ORDER

Notification under Section 4(1) of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 [for short, the "Act"] was published in the State Gazette on February 26, 1976. Dispensing with the enquiry under Section 5-A, declaration under Section 6 was published on the same day. Notice under Section 9 was served on March 3, 1976. The appellant filed Writ Petition No. 1359 of 1976 on March 7, 1976. On March 10, 1976, the High Court granted stay of dispossession. After the counter-affidavit was filed by the respondents, the High Court dismissed the writ petition on April 4, 1976. In the meanwhile, award enquiry was conducted and the award under Section 11 was made on March 18, 1976. Possession of the land was taken on April 17, 1976. It would appear that the Land Acquisition Officer [LAO] had deposited the compensation on May 18, 1976. Record has been placed before us to show that the land was earmarked and distributed to 592 landless workers on April 22, 1976. On December 11, 1979, the appellant again filed Writ Petition No. 4460 of 1979 which came to be dismissed by the High Court on February 7, 1980. Thus this appeal by special leave. Interim stay granted on May 8, 1980 was modified by this Court, maint