KANWAR SINGH Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) LEAVE granted.

(2.) THIS group of Civil Appeals is directed against the judgment of a Division Bench of Delhi High Court and the questions involved therein relate to the quantum of compensation with regard to acquisition of appellants land situated in village Rangpuri @ Malikpur Kohi, Delhi. Since common questions of fact and law are involved in this group of appeals, we propose to decide them by a common judgment noticing the fact of the case appearing on the record of Civil Appeal No. 7690 of 1994.

(3.) TO connect the chain of events, the claimants who are appellants before us, being not satisfied with the compensation awarded by three different Additional District Judges filed three sets of appeals before the High Court. Some of the appellants before us filed Regular First Appeal against the order of Shri Jagdish Chandra, Additional District Judge in Land Acquisition Case No. 415/67 decided on 29-3-1971 relating to Award No. 1958 whereby the learned Additional District Judge fixed the market value at Rs. 7,000.00 per bigha for block 1 land and Rs. 5,000.00 per bigha for block 2 land. The appellants/claimants who were given compensation at the rate of Rs. 5,000.00 per bigha in their appeals claimed that they ought to have been given compensation @ Rs. 7,000.00 per bigha. The Union of India also filed appeals against the aforesaid judgment of Shri Jagdish Chandra, Additional District Judge. In the said appeals the claimants filed cross-objections. While these appeals were pending, the High Court decided Regular First Appeal No. 122/78 Hoshiar Singh etc. v. Union of India awarding compensation at the rate of Rs. 14,340.00 per bigha in respect of land acquired in village Mahipalpur. In view of the said decision of the High Court, the claimants claimed compensation @ Rs. 14,340.00 per bigha for all cetegories of lands instead of Rs. 7,000/- per bigha, as awarded by the Reference Court.