JUDGMENT

Dated this the 27th day of March, 2024 This writ petition projects the plight of a citizen, whose property has been expropriated by State functionaries, without following the due process of law. The essential facts are as under;

The petitioner is in possession and ownership of 55 cents of land in Re-Sy.No.22/28 of Chorode Village in Vadakara Taluk. The land is situated by the side of the Malolmukku-Chorode PWD road and within the limits of the third respondent Panchayat. According to the petitioner, about 12 years back, she had relinquished a portion of her property for widening and straightening of the PWD road. She had protected the remaining property by constructing a compound wall. While so, in December, 2018, certain persons under the leadership of the 8th respondent, the Panchayat member of the ward in which the petitioner's property is situated, approached her demanding surrender of more extent of land on the east- south corner, for the alleged purpose of straightening the curve of the road at that point. The petitioner thereupon told those persons about the earlier surrender and assured that she would surrender more extent if similarly placed other persons in the lo