ORDER

1. DELAY CONDONED.

2. LEAVE GRANTED.

3. THE APPEALS ARISING OUT OF SPECIAL LEAVE PETITIONS NOS. 11137-38 OF 2001 ARE FILED AGAINST THE ORDER OF 5-3-2001 AND THE OTHER TWO APPEALS ARISING OUT OF SPECIAL LEAVE PETITIONS NOS. 1697 AND 1699 OF 2002 ARE AGAINST THE ORDER DATED 1-12-1998.

4. BRIEFLY STATED, THE FACTS ARE AS FOLLOWS:

THERE WERE LAND ACQUISITION PROCEEDINGS IN WHICH AN AWARD CAME TO BE PASSED. AFTER THE AWARD WAS PASSED SOME OF THE OWNERS FILED REFERENCE UNDER SECTION 18 OF THE LAND ACQUISITION ACT. THE REFERENCE COURT DISPOSED OF THOSE REFERENCES BY MAINTAINING THE AWARD. THE LANDOWNERS FILED APPEALS BEFORE THE HIGH COURT. THE HIGH COURT BY ITS JUDGMENT DATED 1-12-1998 HAS ENHANCED THE COMPENSATION.

5. THE APPELLANTS, BEING THE BODY ON WHOSE BEHALF THE LAND WAS ACQUIRED, APPLIED THAT THE ORDER BE SET ASIDE AS THEY WERE NOT IMPLEADED AND NO NOTICE WAS ISSUED TO THEM. BY ORDER DATED 5-3-2001, THE HIGH COURT HAS DISMISSED THIS APPLICATION ON THE GROUND THAT THE APPELLANTS DID NOT COME FORWARD TO SHOW ANY INTEREST IN THE LAND ACQUISITION PROCEEDINGS. IT IS HELD THAT THE APPELLANTS HAVE NOT SHOWN IN WHAT WAY THE JUDGMENT DATED 1-12-1998 WAS ILLEGAL. IT HAS BEEN HELD THAT