V.RAMASUBRAMANIAN,J

A prime property in the heart of the city of Chennai, now valued even as per the Government guidelines, at more than Rs.100 crores, measuring an extent of Acres 1.62 (or about 70,632 sq.feet), located in Sardar Patel Road, running from Adyar upto Guindy and situate just opposite to the State Raj Bhavan and adjoining the famous Guindy Engineering College (now known as Anna University), has been directed to be reconveyed to the original land owners, after more than 45 years of acquisition and payment of compensation, on the only condition that the land owners re-pay to the Government, a pittance of Rs. 33,947.60 which they received as compensation 4 decades ago. This has generated lot of controversy both inside and outside the court room. What we have on hand is a part of it, in the form of 3 writ appeals, one petition for review and one contempt petition.

2. By a Notification dated 31.8.1960 issued under Section 4(1) of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, the State Government sought to acquire a land of an extent of Acres 1.62 situate in Venkatapuram Villa