# INDRAPURI GRIHA NIRMAN SAHAKARI SAMITI LTD v. Tlffi·STATE OF RAJASTHAN & ORS

- **Citation:** [1975] 2 S.C.R. 68
- **Court:** Supreme Court of India
- **Decided:** 1974-09-17
- **Case number:** Civil Appeals Nos. 943 and E 980 to 989 of 1973
- **Bench:** A. N. Ray, K. K. Ma1'Hew, Y. V. Ciiandrachud, A. ALAGmIS· WAMI, A. C. Gupta
- **Source:** https://unisonlegal.in/judgment/supreme-court-of-india/indrapuri-griha-nirman-sahakari-samiti-ltd-v-tlffi-state-of-rajasthan-ors-6215
- **Pages:** 3

## Headnote

B
Rajasthan Land Acquisition Act, 1953-De/ay in challenging acquisition proceedings-/!.fjecl of.
A notice under s. 4 of the Rajasthan Land Acquis.ition ·Act, 1953 was issued
by the State Government in May, 1960. It was published in. the· gazette in June,
1960. A notice under s. 6 was issued in May, 1961 and under s. 9 in July, 1961.
In January 1970 the appellants challenged the validity of these notifications. The
High Court dismissed the writ petitions on the ground that the petitioners were
C
guilty of Inordinate delay.
Dismissing the appeals to this Court.
HELD : The High Court rightly dismissed the petitions on the ground of delay.
Any challenge to the notifications shoold be made within a reasonable
time.
[70B; A]
If persons allowed the Government to complete the acquisition proceedings
D
on the basis that the notification under s. 4 and the declaration under s. 6 were
valid and then attacked the notification on grounds which were available to them
at the time when the notification was published it would be putting a premium
on dilatory tactics. [69E-F]
A(latoo11 & Ors. v. Lt. Governor of Delhi & Ors. (19751) 1 SCR 802 followed.
CML APPELLATE JURISDICTION:
Civil Appeals Nos. 943 and
E
980 to 989 of 1973.
Appeals by Special! Leave from the Judgment & Order dated the
12th April, 1973 of the Rajasthan High Court in D.B. Civil Appeals
Nos. 311, 310; 313, 316, 317, 320 to 325 of 1971.
A. K. Sen and M. M. Kshatriya for the appellants.
Niren De Attomey General and L. M. Singhvi, S. M, Jain and S. K.
Tewari, for the respondents.

## Text

68
INDRAPURI GRIHA NIRMAN SAHAKARI SAMIT! LTD.
A
v.
Tlffi·STATE OF RAJASTHAN & ORS.
September 17, 1974
[A. N. RAY, C.J., K. K. MA1'HEW, Y. V. CIIANDRACHUD, A. ALAGmIS·
WAMI AND A. C. GUPTA, JJ.]
B
Rajasthan Land Acquisition Act, 1953-De/ay in challenging acquisition proceedings-/!.fjecl of.
A notice under s. 4 of the Rajasthan Land Acquis.ition ·Act, 1953 was issued
by the State Government in May, 1960. It was published in. the· gazette in June,
1960. A notice under s. 6 was issued in May, 1961 and under s. 9 in July, 1961.
In January 1970 the appellants challenged the validity of these notifications. The
High Court dismissed the writ petitions on the ground that the petitioners were
C
guilty of Inordinate delay.
Dismissing the appeals to this Court.
HELD : The High Court rightly dismissed the petitions on the ground of delay.
Any challenge to the notifications shoold be made within a reasonable
time.
[70B; A]
If persons allowed the Government to complete the acquisition proceedings
D
on the basis that the notification under s. 4 and the declaration under s. 6 were
valid and then attacked the notification on grounds which were available to them
at the time when the notification was published it would be putting a premium
on dilatory tactics. [69E-F]
A(latoo11 & Ors. v. Lt. Governor of Delhi & Ors. (19751) 1 SCR 802 followed.
CML APPELLATE JURISDICTION:
Civil Appeals Nos. 943 and
E
980 to 989 of 1973.
Appeals by Special! Leave from the Judgment & Order dated the
12th April, 1973 of the Rajasthan High Court in D.B. Civil Appeals
Nos. 311, 310; 313, 316, 317, 320 to 325 of 1971.
A. K. Sen and M. M. Kshatriya for the appellants.
Niren De Attomey General and L. M. Singhvi, S. M, Jain and S. K.
Tewari, for the respondents.
The Judgment of the Court was delivered by
RAY, C.J. These appeals are by special leave from the judgment
datr-d 12 April, 1973 of the Rajasthan High Court.
The State of Rajasthan proposed to acquire land for the planned
development of the city of Jaipur.
On 13 IMay, 1960 a notice was issued under section 4 of the
Rajasthan Land Acquisition Act, 1953 (hereinafter reffn-ed to as the
Act) which was published in the Rajasthan Gai.ette on 9 June, 1960.
No objection was made under section SA of the Act. A notice
under section 6 of the Act was published on 11 May, 19,61. On
18 July, 1961 notices under section. 9 of the Act were issued,
F
G
H ,
INDRAl'URI GRIHA NIRMAN V. RAJASTHAN (Ray, C./.)
6 9
-'
A
63 persons including the predecessor-in-title of the appellant in Civil
B
Appeal No. 943 of 1973 filed claims.
An award under the Act was made on 9 January, 1964.
On
9 July, 1964 the award was amended because of certai,n transactions
of sale of portions of the land.
·
Writ Petitions were filed on 23 January, 19}0. The appellants
challenged the validity of the notifications dated 13 May, 1960 and
3 May, 1961 issued under sections 4 and 6. of the Act. The appellants also challenged the notices dated 18 July, 1961 under section 9
of the Act.
The High Court held that the appellants were guilty of inordinate
C
delay.
The appellants failed on that grouI1P.
D
E
F
G
The High Court also dealt with the challenge to the land acquisition proceedings on the ground of discrimination and the further
plea that the land . was being acquired at negligible price and
the
same would be sold at exorbitant price by the Improvement Trust
to the public. The High Court did not accept any of the grounds on
the merit~.
The Attorney General said at the threshold that if the ap?e.llants
would fail on the ground of delay it was not necessary to go into
the rest of the contention~ ·in the judgment.
·
This Court in the recent decision in Aftatoon & Ors. v. Lt.
Governor of Delhi & Ors. (11)
held that if persons allowed the
Government to complete the acquisition J'roceedings on the basis
that the notification under section 4 an
the declaration under 6
were valid and then . attacked the notification on grounds which were
available to them at the time when the notification was published it
would be putting a premium on dilatory tactics.
The facts iii Aftatoon's case
(supra)
were · these.
On 13
November, 1959 notification under section 4 of the Land Acquisition
Act was issued.· Between 1959 and 1961
objections were filed
under section SA of the Act.
On 18 March, 1966 declaration under
section 6 of the Act was published. In 1970 notices under section 9
of the Act were issued.
Writ Petitions were filed in 1972. The
petitioners did not move after the declaration under section 6 of the
Act.
The petitioners came to the court after the issue
of notice
under section 9 of the Act.
·
In the present case the facts show in bold relief that the appellants
came to Court nine years after the declaration under section 6 of
the Act,
H
Land. Acquisition proceedings commence with
the
notification
under section 4 of the Act. Obiections. are invited under section SA
of the Act.
Thereafter a declaration under section 6 of the ;.\ct is
(I) (1975) I S.C.R. 802.
70
SUPREME COURT REPORTS
(1975] 2 s.c.R.
made. Any chaJlenge to a notification under section 4 and a declaration under section 6 of the Act should be made within a reasonable
time thereafter. The length of the delay is an important · circumstance because of the nature of the acts done during the Interval
on the basis of the notification and the declaration,
The High CQurt rightly dismissed the applli=atio11s on the ground
of delay.
The appeals are dismissed with costs. There will be one set of
cests.
P.B.R
A
B