, (iii) and interest on the solatium, along with the statutory compensation, for acquisition of lands under the National Highways Act, 1956 (NH Act) in terms of Tarsem Singh-I and Tarsem Singh-II in a time-bound manner. NHAI's grievance in these Special Leave Petitions appears to be that such directions ought not to have been issued in view of the pendency of the Review Petition against Tarsem Singh-II before this Court.