Bombay High Court

NARAYAN KAUTIK PATIL AND ORSversusTHE SPECIAL LAND ACQUISITION OFFICER, U.T.P.H-3, JALGAON AND ORS

Disposal: PARTLY ALLOWED AND PARTLY DISMISSED

Holding

The Court partially allowed the appeals and modified the compensation awards as per the rates specified, granting interest and all statutory benefits.

Summary

The appellants, a group of landowners from various villages, appealed the 2017 compensation awards granted by the Joint Civil Judge in respect of land acquired in 2003 for the M.I. Tank project in Jalgaon. They contended that the awards were insufficient and sought enhancement of compensation, interest, and other statutory benefits. The High Court noted that these appeals are connected to the same acquisition proceeding and that a coordinate bench had already decided similar matters in First Appeal No.813 of 2023. Relying on that precedent, the Court partially allowed the appeals, fixing higher compensation rates for irrigated land, jirayat land, pot‑kharab, and valuing fruit‑bearing trees at 80% of the valuation report. The Court also ordered payment of interest from the date of the original award and affirmed entitlement to all statutory benefits, including the right to claim rental compensation.

Issues considered

Whether the compensation awarded by the Reference Court should be enhanced in line with the coordinate bench decision in First Appeal No.813 of 2023.
What rates of compensation are applicable to irrigated land, jirayat land, pot‑kharab and fruit‑bearing trees for the acquisition.
Whether the appellants are entitled to interest and other statutory benefits under the applicable land acquisition law.
Whether the appellants may claim rental compensation in addition to the enhanced compensation.

Subjects

land acquisition
compensation enhancement
interest on award
statutory benefits
coordinate bench precedent
M.I. Tank project
irrigated land
jirayat land
pot kharab
fruit bearing trees

Judgment

2026:BHC-AUG:45132
               Tauseef                        1 of 6                930-fa.3337.2017



                         IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
                                    BENCH AT AURANGABAD

                               930 FIRST APPEAL NO. 3338 OF 2017

                                   SUDHAKAR TULSHIRAM PATIL
                                               VERSUS
                 THE SPECIAL LAND ACQUISITION OFFICER, U.T.P.H-3, JALGAON
                                               AND ORS
                                                  ...
               Mr. Ajeet B. Kale a/w. Mr. Balasaheb Pawar, Advocate for Appellant.
               Mr. S. S. Dande, AGP for Respondent-State.
               Ms. Manjusha S. Jagtap-Ware, Advocate for Acquiring body.
                                                  ...

                                             AND
                                 FIRST APPEAL NO. 3337 OF 2017

                                      LAXMAN TOTARAM PATIL
                                               VERSUS
                 THE SPECIAL LAND ACQUISITION OFFICER, U.T.P.H-3, JALGAON
                                               AND ORS
                                                  …
               Mr. Ajeet B. Kale a/w. Mr. Balasaheb Pawar, Advocate for Appellant.
               Mr. S. S. Dande, AGP for Respondent-State.
               Ms. Manjusha S. Jagtap-Ware, Advocate for Acquiring body.

                                             AND
                                 FIRST APPEAL NO. 3335 OF 2017

                                  SHENFADU NATTHU CHAUDHARI
                                               VERSUS
                 THE SPECIAL LAND ACQUISITION OFFICER, U.T.P.H-3, JALGAON
                                               AND ORS
                                                  …
               Mr. Ajeet B. Kale a/w. Mr. Balasaheb Pawar, Advocate for Appellant.
               Mr. S. S. Dande, AGP for Respondent-State.
               Ms. Kavita S. Bhale, Advocate for Respondent No.2.

                                             AND
                                 FIRST APPEAL NO. 3336 OF 2017

                                  TULSHIRAM SAKHARAM PATIL
                                          VERSUS
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  THE SPECIAL LAND ACQUISITION OFFICER, U.T.P.H-3, JALGAON
                                AND ORS
                                   …
Mr. Ajeet B. Kale a/w. Mr. Balasaheb Pawar, Advocate for Appellant.
Mr. S. S. Dande, AGP for Respondent-State.
Ms. Kavita S. Bhale, Advocate for Respondent No.2.

                              AND
                  FIRST APPEAL NO. 3339 OF 2017

                       EKNATH TRAMBAK PATIL
                                VERSUS
  THE SPECIAL LAND ACQUISITION OFFICER, U.T.P.H-3, JALGAON
                                AND ORS
                                   …
Mr. Ajeet B. Kale a/w. Mr. Balasaheb Pawar, Advocate for Appellant.
Mr. S. S. Dande, AGP for Respondent-State.
Ms. Manjusha S. Jagtap-Ware, Advocate for Acquiring body.

                              AND
                  FIRST APPEAL NO. 3332 OF 2017

                           BHIKA BAPU PATIL
                                VERSUS
  THE SPECIAL LAND ACQUISITION OFFICER, U.T.P.H-3, JALGAON
                                AND ORS
                                   …
Mr. Ajeet B. Kale a/w. Mr. Balasaheb Pawar, Advocate for Appellant.
Mr. S. S. Dande, AGP for Respondent-State.
Ms. Kavita S. Bhale, Advocate for Respondent No.2.

                              AND
                  FIRST APPEAL NO. 3333 OF 2017

                   SUBHASH PANDHARINATH PATIL
                                VERSUS
  THE SPECIAL LAND ACQUISITION OFFICER, U.T.P.H-3, JALGAON
                                AND ORS
                                   …
Mr. Ajeet B. Kale a/w. Mr. Balasaheb Pawar, Advocate for Appellant.
Mr. S. S. Dande, AGP for Respondent-State.
Ms. Kavita S. Bhale, Advocate for Respondent No.2.
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                              AND
                  FIRST APPEAL NO. 3344 OF 2017

                 PURSHOTTAM PANDHARINATH PATIL
                                VERSUS
  THE SPECIAL LAND ACQUISITION OFFICER, U.T.P.H-3, JALGAON
                                AND ORS
                                   …
Mr. Ajeet B. Kale a/w. Mr. Balasaheb Pawar, Advocate for Appellant.
Mr. S. S. Dande, AGP for Respondent-State.
Ms. Kavita S. Bhale, Advocate for Respondent No.2.

                              AND
                  FIRST APPEAL NO. 3340 OF 2017

                        DILIP TULSHIRAM PATIL
                                VERSUS
  THE SPECIAL LAND ACQUISITION OFFICER, U.T.P.H-3, JALGAON
                                AND ORS
                                   …
Mr. Ajeet B. Kale a/w. Mr. Balasaheb Pawar, Advocate for Appellant.
Mr. S. S. Dande, AGP for Respondent-State.
Ms. Manjusha S. Jagtap-Ware, Advocate for Acquiring body.

                              AND
                  FIRST APPEAL NO. 3341 OF 2017

                       PRALHAD TRAMBAK PATIL
                                VERSUS
  THE SPECIAL LAND ACQUISITION OFFICER, U.T.P.H-3, JALGAON
                                AND ORS
                                   …
Mr. Ajeet B. Kale a/w. Mr. Balasaheb Pawar, Advocate for Appellant.
Mr. S. S. Dande, AGP for Respondent-State.
Ms. Manjusha S. Jagtap-Ware, Advocate for Acquiring body.

                              AND
                  FIRST APPEAL NO. 3334 OF 2017

                 NARAYAN KAUTIK PATIL AND ORS
                           VERSUS
    THE SPECIAL LAND ACQUISITION OFFICER, U.T.P.H-3, JALGAON
                          AND ORS
                              …
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Mr. Ajeet B. Kale a/w. Mr. Balasaheb Pawar, Advocate for Appellant.
Mr. S. S. Dande, AGP for Respondent-State.
Ms. Manjusha S. Jagtap-Ware, Advocate for Acquiring body.
                                   …

                          CORAM :         SIDDHESHWAR S. THOMBRE, J.
                          DATE    :       30th SEPTEMBER, 2026

P.C.:-

1.        Since the acquisition proceedings pertain to the year 2003,

the appeal is heard finally with the consent of the learned Advocates

for the respective parties.

2.        By the present appeals, the Appellants/Claimants are

aggrieved by the judgments and awards dated 03.05.2017 passed by

the learned Joint Civil Judge Senior Division, Jalgaon in LAR

Nos.969/2007, 970/2007, 968/2007, 971/2007, 973/2007, 974/2007,

975/2007, 972/2007, 963/2007, 962/2007, 966/2007, 964/2007,

967/2007 and 965/2007, whereby the learned Reference Court refused

to enhance the compensation to the extent of amount claimed by the

Claimants.

3.        All the Advocates appearing in these matter have submitted

that the present appeals can be disposed of in view of the order passed

by the Coordinate Bench of this Court in First Appeal No.813 of 2023

and the batch of the other appeals, whereby the lands from the village

Wadgaon, Pimpalgaon, Kamani, Sonala, Hivarkheda, Digar, Kasabe,

Sheri and Paldhi. The present appeals arising out of the project of M. I,
Tauseef                             5 of 6                930-fa.3337.2017



Tank, Sonala, Taluka Jamner, District Jalgaon.

4.          Therefore, they are from the same project, Coordinate Bench

of this Court in First Appeal No.813 of 2023 with connected matters

have already taken a view, as from the different villages, the lands were

acquired.

5.          Learned Advocate for the Appellants/Claimants submits that

this Court has taken a view in First Appeal No.813 of 2023 with

connected matters decided on 07.11.2025 arising out of same

acquisition proceeding.

6.          Upon perusal of order passed by this Court in First Appeal

No.813 of 2023 with connected matters, I am inclined to adopt the

same view in the present appeals. Therefore, present appeals are

disposed of accordingly. In view of the order passed by this Court in

First Appeal No.813 of 2023, I proceed to pass the following order:-

                                  ORDER

      A.    First appeals are partly allowed.


      B.    Appellants–Claimants be paid following compensation.

            I.     For irrigated land @ 12,00,000/- per hectare.

            II.    For Jirayat land @ Rs. 6,00,000/- per hectare.

            III.   For Pot Kharab @ Rs. 3,00,000/- per hectare.

            IV.    Value of fruit bearing trees @ 80% of the valuation
                   report submitted in the Reference Court.
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      C.   Appellants/Claimants shall be entitled to all statutory
           benefits including interest from the date of award as
           per law laid down by the Full Bench of this Court in
           State of Maharashtra Vs. Kailash Shiva Rangari,
           reported in 2016(3) Mh.L.J. 457.

      D.   It would be open for them to claim rental compensation
           as permissible in law and in view of the prevailing
           government policy.


      E.   Chart submitted by the learned counsel for the
           appellants shall be treated as part of record and award.


      F.   Modified award be drawn accordingly.


      G.   Rest of the award is maintained.


      H.   Pending civil applications, if any, are also disposed of.


                                     (SIDDHESHWAR S. THOMBRE, J.)

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