Indore High Court Declares 3.17-Hectare Land Free From IDA Acquisition

Indore High Court dismisses IDA land acquisition claim

The Madhya Pradesh High Court's Indore division has declared a 3.176-hectare plot in Niranjanpur as no longer subject to Indore Development Authority's (IDA) acquisition scheme, effectively nullifying a 22-year effort to seize the land. Justice Sandeep N Bhatt ruled that the authorities failed to take possession of the property or pay compensation, rendering the acquisition unenforceable. The court prevented further legal action against petitioners Revachand and others based on this cancelled acquisition.

The acquisition, awarded on November 27, 1992, was contested when the landowners' forebears signed a deal with IDA in 1993 to allow private development, including a cinema complex, on the site. Petitioners argued IDA abandoned the acquisition and should have compensated the landowners or taken possession after a lengthy delay. IDA countered that the agreement was violated and the exemption under the Urban Land Ceiling Act had expired, arguing the acquisition was still valid pending litigation.

The High Court found that six years, eight months and two days elapsed between the 2013 law's enactment and IDA's possession demands on March 29 and April 17, 2015. It noted no evidence of IDA's attempts to take control of the land. Consequently, the court dismissed the proceedings and declared the land free from IDA's acquisition authority. The petition was granted and closed.