Delay and laches bar late challenges to land acquisition notifications once proceedings have substantially progressed.

A challenge to land acquisition notifications and proceedings must be brought within a reasonable time, because inordinate delay and laches bar relief where the acquisition has substantially progressed on the basis of the notifications and declarations. Here, the acquisition had commenced under Sections 4 and 6, notices were issued under Section 9, and the objection was raised nearly nine years after the declaration under Section 6. The text states that a party cannot allow the process to advance and later attack matters that were open to challenge earlier. The challenge was therefore rejected and the acquisition proceedings were upheld.

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Issues: Whether the challenge to the acquisition notifications and proceedings was barred by delay and laches.

Analysis: The acquisition proceedings had commenced with the notification under Section 4 of the Rajasthan Land Acquisition Act, 1953, followed by the declaration under Section 6 and notices under Section 9. The challenge was brought only after a long lapse of time, nearly nine years after the declaration under Section 6. A person who allows the acquisition process to proceed on the basis of the notifications and declarations cannot, after inordinate delay, attack matters that were open to challenge at an earlier stage. The length of delay is a material circumstance in land acquisition cases because acts are done in the interval on the faith of the notifications and declaration.

Conclusion: The challenge was rightly rejected as barred by delay and laches, and the appeals failed.

Final Conclusion: The acquisition proceedings were upheld and the appellants obtained no relief.

Ratio Decidendi: A challenge to land acquisition notifications under Sections 4 and 6 must be brought within a reasonable time, and inordinate delay bars relief where the acquisition has substantially proceeded.

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