/2022 INSC 0756/ REPORTABLE IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION CIVIL APPEAL NOS. 5337-5434 OF 2022 (Arising out of SLP(Civil) Nos.10810-10907/2019) Jagjit Singh and Others Etc. Etc. …Appellants Versus State of Punjab and Another Etc. Etc. …Respondents J U D G M E N T M.R. SHAH, J. 1. Feeling aggrieved and dissatisfied with the impugned common judgment(s) and order(s) dated 28.01.2010/18.05.2010/07.03.2012 passed in the respective first appeals, dated 12.08.2013 in RFA No. 2948/2007 and dated 2.8.2013 passed in RFA No. 4975/2010, the particulars of which are as under, 1 Sl.No. Particulars RFA No. Date of Order Section 4 Notification date 01 Jagjit Singh & Ors. v. State of Punjab & Anr. 1612/2000 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 02 Bhag Singh & Anr. v. State of Punjab & Ors. 1616/2000 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 03 Naranjan Singh (D) through Joginder Singh & Ors. v. State of Punjab & Ors. 1618/2000 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 04 Amarjit Singh v. State of Punjab & Ors. 2319/2000 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 05 Gian Singh v. State of Punjab & Others 2632/2000 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 06 Kuldip Singh v. State of Punjab & Anr. 2669/2000 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 07 Kharaiti Ram v. State of Punjab & Ors. 277/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 08 Mehar Singh v. State of Punjab 280/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 09 Kamaljit Kaur v. State of Punjab & Ors. 317/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 10 Amrik Singh v. State of Punjab 328/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 11 Desa Singh & Ors. v. State of Punjab & Ors. 1307/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 12 Thakur Dass v. State of Punjab & Ors. 1309/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 13 Daljit Singh & Ors. v. State of Punjab & Anr. 1310/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 14 Mohinder Singh v. 1312/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 2 State of Punjab 15 Jagir Singh v. State of Punjab & Anr. 1313/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 16 Dalbag Singh & Ors. v. State of Punjab 1316/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 17 Amarjit Singh v. State of Punjab & Ors. 1377/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 18 Mehar Singh & Anr. v. State of Punjab & Anr. 1379/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 19 Gurnam Singh & Anr. v. State of Punjab & Ors. 1452/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 20 Mohinder Singh v. State of Punjab & Ors. 1719/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 21 Gian Singh v. State of Punjab & Ors. 1983/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 22 Surinder Pal Singh & Anr. v. State of Punjab & Ors. 1984/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 23 Dharam Singh v. State of Punjab 2133/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 24 Bachan Singh (D) through Lr. Jaswinder Singh v. State of Punjab & Ors. 2137/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 25 Pargat Singh & Anr. v. State of Punjab & Anr. 2150/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 26 Paramjit Singh & Anr. v. State of Punjab & Ors. 2154/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 27 Sohan Singh & Ors. v. State of Punjab & Ors. 2159/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 28 Lakbir Singh v. State of Punjab 2182/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 29 Purni v. State of 2183/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 3 Punjab & Ors. 30 Hukam Singh & Anr. v. State of Punjab 2221/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 31 Achhra Singh v. State of Punjab & Anr. 2224/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 32 Jarnail Kaur & Anr. V. State of Punjab 2225/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 33 Kaka Singh v. State of Punjab & Ors. 2226/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 34 Rajinder Singh v. State of Punjab & Ors. 2280/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 35 Smt. Palo v. State of Punjab 2315/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 36 Gurjit Singh & Ors. v. State of Punjab & Ors. 2957/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 37 Gurcharan Singh v. State of Punjab & Ors. 2958/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 38 Dayal Singh v. State of Punjab & Anr. 3352/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 39 Sher Singh & Ors. v. State of Punjab & Ors. 3412/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 40 Shamsher Singh & Ors. v. State of Punjab 3555/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 41 Kulwant Singh & Ors. v. State of Punjab & Ors. 4158/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 42 Dayal Singh v. State of Punjab & Ors. 4249/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 43 Harbans Singh v. State of Punjab & Anr. 4311/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 44 Gurmukhi Singh & Ors. v. State of Punjab & Anr. 4628/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 45 Din Dayal Verma v. State of Punjab & 5784/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 4 Ors. 46 Surinder Pal Singh & Anr. v. State of Punjab & Ors. 338/2002 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 47 Norang Singh v. State of Punjab & Ors. 666/2002 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 48 Sadhu Singh & Anr. V. State of Punjab & Ors. 816/2002 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 49 Jit Singh v. State of Punjab & Ors. 2872/2002 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 50 Karnail Singh (D) through Lrs. Kuldip Singh & Ors. v. State of Punjab 3257/2002 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 51 Karnail Singh (D) through Lrs. Surjit Singh & Anr. V. State of Punjab 3259/2002 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 52 Rajinder Singh v. State of Punjab & Ors. 3265/2002 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 53 Mohan Singh & Ors. v. State of Punjab & Anr. 3294/2002 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 54 Mohinder Singh v. State of Punjab & Anr. 1054/2002 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 55 Shamsher Singh & Ors. v. State of Punjab & Anr. 1079/2003 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 56 Mehar Singh v. State of Punjab 1470/2003 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 57 Charan Singh (D) through Lrs. Kuldip Singh & Ors. v. State of Punjab & Anr. 1472/2003 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 58 Gian Singh & Ors. v. State of Punjab & Ors. 1546/2003 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 5 59 Karnail Singh & Anr. v. State of Punjab & Anr. 327/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 60 Karnail Singh v. State of Punjab & Ors. 4550/2003 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 61 Labh Singh & Ors. v. State of Punjab & Ors. 2932/2005 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 62 Hernai Singh & Anr. V. State of Punjab 3447/2006 18.05.2010 12.11.1992 63 Malkit Singh v. State of Punjab & Ors. 1828/2007 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 64 Jagdish Singh v. State of Punjab & Ors. 1298/2009 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 65 Gurmail Singh v. State of Punjab & Anr. 1302/2009 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 66 Daljit Singh v. State of Punjab & Anr. 5164/2001 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 67 Mehar Singh v. State of Punjab & Anr. 1424/2009 28.01.2010 12.11.1992 68 Gurmail Singh & Ors. v. State of Punjab & Ors. 1434/2001 18.05.2010 12.11.1992 69 Mohinder Singh & Ors. v. State of Punjab & Ors. 4648/2001 18.05.2010 12.11.1992 70 Sohan Singh & Ors. v. State of Punjab & Ors. 3603/2002 18.05.2010 12.11.1992 71 Nachhatar Kaur v. State of Punjab & Anr. 4201/2002 18.05.2010 12.11.1992 72 Sadhu Singh & Anr. V. State of Punjab & Anr. 2426/2003 18.05.2010 12.11.1992 73 Amrik Singh & Anr. V. State of Punjab 2427/2003 18.05.2010 12.11.1992 6 74 Bant Singh & Ors. v. State of Punjab & Ors. 2666/2003 18.05.2010 12.11.1992 75 Harnai Singh & Anr. V. State of Punjab 2490/2004 18.05.2010 12.11.1992 76 Gurmit Singh v. State of Punjab & Anr. 501/2005 18.05.2010 12.11.1992 77 Kuldip Singh v. State of Punjab 5138/2001 07.03.2012 14.06.1993 78 Sadhu Singh & Anr. V. State of Punjab & Ors. 5139/2001 07.03.2012 14.06.1993 79 Amrik Singh v. State of Punjab 5590/2001 07.03.2012 14.06.1993 80 Sadhu Singh & Anr. V. State of Punjab 5591/2001 07.03.2012 14.06.1993 81 Jit Singh v. State of Punjab 5597/2001 07.03.2012 14.06.1993 82 Shamsher Singh & Ors. v. State of Punjab 5715/2001 07.03.2012 14.06.1993 83 Achhra Singh & Ors. v. State of Punjab & Anr. 5733/2001 07.03.2012 14.06.1993 84 Labh Singh & Ors. v. State of Punjab & Ors. 5787/2001 07.03.2012 14.06.1993 85 Talok Singh v. State of Punjab 205/2002 07.03.2012 14.06.1993 86 Kaka Singh v. State of Punjab & Ors. 207/2002 07.03.2012 14.06.1993 87 Desa Singh & Ors. v. State of Punjab & Ors. 933/2002 07.03.2012 14.06.1993 88 Sarabjit Singh & Ors. v. State of Punjab & Ors. 1370/2002 07.03.2012 14.06.1993 89 Tarlochan Singh & Ors. v. State of Punjab & Ors. 1936/2002 07.03.2012 14.06.1993 90 Kaka Singh & Ors. 2492/2002 07.03.2012 14.06.1993 7 v. State of Punjab & Ors. 91 Mohinder Singh & Ors. v. State of Punjab 2550/2002 07.03.2012 14.06.1993 92 Baljit Singh & Anr. V. State of Punjab & Ors. 4194/2002 07.03.2012 14.06.1993 93 Jawala Singh & Ors. v. State of Punjab & Anr. 2480/2003 07.03.2012 14.06.1993 94 Lakhmir Singh & Ors. v. State of Punjab & Ors. 2787/2003 07.03.2012 14.06.1993 95 Dilbagh Singh & Anr. v. State of Punjab & Ors. 3279/2003 07.03.2012 14.06.1993 96 Sadhu Singh & Anr. V. State of Punjab & Ors. 4258/2003 07.03.2012 14.06.1993 97 Kamljit Singh v. State of Punjab 2948/2007 07.03.2012 14.06.1993 98 Paramjit Kaur & Ors. v. State of Punjab & Ors. 4975/2010 02.08.2013 21.02.2000 determining/awarding the compensation for the acquired lands in question at Rs. 7,80,000/- per acre, the original landowners have preferred the present appeals. 2. At the outset, it is required to be noted that while determining the amount of compensation @ Rs. 7,80,000/- per acre in the respective first appeals except RFA No. 4975/2010, the High Court has relied upon its earlier decision in the case of Kapoor Singh v. The State of Punjab & Another (RFA No. 2348/1998 decided on 28.01.2010) . So far as Civil 8 Appeal arising out of impugned judgment and order passed by the High Court dated 2.8.2013 in RFA No. 4975/2010 is concerned, the High Court has determined the compensation at Rs. 19,85,700/- per acre, relying upon its earlier decision in the case of Surjit Singh v. State of Punjab & Another (RFA No. 3004/2006 decided on 2.3.2009) . 3. It is not in dispute that the aforesaid decisions of the High Court in the cases of Kapoor Singh (supra) & Surjit Singh (supra) were the subject matter of appeals before this Court and in the case of Kapoor Singh (supra) and other allied first appeals, this Court has enhanced the amount of compensation by a further amount of Rs.1,00,000/- and Rs. 2,00,000/- per acre in the case of Surjit Singh (supra) , payable by the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority with interest and solatium as prescribed under the Statute from the date of the orders passed by the High Court ( vide common order dated 15.01.2014 passed in Civil Appeal Nos. 738-748/2014 – Kapoor Singh v. State of Punjab & Another Etc. and Civil Appeal No. 363/2013 – Surjit Singh v. State of Punjab & Anr. Etc.). 4. It is not in dispute that the landowners in the present appeals are similarly situated. As observed hereinabove, while determining the compensation by the impugned common judgment and order/s, the High Court has relied upon its earlier decisions in the cases of Kapoor Singh (supra) & Surjit Singh (supra) respectively. Therefore, the present 9 appeals are also required to be disposed of in terms of the decision of this Court in the cases of Kapoor Singh (supra) & Surjit Singh (supra) , by enhancing the amount of compensation by a further sum of Rs.1,00,000/- per acre and Rs. 2,00,000/- per acre respectively. However, there is a substantial delay in preferring the first appeals. Therefore, we deem it appropriate to deny the interest on the enhanced amount of compensation from the date of the judgment and order/s passed by the High Court till the present appeals (special leave petitions) are preferred before this Court. 5. In view of the undisputed facts, all these appeals are partly allowed. Accordingly, we enhance the amount of compensation payable to the landowners to Rs. 1,00,000/- per acre in all these appeals where the High Court has relied upon its earlier decision in the case of Kapoor Singh (supra) except Civil appeal arising out of the impugned judgment and order passed by the High Court passed in RFA No. 4975/2010 in which the High Court has relied upon its earlier decision in the case of Surjit Singh (supra) . We enhance the amount of compensation payable to the landowners to Rs. 2,00,000/- per acre in Civil Appeal arising out of the impugned judgment and order passed by the High Court in RFA No. 4975/2010. It is also ordered that the original landowners shall be entitled to solatium as prescribed under the statute on the enhanced amount of compensation from the date of orders 10 passed by the High Court. However, the original landowners – claimants shall not be entitled to interest from the date of the orders passed by the High Court till filing of the appeals before this Court. The enhanced amount of compensation shall be deposited by the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority within three months from today before the Reference Court. 6. All these appeals are accordingly disposed of in the aforesaid terms. However, in the facts and circumstances of the case, there shall be no order as to costs. …………………………………J. [M.R. SHAH] NEW DELHI; ………………………………….J. AUGUST 26, 2022. [B.V. NAGARATHNA] 11