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SUPREME COURT OF INDIA

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CASE NO.:

Appeal (crl.) 1188 of 2001

PETITIONER:

PRITISH

Vs.

RESPONDENT:

STATE OF MAHARASHTRA & ORS.

DATE OF JUDGMENT: 21/11/2001

BENCH:

K.T. Thomas, S.N. Phukan & Y.K. Sabharwal

JUDGMENT:

THOMAS, J.

Leave granted.

Appellant who scored substantially in a land

acquisition proceeding is now facing rough weather as he is

arraigned in a criminal proceeding on account of certain

documents he produced as evidence. The court which granted

a quantum leap in awarding compensation to the land owners

later found that they had used forged documents for

inveigling such a bumper gain as compensation and hence the

court ordered some of the claimants to face prosecution

proceedings in a criminal court. The only point now

convassed by the appellant is that the court should have

heard the appellant before ordering such prosecution. The

said plea raised by the appellant before the High Court was

repelled as per the impugned judgment. Hence this appeal

by special leave.

An area of 3.9 acres of land was acquired by the State

Government for construction of a canal under Arunwati

Project in 1985. The lan