Interim restraint on Section 24 land acquisition cases pending larger-Bench reference to avoid inconsistent High Court rulings.

Pending consideration of whether a larger-Bench reference was required on the interpretation of Section 24 of the 2013 land acquisition law, the SC issued an interim request that High Courts should not deal with similar cases until the reference question was finally decided. The Court noted that comparable matters were already being decided or were likely to arise before different High Courts, and that maintaining the interim position would reduce the risk of inconsistent handling across courts. It also directed that similar matters pending before it be deferred to avoid inconvenience to the parties.

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Issues: Whether, pending consideration of the question whether the matter should be referred to a larger Bench, High Courts should be requested not to deal with cases concerning the interpretation of Section 24 of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, and whether similar matters pending in the Court should be deferred.

Analysis: The order records that the question of reference to a larger Bench was still under consideration and that similar matters were already being decided or were likely to come up before different High Courts. In that situation, the Court considered it appropriate to maintain the position in the interim and to avoid inconsistent handling of similar land acquisition matters across courts. The order also notes that deferring hearing in pending matters before the Court would avoid inconvenience to the parties.

Conclusion: The Court issued an interim request to High Courts not to deal with cases relating to the interpretation of Section 24 of the 2013 Act and directed that similar matters pending before the Court be deferred until the larger-Bench reference question was finally decided.

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