Supreme Court's Reaffirmation: NHAI Land Acquisition Verdict Stands

The Supreme Court maintained its stance on compensating farmers affected by land acquisition under the NHAI Act. A special bench, led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, addressed a plea from the National Highway Authority of India seeking to restrict the compensation ruling to prospective cases. However, the top court upheld its 2019 verdict.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued that applying the ruling retrospectively imposed an undue financial burden on NHAI, previously estimated at Rs 32,000 crore. The bench countered, noting the decision aligns with Article 14 of the Constitution, which mandates equal treatment under the law.

The initial judgement, which declared Section 3J of the NHAI Act unconstitutional, stands without alteration. The court clarified that its decision only pertains to lands acquired between 1997 and 2015, and does not affect finalized cases.