In a sharply worded ruling, the Allahabad High Court has given senior Uttar Pradesh government officials one final month to comply with an earlier land acquisition order linked to a decades-old compensation dispute. The court stopped short of issuing contempt charges, but made it clear that failure to act will lead to personal accountability of top state officers.
The matter was heard by Justice Salil Kumar Rai, who delivered the order on 28 November 2025.
Background of the Case
The case arises from land acquired in 1977 in Bhairopur village, Prayagraj, originally for the Irrigation Department and later transferred to the Urban Development Department. The applicant, Vinay Kumar Singh, argued that although his land was taken, he was never paid lawful compensation, nor was the land put to use.
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The High Court had earlier ruled in 2016 that the acquisition had lapsed due to non-payment as required under Section 24(2) of the 2013 Land Acquisition Act, directing the State to release the land. That order was upheld when the State’s Special Leave Petition was dismissed by the Supreme Court in 2017. However, compliance still did not follow.
State’s Stand & Court’s Response
State authorities claimed there was confusion due to later Supreme Court judgments, including Indore Development Authority vs Manoharlal, which overruled earlier precedent used in the 2016 order. They argued this created legal ambiguity and prevented compliance.
The Court rejected this explanation, calling it a misinterpretation and a deliberate attempt to avoid responsibility. It clarified that even if the legal position changed later, an order remains binding until set aside through proper legal challenge - which the State never initiated here.
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Justice Rai stated that overruling a precedent "only removes its precedential value, not the finality of the order between the parties," stressing that the 2016 judgment still stands.
At one point, the Court even noted how officers “used the applicant as a shuttlecock” between departments regarding who was responsible to pay - a remark capturing the administrative delay and lack of accountability.
Court Observations
During the hearing, the Court expressed concern about the conduct of State departments and the prolonged non-compliance. The judge remarked that internal departmental disputes cannot be used as an excuse to defy lawful court directions.
“Distribution of work between departments cannot be a pretext to not implement the order of this Court,” the bench noted, reminding officers that orders bind the State machinery as a whole.
The Court further warned that if confusion over roles continued, the highest-ranking officer - the Chief Secretary - would be held liable for contempt.
Court’s Decision
The Allahabad High Court granted one last opportunity for compliance. Senior officials - including the Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh, Additional Chief Secretaries of Irrigation and Urban Development, and the District Magistrate of Prayagraj - have been given one month to fully implement the 2016 order.
They must either:
- File affidavits proving full compliance, or
- Appear personally for framing of charges.
The matter has been listed again on 5 January 2026. Failure to comply will trigger contempt proceedings against the officers.
Case Title: Vinay Kumar Singh vs Suresh Chandra, Principal Secretary, Irrigation Dept., and Others
Case Number: Contempt Application (Civil) No. 2555 of 2017
