Case: Govt. Of Nct Of Delhi Vs. Manav Dharam Trust

3. The High Court has taken the view in favour of such people. Thus, aggrieved the NCT of Delhi and Delhi Development Authority are in appeals before this Court.

Reasoning: 4. At the outset, we may note that in these cases, the land acquisition proceedings have otherwise lapsed by the operation of Section 24(2) of the 2013 Act since either compensation was not paid or possession was not taken within five years prior to 01.01.2014, the date of coming into force of the 2013 Act. Thus, the dispute is only on the locus standi.It is also to be specifically noted that the challenge made by the writ petitioners in the Miscellaneous Application filed by them is not to the acquisition or to the regularity of the process of acquisition including the taking of possession. Their only prayer is for a declaration that the proceedings qua the land referred to in the Application have lapsed by virtue of the operation of Section 24(2) of the 2013 Act.22. All the decisions cited by the learned Senior Counsel appearing for the appellants, no doubt, have categorically held that the subsequent purchasers do not have locus standi to challenge the acquisition proceedings. But in the present case, the challenge is not to the acquisition proceeding; it is only for a declaration that the acquisition proceedings have lapsed in view of the operation of Section 24(2) of the 2013 Act, and therefore, the ratio in those cases has no application to these cases.23. It is one thing to say that there is a challenge to the legality or propriety or validity of the acquisition proceedings and yet another thing to say that by virtue of operation of a subsequent legislation, the acquisition proceedings have lapsed.24. In all the decisions cited by the learned Senior Counsel for the appellants, which we have referred to above, this Court has protected the rights of the subsequent purchaser to claim compensation, being a person interested in the compensation, despite holding that they have no locus standi to challenge the acquisition proceedings.As we have already noted above, the whole face of land acquisition has changed by the 2013 Act. Section 105 of the 2013 Act has provided that the provisions of the Act shall not apply to the enactments specified in the Fourth Schedule. So far, only 13 Acts have been notified under the Fourth Schedule. Neither The Delhi Development Act, 1957 nor The Delhi Lands (Restrictions on Transfers) Act, 1972 is included in the Fourth Schedule.Thus, the subsequent purchaser, the assignee, the successor in interest, the power of attorney, etc., are all persons who are interested in compensation/land owners/affected persons in terms of the 2013 Act and such persons are entitled to file a case for a declaration that the land acquisition proceedings have lapsed by virtue of operation of Section 24(2) of the 2013 Act. It is a declaration qua the land wherein indisputably they have an interest and they are affected by such acquisition. For such a declaration, it cannot be said that the respondents/writ petitioners do not have any locus standi.We make it clear that we have not gone into the inter se disputes between the parties in some cases or other claims regarding the ownership.