When an appeal pending for 14 years reached the Supreme Court, the division bench said he was 'ashamed' to see it.
Yesterday, during the hearing, the Supreme Court expressed displeasure over the 2010 appeal, on which the lawyers appearing on behalf of Rajasthan were demanding a stay article. It is reported that the appeal was related to the payment for a land acquisition.
During the proceedings presided over by Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Mishra, the Division Bench firmly declined the state's plea for a postponement.
Justice Pardiwala expressed deep dismay over the prolonged pendency of the 2010 appeal, emphasizing the court's inability to entertain any further adjournments in this matter.
The appeal pertained to a land acquisition conducted in 1976, resulting in a compensation decree of Rs 90,000 awarded to the defendants in 1981 by the state government. However, in 1997, the state contended that the compensation, along with interest, had already been disbursed. This disagreement formed the crux of the ongoing controversy surrounding the case.
According to the report, the Rajasthan High Court ruled in favor of the state. However, the Division Bench, on the contrary, issued a verdict in favor of the current defendants. Subsequently, in 2010, Rajasthan decided to appeal the case to the Supreme Court.
During the hearing, when the apex court inquired of Adv Archana Pathak Dave, representing the state, regarding the present status of the land, she requested time for instructions.
Justice Pardiwala highlighted the prolonged delay in the case and noted from the records that former Chief Justice of India (CJI) RM Lodha had previously appeared before the High Court as a lawyer in this matter.
He remarked, "Here we have Justice RM Lodha, who once practiced before the High Court as a lawyer, later retiring as the Chief Justice of India, and now you're requesting additional time for instructions. What does this signify?"
The court has adjourned its decision in this case. Additionally, the parties have been instructed to submit any further information and documents pertinent to the case within a span of 10 days.
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