JUDGMENT

The Hon’ble Single Judge dismissed a batch of writ petitions by a common judgment and order dated February 25, 2014, primarily, on the ground of delay and laches. In all those writ petitions, the writ petitioners claimed themselves to be the owners of various pieces of land, which had been the subject matter of acquisition by the State Government for the benefit of the Bengaluru City Co-operative Housing Society Limited (hereinafter referred to as “the Society” in short).

2. The writ petitioners challenged the acquisition proceedings, inter alia, on the grounds that the said acquisition was not for the public purpose, but was initiated in violation of the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 (“the said Act” in short) inasmuch the society did not prepare any housing scheme nor there was any prior approval by the State Government to any housing scheme as mandatorily required by Section 3(f)(vi) of the said Act. It was contended that the acquisition was at the instance of a middleman engaged by the said society for influencing the Government to acquire those lands, by using his influence and monetary power, although no public purpose was involved. The writ petitioners c