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Supreme Court of India

INDER SINGH AND ORS.versusUNION OF INDIA AND ANR.

Citation
1995 INSC 679
Decided
2 November 1995
Disposal
Dismissed

Holding

Parties who have executed Form K and accepted compensation without protest are not entitled to appointment of an arbitrator under Section 8(b).

Summary

The Land Acquisition Collector issued an award fixing compensation for three belts of land. Twenty‑two landowners, including the appellants, signed Form K under Rule 9(5)(i) of the Rules, thereby accepting the compensation without protest. Subsequently the appellants filed a writ petition in the Punjab & Haryana High Court seeking the appointment of an arbitrator under Section 8(b) of the Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property Act, 1952. The High Court dismissed the petition on grounds of delay and lack of merit. On appeal, the Supreme Court held that because the appellants had already executed Form K and accepted the award, Rule 9(5)(i) barred them from invoking Section 8(b) for arbitrator appointment. Consequently, the appeal was dismissed.

Issues considered

  • Whether parties who have executed Form K and accepted compensation without protest are entitled to appointment of an arbitrator under Section 8(b) of the Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property Act, 1952.

Legislation cited

Subjects

land acquisitioncompensationForm KRule 9(5)(i)Section 8(b)arbitrator appointmentwrit petitionSupreme Court

Judgment

                         INDER SINGH AND ORS.                                    A
                                       v.
                       UNION OF INDIA AND ANR.

                             NOVEMBER 2, 1995

              [K. RAMASWAMY AND B.L. HANSARIA, J.J.]                             B

         Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Propc1ty Act, 1952/Rules.

      S.B(b )/Rule 9(5)(i)-Landowners agreeing to receive compensation
awarded-Executing 'K' form and accepting compensation without
protest-Later 011 seeking appointment of Arbitrator-Held : Not entitled to.
                                                                                 c
        The Land Acquisition Collector passed an award and the appellants
had agreed to receive the compensation, executed 'K' form as per Rule
9(5) (i) of the Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property Rules
and accepted the compensation without protest. Thereafter they                   D
preferred a writ petition before the High Court seeking appointment of
an arbitrator under S.(8)(b) of the Requisitioning and Acquisition of
Immovable property Act. The writ petition was dismissed. Hence this
appeal.

         Dismissing the ap,peal, this Court                                      E
      HELD: The appellants having received the compensation under Form
'K' without protest, Rule 9(5)(i) of the Requisitioning and Acquisition of
Immovable Property Rules would apply to them and they are not entitled
under Section 8(b) of the Act appointment of an arbitrator. [738-D J
                                                                                 F
         CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION : Civil Appeal No. 10271 of
1995.

     From the Judgment and Order dated 12.4.89 of the Punjab &
Haryana High Court in C.W.P. No. 6274 of 1988.
                                                                                 G
         Sanjay Sarin and Ashok Mathur for the Appellants.

         N.N. Goswami, Ms. Anil Katiyar and Wasim Qadri for the Respon-
dents.

         The following Order of the Court was delivered :                        H
                                      737
    738                     SUPREME COURT REPORTS [1995] SUPP. 4 S.C.R.

A          Leave granted.

          The appellant had sought appointment of an arbitrator under Section
    8(h) of the Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property Act,
    1952. The High Court dismissed the writ petition on two grounds, namely,
    on delay as well as on merits. Thus this appeal by special leave.
B
          The Land Acquisitior• Collector, the competent authority, had
    passed the award determining compensation at varied rates, namely, Rs.
    5,000, Rs. 4,200 and Rs. 2001 in respect of three different belts of land.
    Thereupon, 22 persons including the appellants herein had agreed to
    receive the compensation and executed 'K' Form. Agreement as per Rule
c   9(5)(i) of the Rules made under the Act and accepted and compensation
    without protest. Section 8(b) of the Act requires appointment of arbitrator
    when there is no agreement between the parties reached on the compen-
    sation determined by the Land Acquisition Officer.

          In view of the above circumstances, the appellants having received
D
    the compensation under Form 'K' without protest, Rule 9 (5) (i) would
    apply to them and they arc not entitled under Section 8(b) of the Act for
    appointment of an arbitrator.

           The appeal is accordingly dismissed. No costs.
E
    G.N.                                                    Appeal dismissed.




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