Bombay High Court
SHAYMRAO ABHIMAN (DIED) THR LRS. SHESHRAO SHYAMRAO BHADARGEversusTHE STATE OF MAHARASHTRA THROUGH COLLECTOR, JALNA AND OTHERS
- Disposal
- Admitted/Allowed/Granted/Rule Absolute
Holding
In matters of enhancement of compensation for compulsory land acquisition, delay in filing the appeal may be condoned and parity with identical decided matters applied, but the claimants are not entitled to interest or statutory benefits for the delayed period.
Summary
The applicants, who are the original claimants in a land acquisition reference (L.A.R. No.329 of 2010), filed a First Appeal challenging the judgment and award dated 06.02.2014 passed by the Reference Court, Jalna, seeking enhancement of compensation. The appeal was filed with a delay of 3115 days, and the applicants pleaded poverty and lack of knowledge of proceedings, urging that the acquisition had deprived them of their sole source of livelihood. They relied on an order dated 19.12.2025 passed by the same High Court in First Appeal No.1963 of 2021 (Ashroba Dadarao Giram (Died) through L.Rs. Dwarkabai and others Vs. The State of Maharashtra and anr.) and connected matters, which arose from the same land acquisition proceedings and was stated to be identical on facts and evidence. The acquiring body's advocate, on instructions, fairly conceded that the cited matters were identical and that the applicants would be entitled to enhancement on the principle of parity, subject to limitation. The Court held that the proceedings for enhancement of compensation in compulsory acquisition are a piece of beneficial legislation and, following Suresh Kumar vs. State of Haryana (decided 23.04.2025) and the principle of parity, condoned the delay. The Court allowed the Civil Application and partly allowed the First Appeal, fixing the rate at Rs.3,659/- per R for dry land (the quality of the acquired land), granting interest under Sections 28 and 34 of the Land Acquisition Act from the date of the final award as per State of Maharashtra Vs. Kailas Shiva Rangari, but denying interest and statutory benefits for the delayed period.
Issues considered
- Whether the delay of 3115 days in filing the First Appeal against the land acquisition award deserves to be condoned in view of the beneficial nature of enhancement proceedings and the principle of parity with identical matters already decided by the Court.
- Whether the applicants/appellants are entitled to enhancement of compensation on the principle of parity with the order dated 19.12.2025 passed in First Appeal No.1963 of 2021 and connected matters arising from the same land acquisition proceedings.
- Whether the appellants are entitled to interest and statutory benefits for the period of delay in filing the appeal.
Legislation cited
- Land Acquisition Act, 1894 — s. 28, 34
Subjects
- land acquisition
- compensation enhancement
- condonation of delay
- principle of parity
- beneficial legislation
- interest on compensation
- limitation
- compulsory acquisition
Judgment
22-sr922CA.16935.2022
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
BENCH AT AURANGABAD
922 CIVIL APPLICATION NO. 16935 OF 2022
IN FAST/30926/2022
Shaymrao Abhiman (died) Through Lrs. Sheshrao Shyamrao Bhadarge
VERSUS
The State Of Maharashtra Through Collector, Jalna And Others
----
Mr.Deepak M. Kakade, Advocate for applicant
Mr.S.P.Sonpavale, AGP for respondent nos.1 and 2
Mr.R.K.Ingole, Advocate for respondent no.3
----
CORAM : AJIT B. KADETHANKAR, J.
DATE : AUGUST 29, 2026
ORDER :-
The applicants who are original claimants has filed First
Appeal challenging the judgment and award dated 06.02.2014 passed
by learned Reference Court, Jalna in L.A.R. NO.329 of 2010. There is
delay of 3115 days caused in filing the appeal.
2 Learned advocate for the applicants submits that the
applicants/appellants are poor persons and land owners whose sole
source of livelihood has been taken away in the compulsory
acquisition. He would submit that for want of correct knowledge of
proceedings, the applicants could not approach earlier for filing the
First Appeal. He would further submit that the proceedings for
enhancement is a piece of beneficial legislation and hence the
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applicants/appellants must get opportunity to demonstrate their
entitlement for higher compensation. He also places on record a
copy of the order passed by this court on 19.12.2025 in First
Appeal No.1963 of 2021 (Ashroba Dadarao Giram (Died)
through L.Rs. Dwarkabai and others Vs. The State of
Maharashtra and anr.) with connected matters. He would submit
that the cited matters arose out of the same land acquisition
proceedings and are absolute identical to the case in hand. He
would submit that on the same set of facts and evidence, this court
has granted enhancement to the appellants in the cited matters. He
was at pains to submit that if the applicants are not given an
opportunity to establish their entitlement for enhancement in
compensation on the principle of parity, the very object of the
beneficial legislation shall stand frustrated only on the ground of
limitation. With this, he prays to condone the delay and pass
appropriate order in the First Appeal on the basis of the cited order
on the principle of parity.
3. Yesterday, this matter was taken up. This court made
specific query to Mr.R.K.Ingole, learned advocate for the acquiring
body to verify the contents of the cited order with the record and
facts of the present case.
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4. In all fairness, Mr.Ingole, learned advocate submits that
the cited orders indeed are identical to the present case. He submits
that he has taken adequate instructions from the Officers of the
acquiring body on comparison of the facts in the cited case as also in
the present case. On instructions, he makes a statement that the
applicants/appellants would be entitled for enhancement on the
principle of parity subject to the limitation.
5. Upon hearing both the learned advocates for the
respective parties, I find that it is not a disputed fact that the present
matter is different from the matters which are in cited order. From
the response received from the acquiring body it is apparently clear
that in the same facts and circumstances, the present applicants
would also be entitled for enhancement in the same tune.
6. Now, the issue remains only about the limitation. The
proceedings for enhancement in compensation against the
compulsory land acquisition is a piece of beneficial legislation.
Ordinarily, this court would not have considered the delay as a
technical aspect of the matter. However, considering the peculiar
facts in the present case and in view of the law laid down by the
Hon’ble Supreme Court in the case of Suresh Kumar vs. State of
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Haryana and ors., (Civil Appeal arising out of (C) No.670 of
2020) and connected matters decided on 23.04.2025 and on
the principle of parity, I deem it appropriate to allow the application.
However, the applicants obviously shall not be entitled for any sort of
interest on any component for the delayed period.
7. Hence, I pass following order:-
ORDER
(i) The Civil Application is allowed. Delay caused in filing the
First Appeal stands condoned. Appeal be registered.
In First Appeal (Stamp) No.30926 of 2022:-
(ii) Issue notice to the respondents. Mr.Jadhavar, learned AGP
waives notice for respondent nos.1 and 2. Mr.R.K.Ingole, learned
advocate waives notice for the respondent no.3 – acquiring body.
(iii) It is no more in dispute, as is observed in the order passed
in the Civil Application for condonation of delay, that in the matters
arising out of the same land acquisition proceedings and based on
the same set of evidence and facts, this court has granted escalation
in the award vide order dated 19.12.2025. A copy of the said order
is taken on record and marked as “X” for identification. I can see
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that this court has fixed the rate of Rs.3659/- per R for dry land;
Rs.5488/- per R for seasonally irrigated land; Rs.7318/- per R for fully
irrigated land; and Rs.1829/- per R for Potkharab land.
(iv) The appellants’ land, as is observed by the reference
court, bears the quality of dry land. Learned advocate for the
appellants/claimants does not dispute quality of the land and
findings of the trial court on that point. In view of this, I deem it
appropriate to allow the First Appeal on the principle of parity
keeping in mind the rate fixed by this court vide cited order dated
19.12.2025.
(v) Hence, I pass the following order:-
A. The First Appeal is allowed partly.
B. The appellants are entitled to receive the rate of
Rs. 3,659/- per R.
C. The appellants shall be entitled to interest U/Sec.
28 and 34 of the Land Acquisition Act, payable from the
date of final award as per the decision in the case of
State of Maharashtra Vs. Kailas Shiva Rangari,
2016(4) All MR 513.
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D. Save and except above modification, impugned
judgment and award shall stand unaltered.
E. The appellants shall not be entitled to receive
interest and statutory benefits for the delayed period.
F. The appellants shall pay the deficit court fees.
G. Award be drawn up accordingly.
[AJIT B. KADETHANKAR, J.]
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KBP
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