ARIJIT PASAYAT, J.

( 1 ) LEAVE granted.

( 2 ) CHALLENGE in this appeal is to the order passed by a Division Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court dismissing the Letters Patent Appeal, filed by the appellant - Union of India and its functionaries. By the impugned order the view expressed by a learned Single Judge was affirmed.

( 3 ) THE background facts in a nutshell are as follows: a writ petition was filed by the respondent No. 1 which was numbered as Civil Writ Petition No. 1345 of 1986. When the writ petition was heard there was no appearance on behalf of the present appellant. It appears that before the writ petition was taken up for hearing by the learned Single Judge the matter was referred to Lok Adalat where an order dated 29. 5. 2000 was passed. Prayer in the writ petition was to appoint an arbitrator in terms of Section 8 (i) (b) of the Requisition and Acquisition of Immovable Properties Act, 1952 (in short the 'act' ). In the writ petition it was stated that the land was acquired on 20. 3. 1970 and a notice in the form J was issued. The Notification for acquisition was published in the Official Gazette on 27. 3. 1970. Writ petitioner claimed to have filed an appl