The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court allowed the acquisition appeal to the extent that four kanals promised as land compensation had never been handed over, directing allotment and delivery of State or JDA land of similar value within three months.
Judge / Bench — Justice Sanjay Dhar
The Reference Court had omitted an expressly framed issue on possession; the Collector’s incomplete cross-examination and withholding of the relevant record could not rebut the landowner’s evidence, and justified an adverse inference. Claims for monetary loss from delay and fragmented allotment were not accepted. The decision separates satisfaction of an exchange award through actual possession from unproved damages, and shows why counsel must secure findings on every material issue and seek production of official records.
Case — Raj Sharma (Bharti) v. Collector Land Acquisition and another · MA 134/2014 · 7 October 2026 · Jammu wing
Advocates appearing — Appellant — Ms. Zoya Bhardwaj, Advocate. Respondents — Mr. Ravinder Gupta, AAG.