A.P.S.R.T.C
Hyderabad Vs. P. Venkaiah & Ors [1997] INSC 472 (28 April 1997)
K.
RAMASWAMY, D.P. WADHWA
ACT:
HEADNOTE:
Present:
Hon'ble
Mr. Justice K. Ramaswamy Hon'ble Mr. Justice D.P. Wadhwa Altaf Ahmed,
Additional Solicitor General, B. Parthasarthy, Adv. with him for the appellant
Ms. C.K. Sucharita and B. Kanta Rao. Advs. for the Respondents.
O R D
E R The following order of the court was delivered:
Substitution
allowed.
Leave
granted. Heard learned counsel for the parties.
Notification
under Section 4(1) of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (for short, the 'Act') was
Published on July 7,1977, acquiring 14 acres 32 guntas of land of Bachiragh
village near Suryapet Nalgonda District (A.P.) for the purpose of constructing
a Bus stand Complex. The Land Acquisition Officer awarded compensation @ Rs.
7,500\- per acre. The sub-Court on reference awarded the considerated
compensation @ Rs. 3.60 lacs per acre. The High court it to Rs. 2,25,000/- per
acre. It is now not in dispute that Exs.A-2, A-9 and A-11 were relied on to
enhance the compensation. Admittedly, none of the persons connected with the
documents, namely, neither the vendee nor the vendor has been examined. This
court in Kumari Veeraiah & ors. vs. State of A.P. [(1995)) 4 SCC 136] held in the absence of adduction of any
evidence through the vendor or the vendee, the document per se cannot be relied
upon. This was reiterated in State of Bihar vs. Madheshwar Prasad [(1996)6 SCC 197]. Acceptance of certified copy
of the sale deed under section 51-A relates only to the production of the
original sale deeds but it does not dispense with proof of the contents of the
documents, relative feature vis-a-vis 193, the land under acquisition. All is
needed to be proved by examining the persons connected with the same and
parties to the document. Following the above ratio, we hold that the view taken
by the High court and that of the reference Court is entirely illegal.
The
appeal is accordingly allowed. The judgment and award of the reference court as
modified stand set aside.
The
matter is remitted to the reference court for disposal the matter afresh after
an opportunity is given to adduce evidence afresh and the same is considered.
No costs.
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