Case: Nayara Energy Limited Vs. The State of Gujarat and others

3. Feeling aggrieved and dissatisfied with the judgment and award passed by the learned Reference Court enhancing the amount of compensation for the land acquired, the appellant herein has preferred the first appeal before the High Court being First Appeal No. 1543 of 2020. In the said appeal, the appellant filed Civil Application (for Stay) no. 1 of 2020 praying to stay the judgment and order passed by the learned Reference Court. By the impugned order dated 18.08.2020, the High Court has stayed the execution, implementation and operation of the judgment and award passed by the learned Reference Court, on condition that the appellant shall deposit 80% of the awarded amount along with proportionate cost and interest before the learned Reference Court. The High Court has further passed an order that upon deposit of the aforesaid amount, the learned Reference Court to deposit 50% out of the said deposited amount (80% of the amount awarded by the learned Reference Court), together with proportionate cost and interest, in the cumulative fixed deposit, in any nationalised bank, initially for a period of five years, in the names of the original claimants, which shall be continued to be renewed from time to time, till the final disposal of the main first appeal. The High Court has further passed an order that balance 50% of the 80% of the awarded amount together with proportionate cost and interest is permitted to be withdrawn by the original claimants. The High Court has further passed an order that original claimants shall be entitled to withdraw 50% of the accrued principal interest on the fixed deposit. That thereafter the appellant herein filed an application to modify the aforesaid order pointing out that in case of relied upon judgment, relied upon by the learned Reference Court, an appal has been preferred and there is an unconditional stay granted by the High Court – Coordinate Bench, and therefore, it was prayed to modify the aforesaid interim order. By order dated 30.09.2020, the learned Single Judge of the High Court has dismissed the said application. Hence, the present appeals have been preferred by the original applicant – acquiring body.

Reasoning: 6. Having heard learned counsel for the respective parties at length and the fact that the lands of the original claimants have been acquired in the year 1996 and the learned Reference Court has enhanced the amount of compensation after a period of approximately 17 years (by now 20 years), and the original claimants are not in a position to furnish any security, while permitting the original claimants to withdraw the amount of enhanced compensation awarded by the learned Reference Court, to strike the balance and to consider the interest of both the parties and recording the statement of Shri P.S. Narasimha, learned Senior Advocate appearing on behalf of the appellant that the appellant is ready and willing to deposit the entire enhanced amount of compensation awarded by the learned Reference Court, together with interest and cost, we are of the opinion that if the original claimants are permitted to withdraw 25% of the enhanced amount of compensation, as awarded by the learned Reference Court, together with proportionate interest and cost, without furnishing any security and the balance 75% of the enhanced amount of compensation, together with proportionate cost and interest, as awarded by the learned Reference Court is permitted to be invested in a fixed deposit in any nationalised bank with cumulative interest, it will meet the end of justice and take care of the interest of both the parties.