JUDGMENT :

HEMANT GUPTA, J.

1. The challenge in the present appeal is to an order dated 22.12.2014 passed by the High Court of Delhi whereby an application filed in the pending writ petition was allowed, holding that the acquisition proceedings stand lapsed in view of Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013¹[For short, the ‘2013 Act’].

2. The land of the respondents²[For short, the ‘land owners’] measuring 14 Bigha 8 Biswa comprising in Khasra No. 1883 (4-16), 1884 (4-16) and 1885 (4-16) at village Chattarpur was notified under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894³[For short, the ‘Act’], as required for the planned development of Delhi vide notification dated 25.11.1980. The notification was in respect of lands situated at Village Chattarpur, Satbari Maidangarhi, Sayoorpur and Rajpur Khurd. The declarations under Section 6 of the Act were published on 27.5.1985, 6.6.1985, 7.6.1985 and 26.2.1986, and the award was announced on 05.06.1987.

3. The process of acquisition initiated vide notifications dated 5.11.1980 and 25.11.1980 was challenged in a number of writ petitions before the High Court