Courts may grant aid beyond claims in land cases, says SC

The Supreme Court has held that courts must not restrict compensation in land acquisition cases to the amount claimed by landowners if the law entitles them to a higher sum, underlining that it is the judiciary's duty to assess and award just compensation based on statutory principles, not on the pleadings of claimants.

- Utkarsh Anand

The Supreme Court gave the ruling in an appeal challenging a Karnataka high court verdict.

A bench of justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Vipul M Pancholi said that once a court arrives at a finding on the correct market value of acquired land, it cannot reduce the compensation on the ground that the landowner did not specifically seek a higher amount.

"It is the duty of the Court to assess the compensation for which the landholder is entitled and not the claims made by the landholders," held the bench in a recent judgment, stressing that equity and statutory obligation must guide adjudication in land acquisition matters.