JUDGMENT

Abhay Manohar Sapre, J.

This appeal is filed against the final judgment and order dated 09.03.2006 passed by the High Court of Delhi at New Delhi in L.A. Appeal Nos.587-589 of 2005 at Chandigarh in C.R. No. 3823 of 2005 whereby the High Court dismissed the appeal filed by the appellants herein affirming the order dated 21.04.2005 of the Additional District Judge, Delhi in L.A.C. No.21 of 2000 dismissing the reference petition filed by the appellants-claimants under the Land Acquisition Act as barred by limitation.

2. The facts of the case lie in a narrow compass. They, however, need mention in brief to appreciate the short controversy involved in the appeal.

3. The appellants are legal representatives of one Jugal Kishore. On 06.04.1964, the appropriate Government (Delhi) issued a notification under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (hereinafter referred to as "the Act") for acquiring a huge track of land in nearby areas of Delhi. The acquisition was for a public purpose, viz., "planned development of the area".

4. It was followed by the declaration issued under Section 6 of the Act on 15.06.1965 followed by issuance of notices under Sections 9 and 10 of the Act to all the interested persons whose lands were acquired pursuant to the aforementioned notifications. The Land Acquisition Officer passed the award (award No. 1934-C/Suppl/80-81) on 06.02.1981. In the award, the Land Acquisition Officer (LAO) fixed the rate at Rs. 20/25 per square yard=Rs.2250/- per Bigha for paying the compensation to the landowners for their land.

5. The land belonging to Jugal Kishore was also acquired in these acquisition proceedings along with other lands. Jugal Kishore, unfortunately, expired pending these proceedings leaving behind his legal representatives (appellants herein). So far as the present appellants are concerned, they were not aware of the passing of the award because they were neither present when the award was passed and nor were served with the notice of the award under Section 12(2) of the Act and nor did they receive any notice in the name of Late Jugal Kishore.

6. It was for this reason that though the award was passed way back on 06.02.1981, the appellants received the compensation pursuant to the said award on 13.04.1998 almost after 18 years. The appellants then on 16.5.1998 applied to the Collector under Section 18 (2) of the Act and prayed therein for making a reference to the Civil Court for re-determination of the compensation determined by the LAO. The Collector forwarded this application to the District Judge, New Delhi. It was registered as L.A.C No. 21/2000.

7. The Additional District Judge, by order dated 21.4.2005 dismissed the reference as barred by time. Since the reference was dismissed as being barred by limitation, the merits of the case were not gone into. The appellants carried the matter in appeal to the High Court under Section 54 of the Act. The High Court, by impugned judgment, dismissed the appeal and upheld the order of the Additional District Judge. In the opinion of the High Court also, the reference made by the appellants was barred by limitation as prescribed under Section 18 and was thus rightly dismissed by the Civil Court. Against this order, the appellants (landowners) felt aggrieved and filed the appeal by way of special leave petition in this Court.

8. As stated by the learned counsel for the appellants, several other landowners whose lands were also acquired along with the appellants' land pursuant to Section 4 and 6 notifications referred supra, had filed reference application to the Civil Court against the award dated 06.02.1981. The Civil Court by award re-determined the compensation and enhanced it to Rs. 12,000/- per Bigha. It was stated that the Government accepted the award of the reference Court (Civil Court) and paid the enhanced compensation to those landowners.

9. Having heard the learned counsel for the parties and on perusal of the record of the case, we are inclined to