Suresh Kumar Aggarwal & Ors vs Government Of Nct Of Delhi & Ors on 18 May, 2026

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    Delhi High Court – Orders

    Suresh Kumar Aggarwal & Ors vs Government Of Nct Of Delhi & Ors on 18 May, 2026

    Author: Prathiba M. Singh

    Bench: Prathiba M. Singh

                              $~40 to 77, 79 to 87
                              *         IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI
    
                              +             W.P.(C) 6025/2026 & CM APPL. 29692/2026
                                        SURESH KUMAR AGGARWAL & ORS.             .....Petitioners
                                                       versus
                                        GOVERNMENT OF NCT OF DELHI & ORS. .....Respondents
                                                       Through:
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                              +                                       W.P.(C) 8745/2014
                                        CHARAN DAS                                                                      .....Petitioner
                                                      versus
                                        UNION OF INDIA & ORS                                                            .....Respondents
                              ~42
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                                        LOKESH LOCHAV & ANR.                    .....Petitioners
                                                            versus
                                        GOVT OF NCT OF DELHI & ORS.      ....Respondents
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                              +         W.P.(C) 12158/2025&CM APPL. 49610/2025, CM APPL.
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                                        CHANDERLEKHA SOLOMON           .....Petitioner
                                                       versus
    
                                        GOVERNMENT OF NCT OF DELHI & ORS.                                               .....Respondents
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                              +             W.P.(C) 12389/2025&CM APPL. 50550/2025
                                        RAJESH KHANNA                           .....Petitioner
                                                       versus
    
                                        GOVERNMENT OF NCT OF DELHI & ORS.                                               .....Respondents
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                                        RAJIV CHOUDHRIE HUF                      .....Petitioner
    
                                                    versus
                                        GOVERNMENT OF NCT OF DELHI AND ORS .....Respondents
    
    
    
    
                              W.P.(C) 6025/2026 & connected matters                                                            Page 1 of 16
    
    This is a digitally signed order.
    The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above.
    The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 20/05/2026 at 21:01:15
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                                        MOHAN LAL GANDHI & ORS.                .....Petitioners
    
                                                      versus
                                        GOVT. OF NCT OF DELHI & ORS.                                                    .....Respondents
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                                        DEEN MOHMMAD DEENU                      .....Petitioner
    
                                                     versus
                                        GOVT OF NCT OF DELHI & ORS.                                           .....Respondents
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                                        DR. SUNINDER SINGH ARORA             .....Petitioner
    
                                                     versus
                                        LT GOVERNOR OF DELHI & ORS.                                                     .....Respondents
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                                        HARINDER SINGH ARORA                                                            .....Petitioner
    
                                                     versus
                                        LT. GOVERNOR OF DELHI & ORS.                                                    .....Respondents
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                                        HARISH SAWHNEY                          .....Petitioner
    
                                                     versus
                                        GOVT OF NCT OF DELHI & ORS.                                                     .....Respondents
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                                        POOJA CHURAMANI                         .....Petitioner
    
                                                     versus
                                        GOVT OF NCT OF DELHI & ORS.                                                     .....Respondents
    
    
    
    
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    This is a digitally signed order.
    The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above.
    The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 20/05/2026 at 21:01:15
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                                        BALWAN SINGH AND ORS                .....Petitioners
                                                     versus
                                        DELHI DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY AND ORS.....Respondents
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                                        RAM SINGH & ORS.                        .....Petitioners
                                                      versus
                                        UNION OF INDIA & ORS.                                                           .....Respondents
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                                        LALIT KUMAR GOEL                        .....Petitioner
    
                                                      versus
                                        GOVT. OF NCT OF DELHI & ORS.                                                    .....Respondents
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                                        NARAYAN SINGH & ORS.                    .....Petitioners
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                                        GOVT OF NCT OF DELHI & ORS.                                           .....Respondents
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                                        RAJ PAL AND ORS                          .....Petitioners
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                                        UNION OF INDIA & ANR.                    .....Respondents
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                                        SH. RAJINDER SINGH & ORS.                .....Petitioners
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                                        GOVERNMENT OF NCT OF DELHI & ORS.        .....Respondents
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                                        GEETA GULATI                      ....Petitioner
                                                       versus
                                        UNION OF INDIA THROUGH LAND ACQUISITION
    
    
    
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                                         COLLECTOR & ORS.                                                                .....Respondents
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                                        ADITYA HIMATSINGKA & ANR.           .....Petitioners
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                                        GOVERNMENT OF NCT DELHI & ORS.      .....Respondents
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                                        SHRI PARAS RAM SHARMA & ORS.               .....Petitioners
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                                        GOVT OF NCT OF DELHI & ORS.        .....Respondents
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                                        PHIRE RAM                               .....Petitioner
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                                        GOVT. OF NCT OF DELHI AND ORS           .....Respondents
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                                        SHRI HANSRAJ & ORS.                      .....Petitioners
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                                        GOVT OF NCT OF DELHI & ORS.                                                     .....Respondents
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                                        SH HARI KRISHAN KAUL & ORS.         .....Petitioners
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                                        GOVT. OF NCT OF DELHI & ORS.        .....Respondents
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                                        FAZLU REHMAN KHATRI & ORS.          ....Petitioners
                                                       versus
                                        UNION OF INDIA & ORS.               .....Respondents
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                                        SHRI RAJENDER KUMAR & ANR.               .....Petitioners
    
    
    
                              W.P.(C) 6025/2026 & connected matters                                                            Page 4 of 16
    
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                                                                       versus
    
                                        GOVT OF NCT OF DELHI & ORS.                                                     .....Respondents
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                                        AJIT SINGH                               .....Petitioner
                                                        versus
    
                                        GOVT OF NCT OF DELHI & ORS.                                                     .....Respondents
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                                        SH. RAM KUMAR & ORS.                     .....Petitioners
                                                        versus
                                        GOVT. OF NCT OF DELHI & ORS.             .....Respondents
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                                        PRAVEEN KUMAR JAIN                      .....Petitioner
                                                       versus
                                        GOVT OF NCT OF DELHI & ORS.             .....Respondents
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                                        BASTI RAM & ANR.                    .....Petitioners
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                                        GOVERNMENT OF NCT OF DELHI & ORS. .....Respondents
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                                        NARINDERJIT KAUR AND ORS                .....Petitioners
                                                       versus
                                        UNION OF INDIA & ORS.                   .....Respondents
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                                        PUNEET SPALL                              .....Petitioner
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                                        GOVT. OF NCT OF DELHI & ORS.      .....Respondents
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                                         SH PAWAN MATHUR AND ORS                                                         .....Petitioners
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                                        GOVT OF NCT OF DELHI & ORS.                                                     .....Respondents
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                                        MS. NUTAN PAUL & ORS.                    .....Petitioners
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                                        GOVT. OF NCT OF DELHI & ORS.             .....Respondents
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                                        NEENA NARANG (D) THR LRS.               .....Petitioner
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                                        GOVT. OF N.C.T. OF DELHI & ORS.         .....Respondents
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                                        ZIKRU REHMAN KHATRI & ORS.              .....Petitioners
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                                        GOVT. OFNCT OF DELHI & ORS.             .....Respondents
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                                        ANKIT GOEL                                .....Petitioner
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                                        GOVT OF NCT OF DELHI & ORS.       .....Respondents
    
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                                        RAM BABU                            .....Petitioner
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                                        GOVT OF NCT OF DELHI AND ORS        .....Respondents
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                                        SURINDER PAL SINGH & ORS.               .....Petitioners
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                                        GOVERNMENT OF NCT OF DELHI THROUGH ITS
                                        SECRETARY & ORS.                        .....Respondents
                              ~80
    
    
    
    
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                                        SHRI VIJENDER KUMAR & ORS.         .....Petitioners
                                                     versus
                                        GOVT OF NCT OF DELHI & ORS.                                                     .....Respondents
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                                        SMT CHARANJIT KAUR & ANR.               .....Petitioners
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                                        GOVT OF NCT OF DELHI & ORS.             .....Respondents
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                                        VIKAS VASHISHT              .....Petitioner
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                                        UNION OF INDIA & ANR.                      .....Respondents
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                                        SIMLA DEVI AND ORS                  .....Petitioners
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                                        GOVT OF NCT OF DELHI AND ORS        .....Respondents
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                                        VIJENDER SINGH AND OTHERS                .....Petitioners
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                                        GOVT. OF NCT OF DELHI AND OTHERS                                                .....Respondents
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                                        UDAIVIR SINGH & ORS.                .....Petitioners
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                                        GOVT. OF NCT OF DELHI AND ORS.      .....Respondents
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                                        LAJINDER SINGH AND ORS.                  .....Petitioners
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                                        GOVERNMENT OF NCT OF DELHI AND ORS......Respondents
    
    
    
    
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    This is a digitally signed order.
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                                        SH. JAGBIR SINGH AND ORS                  .....Petitioners
                                                         versus
                                        GOVT. OF NCT OF DELHI AND ORS             .....Respondents
    
                              Advocates for Petitioners:-
    
                              Mr. Sumit Bansal, Sr. Adv. in item no. 26, 32, 33, 34, 35, 37 and 68
                              Ms. Smita Maan, Mr. Vishal Maan, Mr. Yugant Kuhar and Mr. Kartik,
                              Advs.
                              Ms. Aakanksha Kaul, Adv.
                              Mr. Satish Kumar Tripathi, Adv.
                              Mr. Keshav V Hegde and Ms. Prerna Dayal, Advs.
                              Mr. Saurabh Mishra, Sr. Adv. with Mr. Jayant Mohan, Ms. Adya Shree
                              Dutta, Ms. Dorjee Ongmu Lachungpa, Mr. Priyanshu Teotia, Advs.
                              Mr. Suresh Kumar Yadav, Adv.
                              Ms. Tajinder Virdi, Adv.
                              Mr. Sudeep Singh, Mr. Akul Mehandru, Advs.
                              Ms. Amrita Sarkar, Mr. Rahul Pandey, Mr.Ashish Kumar Singh, Mr. Gitesh
                              Sinha, Mr. Kartik Gupta, Advs.
                              Mr. Sandeep Bajaj, Mr. Vipul Jai, Ms. Vrinda Mishra, Advs.
                              Mr. N.S. Vasisht, Ms. Jyoti Kataria, Advs.
                              Ms. Bandana Kaur Grover, Mr. Deeshant, Advs.
                              Mr. Rajiv Kumar Ghawana, Adv.
                              Dr. Rajeeev Sharma, Mr. Manish Arora, Advs.
                              Mr. Mohit Kumar Sharma, Adv.
                              Mr. Sumit Bansal, Sr. Adv. alongwith Mr. Udaibir Singh Kochar , Mr. Utsav
                              Garg, Ms. Samvartika Pathak, Ms. Tulna Rampal, Mr. Pushkar Khanna, Ms.
                              Nikita Gupta, Advs.
                              Mr. Ananga Bhattacharyya and Mr. Krishanu Barua, Advs.
                              Mr. Raghav Kalra, and Mr. Debashish, Advs.
                              Mr. Shivam Verma, Adv.
                              Mr. Akhil Sachar, Mr. Rajesh Bansal, Ms. Sunanda Tulsyan, Ms. Babita
                              Rawat, Ms. Kashish Maheshwari, Advs.
                              Mr. Yogesh Kaushik, Adv.
                              Mr, Ashok Panigrahi Sr, Adv. with Mr. Nilesh Kumar Adv.
                              Mr. Manish Kumar, Mr. Ashish Ranjan, Ms. Aprajita Jha, Advs.
                              Ms. Iti Sharma & Mr. Puneet Sharma, Advs.
    
    
    
                              W.P.(C) 6025/2026 & connected matters                                                            Page 8 of 16
    
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                               Ms. Niyati Kohli, Mr. Rishabh Parikh and Mr. Pratham Vir Agarwal, Advs.
                              Mr. Amit Gupta, Ms. Muskan Nagpal and Mr. H.S. Mahapatra, Advs.
                              Mr. S. K. Rout, Mr. Sukhda Dhamija, Mr. Aman Mehrotra, Mr. Rahul Kumar,
                              Ms. Parmita Nath, Advs.
                              Dr. Rajeev Sharma, Mr. Prashant Sharma and Mr. Manish Arora Advs.
                              Ms. Aakanksha Kaul, Adv.
                              Mr. Keshav V. Hegde, and Ms. Prerana Dayal, Advs.
                              Mr. Shivace P Singh along with Mr. Mishal Vij and Mr. Adhyasha Singh,
                              Advs.
                              Mr. Mukesh Kr. Verma, Adv.
    
                              Advocates for Respondents:
                              Mr. Jivesh Kumar Tiwari, CGSC with Ms. Nandini Aggarwal & Ms.
                              Samiksha, Advs. for UOI.
                              Mr. Sanjay Poddar, Sr. Adv. with Ms. Malvika Kapila Kalra, Mr. Govind
                              Kumar, Ms. Apoorva Jain, Mr. Kanishk Sachdeva, Advs. for DDA
                              Mr. Rahul Kumar and Mr. Indira Murthy, Adv.
                              Mr. Ashish K. Dixit, CGSC with Mr. Umar Hashmi, Mr. Iqra Sheikh, Advs.
                              for UOI.
                              Mr. Raghvendra Upadhyay, Panel Counsel (GNCTD.
                              Mr. Theepa Murugesen(CGSC), Vasuchit Anand, Adv.
                              Mr. Sameer Vashisht, Standing Counsel Civil GNCTD.
                              Ms. Ekta Choudhary, Adv.
                              Mr. Bhagwan Sawrup Shukla, CGSC with Mr. Mukesh Kumar Pandey, Mr.
                              Dashmesh Tripathi, Advs.
                              Mr. Piyush Gupta CGSC, Mr Atishay Jain, Mr Vishesh Goel, Advs.
                              Mr. Harsh Kumar, SPC Ms. Sikha Gogoi, Mr. Neel Kumar Sharma, Advs. for
                              UOI
                              Mr. N. Balraj, SPC for UOI, Ms. Meghna Rao, Ms. Shreya Pandey, Advs.
                              Mr. Anshuman, Adv.
                              Mr. Prashant Diwan, along with Ms. Ishita Bansal and Mr. Piyush, Advs.
                              Ms. Shobhna Takiar, SC for DDA with Mfr. Shivam Takiar, Mr. Prateek Dhir,
                              Mr. Kuljeet Singh, Advs.
                              Ms. Zehra Khan, Panel Counsel, L & B Department, Mr. Harshpreet Singh,
                              Adv.
                              Mr. Vinay Yadav, CGSC with Ms. Kamna Behrani, Mr. Neeraj Paulose,
                              Advs.
                              Mr. Anubhav Gupta, Panel Counsel with Mr. Kartik Sharma, Adv. for
    
    
    
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                               GNCTD
                              Mr. Subhash Tanwar (SPC), Mr. Sandeep Mishra, Mr. Harshit Deshwal, Mr.
                              Mohit Kumar Tomar, Mr. Mayank Sehrawat, Advs. Ms. Manika Tripathy, SC
                              and Mr. Saksham Singh, Adv. for DDA
                              Ms. Suruchi Mittal, SPC for UOI
                              Ms. Shilpa Ohri, ASC for MCD
                              Mr. Sanjay Kumar Pathak, SC with Mr. Sunil Kumar Jha, Mr. M.S. Akhtar,
                              Advs. for R-LAC/L & B, GNCTD
                              Mr. Chetanya Puri, SPC with Mr. Rishab Jain, Advocate for UOI
                              Mr. Tushar Sannu, Mr. Fajallu Rehman and Ms. Payal Rajput, Advocates for
                              DDA
                              Ms. Astha Tyagi, Adv.
                              Mr. Ashutosh Kaushik, Panel Counsel for DDA
                              Mr. Siddharth Panda with Mr. Anil Pandey and Mr. Ritank Kumar, Mr.
                              Akshay Vaid and Mr. Shailendra Mishra, Advs.
                              Mr Gaganmeet Singh Sachdeva, Adv. for DDA
                              Mr. Vikrant Nilesh Goyal, Mr. Yash Basoya, Mr. Kunal Dixit, Advs.
                              Mr. Ankur Mittal, CGSC with Ms. Simran Goel for Union of India
                              Mr. Ashish k Dixit, CGSC with Mr. Umar Hashmi, Mr. Gautam Yadav, Ms.
                              Iqra Shiekh, Advs.
                              Mr. Bhagvan Sawrup Shukla CGSC with Mr. Mukesh Kumar Pandey, Mr.
                              Praveen Gupta, Mr. Dashmesh Tripathi, Advs. for UOI.
    
                                        CORAM:
                                        JUSTICE PRATHIBA M. SINGH
                                        JUSTICE MADHU JAIN
                                                    ORDER
    

    % 18.05.2026

    1. This hearing has been done through hybrid mode.

    SPONSORED

    2. These are a batch of petitions that have been filed seeking, inter alia,
    setting aside of the public notices issued by the Land Acquisition Collector
    under Section 21 of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land
    Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. In certain
    matters, the said public notices have been issued on 31st July, 2025 and in
    others the same have been passed sometime in early 2026.

    W.P.(C) 6025/2026 & connected matters Page 10 of 16

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    3. The case of the Petitioners is that the public notices for acquisition are
    time barred in terms of the three decisions passed by the Supreme Court on
    the same date i.e., 17th May, 2024 being:

    i) Delhi Development Authority v. Tejpal and Others, (2024) 7
    SCC 433.

    ii) Government of NCT of Delhi And Another vs. BSK Realtors
    LLP and Another
    , (2024) 7 SCC 370

    iii) Government of NCT of Delhi through its Secretary, Land and
    Building Department and Another v. K.L. Rathi Steels Limited and
    Others
    , (2024)7 SCC 315.

    4. In the said three decisions of the Supreme Court, a batch of land
    acquisition matters were decided which were further categorized under
    various distinct batches.

    5. The present batch of matters relate to petitions filed by respective
    owners of the subject land which was under acquisition, in respect of which
    the Supreme Court had extended the period for acquisition of the same by one
    year from 1st August, 2024, as per the directions passed in Tejpal (supra).

    The operative directions passed in Tejpal (supra), which are almost identical
    in the other judgments passed by the Supreme Court, are extracted
    hereinbelow:-

    “88. To prevent such an outcome and after
    considering the unique facts and circumstances of
    this batch of cases, we deem it fit to exercise our
    powers under Article 142 of the Constitution in the
    interests of doing complete justice. We accordingly
    issue the following directions for all the cases
    mentioned in “List E.3”:

    W.P.(C) 6025/2026 & connected matters Page 11 of 16

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    88.1. The time-limit for initiation of fresh
    acquisition proceedings in terms of the provisions
    contained in Section 24(2) of the 2013 Act is
    extended by a year starting from 1-8-2024
    whereupon compensation to the affected landowners
    may be paid in accordance with law, failing which
    consequences, also as per law, shall follow;

    88.2. The parties shall maintain status quo
    regarding possession, change of land use, and
    creation of third-party rights till fresh acquisition
    proceedings, as directed above, are completed;

    88.3. Since the respondent landowners are not
    primarily dependent upon the subject lands as their
    source of sustenance and most of these lands
    were/are under use for other than agricultural
    purposes, we deem it appropriate to invoke our
    powers under Article 142 of the Constitution and
    dispense with the compliance of Chapters II and III
    of the 2013 Act, whereunder it is essential to prepare
    a Social Impact Assessment Study Report and/or to
    develop alternative multi-crop irrigated agricultural
    land. We do so to ensure that the timeline of one
    year extended at para 88.1 above, to complete the
    acquisition process can be adhered to by the
    appellants and Gnctd, which would also likely be
    beneficial for the expropriated landowners;

    88.4. Similarly, compliance with Sections 13, 14,
    and 16 to 20 of the 2013 Act can be dispensed with
    as the subject lands are predominantly urban/semi-

    urban in nature and had earlier been acquired for
    public purposes of paramount importance. In order
    to simplify the compliance of direction at para 88.1
    above, it is further directed that every notification
    issued under Section 4(1) of the 1894 Act in this
    batch of cases shall be treated as a preliminary

    W.P.(C) 6025/2026 & connected matters Page 12 of 16

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    notification within the meaning of Section 11 of the
    2013 Act, and shall be deemed to have been
    published as on 1-1-2014;

    88.5. The Collector shall provide hearing of
    objections as per Section 15 of the 2013 Act without
    insisting for any Social Impact Assessment Report
    and shall, thereafter, proceed to take necessary steps
    as per the procedure contemplated under Section 21
    onwards of Chapter IV of the 2013 Act, save and
    except where compliance of any provision has been
    expressly or impliedly dispensed with;

    88.6. The landowners may submit their objections
    within a period of four weeks from the date of
    pronouncement of this order. Such objections shall
    not question the legality of the acquisition process
    and shall be limited only to clauses (a) and (b) of
    Section 15(1) of the 2013 Act;

    88.7. The Collector shall publish a public notice on
    his website and also in one English and one
    vernacular newspaper, within two weeks of expiry of
    the period granted under the direction in para 88.6
    above, so as to accord personal hearing to all the
    persons interested in the land under acquisition in
    terms of Section 21(1) of the 2013 Act. Such hearing
    shall also be restricted only to the nature of
    objections as per the direction in para 88.6 above,
    and/or the determination of compensation for the
    acquired land;

    88.8. The Collector shall, thereafter, pass an award
    as early as possible but not exceeding six months,
    regardless of the maximum period of twelve months
    contemplated under Section 25 of the 2013 Act. The
    market value of the land shall be assessed as on 1-1-
    2014 and the compensation shall be awarded along

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    with all other monetary benefits in accordance with
    the provisions of the 2013 Act except the claim like
    rehabilitation, etc.;

    88.9. The Collector shall consider all the
    parameters prescribed under Section 28 of the 2013
    Act for determining the compensation for the
    acquired land. Similarly, the Collector shall
    determine the market value of the building or assets
    attached with the land in accordance with Section 29
    of the 2013 Act, and shall further award solatium in
    accordance with Section 30 of the 2013 Act;

    88.10. In the peculiar facts and circumstances of this
    case, since it is difficult to reverse the clock back, the
    compliance of Chapter V pertaining to
    “Rehabilitation and Resettlement Award” is hereby
    dispensed with; and

    88.11. The expropriated landowners shall be
    entitled to seek reference for enhancement of
    compensation in accordance with Chapter VIII of
    the 2013 Act.”

    6. These petitions have now come to be filed on the ground that the time
    limit of one year for completion of the acquisition proceedings in terms of the
    directions given by the Supreme Court, extracted hereinabove, having lapsed,
    the acquisitions deserve to be quashed and possession deserves to be restored
    to the Petitioners. The case of the LAC and the other authorities on the other
    hand is that the time limit fixed by the Supreme Court is for initiation of the
    acquisition process and not for completion.

    7. In some of these petitions, the public notices have been issued prior to
    the one year period. However, in some other petitions, the public notices for
    acquisitions have been issued on 31st July, 2025 or on different dates in early

    W.P.(C) 6025/2026 & connected matters Page 14 of 16

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    2026.

    8. The Court was in the midst of the hearing in these matters. According
    to the Petitioners, the issuance of the notice prior to the one year period as set
    out in paragraph 88.1 of Tejpal (supra) judgment is insufficient to defend the
    acquisition proceedings.
    Further, the interpretation of the phrase ‘initiation of
    fresh acquisition proceedings’ in the context of the language in paragraphs
    88.1 and 88.3 of Tejpal (supra) has been canvassed by various counsels
    appearing for the Petitioners.

    9. The LAC and the DDA have not filed their replies in most of the
    matters, as the issue according to them is primarily dependent upon the
    interpretation of the decision in Tejpal (supra) itself.

    10. Today, however, the Court has been informed by Mr. Sanjay Poddar,
    ld. Sr. Counsel for the Delhi Development Authority (hereinafter “DDA”) that
    various applications have been filed by the DDA before the Supreme Court
    seeking extension/modification of the period granted for acquiring the subject
    lands in all the three decisions of the Supreme Court. The respective
    applications filed by the DDA in the three judgements of the Supreme Court
    along with the list of all the matters in which the said applications have been
    moved have been handed across by the ld. Sr. Counsel as part of a common
    compilation. In the said applications, the prayer of the DDA is that a further
    six months time ought to be granted to pass the Award in these matters.

    11. In response to this submission, ld. Counsels for the Petitioners submit
    that in several cases which are pending before this Court, and have been taken
    up today, such applications have not been moved.

    12. A perusal of the application filed in Tejpal (supra) would show that the
    very same paragraphs which are being relied upon by the ld. Counsels for the

    W.P.(C) 6025/2026 & connected matters Page 15 of 16

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    Petitioners to support their case in these matters, are also referred to in the
    application for the purpose of seeking extension.

    13. The Court is also informed that a Bench is to be constituted by the
    Supreme Court for considering the applications in these matters.

    14. In this background, the hearing in these matters is deferred.

    15. In the meantime, let the LAC and the DDA file their counter affidavits
    in these matters by 15th July, 2026.

    16. The applications filed in all these matters by the DDA or other
    authorities before the Supreme Court be served upon respective ld. Counsels
    for the Petitioners by the ld. Counsel for the DDA/LAC.

    17. Further, the compilation which has been handed over by Mr. Poddar,
    ld. Sr. Counsel today be also circulated to at least two ld. Counsels on behalf
    of the Petitioners, who can recirculate it among other ld. Counsels for the
    Petitioners in electronic form.

    18. The next date of hearing before the Registrar in W.P.(C) 13469/2025
    stands cancelled.

    19. List on 11th September, 2026.

    20. These matters shall be considered as part heard matters.

    PRATHIBA M. SINGH, J.

    MADHU JAIN, J.

    MAY 18, 2026
    dj/msh/ck

    W.P.(C) 6025/2026 & connected matters Page 16 of 16

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