Created by Fuzzy Cloud

Bombay High Court

RAJARAM RUPCHAND PATIL (DIED) THR LRS GANESH AND ORSversusTHE SPECIAL LAND ACQUISITION OFFICER-2, UTPH-2, JALGAON AND ANR

Disposal
PARTLY ALLOWED AND PARTLY DISMISSED

Holding

The Court held that the compensation rates of Rs.2,00,000 per hectare for jirayat land, Rs.4,00,000 per hectare for bagayat land, and Rs.1,00,000 per hectare for potkharab land, as determined in the earlier precedent, are applicable and the claimant is entitled to statutory benefits and interest under Section 34 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894.

Summary

The appellant, representing the estate of the deceased Rajaram Patil, appealed against the 2009 judgment and award of the Joint Civil Judge in a land acquisition reference concerning the Upper Tapi Project. The appellant argued that the compensation rates for jirayat, bagayat, and potkharab land determined in an earlier Division Bench decision (Special Land Acquisition Officer (III) v. Bhagwat Vitthal Sonwane) should apply. Both the acquiring authority and its counsel conceded this position. The Court, relying on the earlier precedent, modified the award to grant Rs.2,00,000 per hectare for jirayat land, Rs.4,00,000 for bagayat land, and Rs.1,00,000 for potkharab land, and ordered statutory benefits and interest under Section 34 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, as per State of Maharashtra v. Kailas Shiva Rangari. The modification is limited to the compensation rates; the rest of the original award remains unchanged, and the appellant must pay any deficit court fees.

Issues considered

  • Whether the compensation rates fixed in the earlier case of Special Land Acquisition Officer (III) v. Bhagwat Vitthal Sonwane are applicable to the present land acquisition dispute.
  • Whether the claimant is entitled to statutory benefits and interest under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, in light of the modified compensation rates.
  • Whether interest for the delayed period can be claimed by the claimant.

Legislation cited

Subjects

  • land acquisition
  • compensation rates
  • jirayat land
  • bagayat land
  • potkharab land
  • statutory benefits
  • interest
  • Section 34
  • modification of award

Judgment

2026:BHC-AUG:44622
                                                                          11-FA-4914-2017.odt
                                                 1

                      IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY
                                 BENCH AT AURANGABAD

                             11 FIRST APPEAL NO. 4914 OF 2017

               Rajaram Rupchand Patil (Died) Through L.Rs. Ganesh And Others
                                          VERSUS
                          The Special Land Acquisition Officer-2,
                      Upper Tapi Project (Hatnur) Jalgaon And Another

                                              ……
          Mr. Ajeet B. Kale, Advocate for Appellant
          Mr. D.R.Korde, AGP for Respondent No.1
          Mr. V.V. Tarde, Advocate for Respondent No.2
                                              ……

                                          CORAM : SIDDHESHWAR S. THOMBRE, J.
                                          DATE       : 28 SEPTEMBER, 2026
          PER COURT :

          1.     Heard learned counsel for the respective parties.


          2.     By this appeal, the appellant-original claimant challenges the

          Judgment and Award dated 17.11.2009 passed by the learned Joint Civil

          Judge, Senior Division, Jalgaon in Land Acquisition Reference No.892 of

          2005 (Old LAR No.388 of 2004).


          3.     Learned counsel for the appellant has placed on record a copy of the

          judgment delivered by the Division Bench of this Court in Special Land

          Acquisition Officer (III), Jalgaon and another v. Bhagwat Vitthal Sonwane,

          reported in 2009 (4) Mh.L.J. 308 , arising out of the same project. He

          submits that, in the said case, this Court determined the market value of the

          acquired jirayat land at the rate of Rs.2,00,000/- per hectare, the bagayat
                                                               11-FA-4914-2017.odt
                                       2

land at twice the rate applicable to jirayat land, i.e. Rs.4,00,000/- per

hectare, and the potkharab land at the rate of Rs.1,00,000/- per hectare. In

the present case, the learned Reference Court has determined the market

value of the acquired jirayat land at the rate of Rs.1,95,000/- per hectare.

He, therefore, submits that the rates of compensation determined in the

aforesaid judgment may also be applied to the acquired land in the present

case.


4.      The learned AGP as well as the learned counsel for the acquiring

body fairly concede the aforesaid position.


5.      In view of the aforesaid judgment of the Division Bench, the

appellant would be entitled to compensation at the rates determined

therein. The First Appeal, therefore, deserves to be partly allowed and the

impugned Judgment and Award deserves to be modified to that extent.

Hence, the following order:

                                  ORDER

I.      The First Appeal is partly allowed.

II.     The Judgment and Award dated 17.11.2009 passed by the learned
Joint Civil Judge, Senior Division, Jalgaon in Land Acquisition Reference
No.892 of 2005 (Old LAR No.388 of 2004) is modified to the extent
indicated hereinbelow.

III.    The claimant shall be entitled to compensation for the acquired land
at the rate of Rs.2,00,000/- per hectare for jirayat land, Rs.4,00,000/- per
hectare for bagayat land and Rs.1,00,000/- per hectare for potkharab land
as per categorization done by the learned Reference Court.
                                                                     11-FA-4914-2017.odt
                                           3


IV.        The claimant shall be entitled to all consequential statutory benefits
on the enhanced amount of compensation, in accordance with the
provisions of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894.


V.         The claimant shall be entitled to interest under Section 34 of the
Land Acquisition Act, 1894, strictly in accordance with the Full Bench
judgment of this Court in State of Maharashtra vs. Kailas Shiva Rangari ,
2016 (3) 457.

VI.        Save and except the aforesaid modification, the Judgment and

Award passed by the learned Reference Court shall remain unaltered.


VII        The claimants shall not be entitled to claim the statutory benefits

and interest for the delayed period, if any


VIII.      The appellant shall pay the deficit Court-fees, if any.


IX.        The modified award be drawn accordingly.



                                                [ SIDDHESHWAR S. THOMBRE ]
                                                          JUDGE




S P Rane


Continue reading with your account

Sign in to read the full judgment. It’s free.

Sign in to read

Checking your session…

For a signed copy suitable for filing, refer to the court's website.