• Land acquisition by Railways

Railways has acquired my land under the industrial act, (that is what the officials told me). They didn't notify me or my grandfather who holds the patta in his name, through any means. The document is in my father's name but the patta was not transferred. We came to know about the acquisition through village officer while paying the property tax in 2022, while the notification was out in 2019. The whole parcel of land is 34 cents which is split between my father and my father's younger brother in equal halves, but the which side belongs to whom was not mentioned in the document. So we registered another document mentioning the same. To do this I obtained permission to complete the document from the SPL. land tahsildar railways. After that the documentation was taking more time so I submitted an application with the collector which he forwarded to the same tahsildar and she did the same thing saying nothing can be done and that my case will be submitted in court. Now to submit my case in court the new tahsildar is asking for our address and my father's younger brother's address and he says that the court will decide whom to give the money depending on the proof submitted as we are claiming that the land acquired falls on the our partition. They have also reduced the amount determined calling it a disputed case. I have a rti reply from the department citing more money per cent for the land just in front of me. Please advice me on how I should go about this case.
Asked 5 months ago in Property Law
Religion: Christian

3 answers received in 2 hours.

Lawyers are available now to answer your questions.

10 Answers

you can claim more compensation as in respect of other land acquired by railways morte compensation has been paid 

Ajay Sethi
Advocate, Mumbai
99783 Answers
8145 Consultations


1. File a Writ Petition Before the Hon’ble High Court

Under Article 226 of the Constitution of India for:

  • Quashing the acquisition proceedings insofar as it relates to your land due to non-service of mandatory noticesunder the LARR Act or Railways Act, whichever applies.

  • Seeking a direction to issue proper compensation, as per market value and parity with adjoining land as revealed by your RTI.

  • Challenging the arbitrary reduction of compensation by merely labelling the matter “disputed” without judicial process.

The writ should be filed against the Collector, Railway Authorities, and Tahsildar, and should raise the violation of natural justice, lack of notification, and disparity in compensation.


2. Parallel Civil Suit for Declaration & Partition (if needed)

If the government proceeds with depositing the compensation in court due to the so-called dispute between your father and his brother, you may consider:

  • Filing a declaration suit in the civil court affirming the partition and possession of the particular portion of the 17 cents.

  • Alternatively, file a petition under Section 30 & 31 of the LARR Act, 2013 in the Reference Court once compensation is deposited, claiming rightful share.


3. Use RTI Documents Effectively

Attach the RTI reply indicating higher compensation for adjacent lands as documentary proof to claim parity in valuation, alleging arbitrariness and discrimination under Article 14 of the Constitution.


Immediate Steps to Take:

  1. Gather All Documents, including:

    • Patta, parent title deed, partition deed,

    • RTI response,

    • Acquisition notification copy (if any),

    • Communication with SPL Tahsildar and Collector,

    • Any compensation communication from Railways.

  2. Send a Legal Representation to the Collector and Railways demanding:

    • Re-determination of compensation,

    • Personal hearing opportunity,

    • Clarification on process of notice and award.

  3. Engage a Writ Counsel immediately to move the High Court on grounds of:

    • Violation of natural justice,

    • Lack of notice,

    • Arbitrary reduction of compensation.


Conclusion:


This case involves procedural lapses, improper classification, and undervaluation of compensation. A well-drafted writ petition will protect your right to adequate compensation and fair hearing. Meanwhile, you should also be prepared for civil proceedings regarding entitlement between family members, though from your narration, you have formalised partition and possession, strengthening your claim.

Let me know if you'd like me to draft the legal representation or a writ petition framework.

With warm regards,
Adv. Aman Verma
Legal Corridor

Aman Verma
Advocate, Delhi
502 Answers

You need to proceed with writ petition in your matter 

Prashant Nayak
Advocate, Mumbai
34515 Answers
249 Consultations

submit your documents sought by tehsildar . if any award is passed file appeal against said award before HC 

Ajay Sethi
Advocate, Mumbai
99783 Answers
8145 Consultations

Yes, submit your and your uncle’s addresses to the Railway Tahsildar to allow the court process to begin.
Once the matter is referred to court, both parties can submit evidence of rightful share.

If the process is delayed or compensation is unfair, then file a writ petition in High Court for:

  • Lack of notice under Land Acquisition Act

  • Disputed and reduced compensation

  • Violation of natural justice

 

Shubham Goyal
Advocate, Delhi
2073 Answers
14 Consultations

If they are depositing and assured you then you can wait for sometime and later file writ petition but don’t wait for inordinate period if they don’t pay

Prashant Nayak
Advocate, Mumbai
34515 Answers
249 Consultations

Actually Indian Railways typically does not acquire land under the Industrial Disputes Act.

The Railways primarily acquire land under the Railways Act, 1989 and, in some cases, the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. 

Section 20A of this act specifically empowers the Central Government to acquire land for special railway projects. 

This section outlines the process, including notification of intent, publication in newspapers, and providing details to the competent authority. 

If there was a registered partition deed in the names of your father and his brother then they both become owners of their respective shares of the property.

If your father's share of property was acquired and no compensation was paid by the Railways or the compensation was paid less than the actual compensation as per the latest act in this regard, your father can very well approach high court with a writ petition or he can approach the land acquisition special court within the jurisdiction for relief and remedy to this.

Since you are not having any rights or interest in the property there is no necessity for the railways to issue you the notification for land acquisition. 

Similarly since the property was shared by a registered document between your father and his brother, there may not be a necessity to notify your grandfather about this because the patta on his name is just a revenue document and not a title document.   

If the revenue department is not cooperating with you on all such further issues or is reluctant or lethargic in their attitude, then you can file a suit for mandatory injunction against the Tehsildar, by impleading the District collector also as a necessary party and seek the relief which is not forthcoming despite your best efforts. 

You may discuss with your advocate at length and proceed as suggested.

T Kalaiselvan
Advocate, Vellore
89985 Answers
2492 Consultations

Your efforts with the Tehsildar and the railways were not entertained properly till this date and nobody will have any interest to help you or expedite the matter until and unless you keep reminding them very frequently on this and i have my own doubt that even if you be behind them frequently, they may not respond properly.Hence you may better discuss with your advocate and  file a writ petition or suit for mandatory injunction in a civil court seeking relief agaisnt the Tehsildar.

T Kalaiselvan
Advocate, Vellore
89985 Answers
2492 Consultations

Railways acquired 34 cents of ancestral land, recorded in the patta under your grandfather’s name, without issuing any notice to your family. Your father and his younger brother hold equal undivided shares in the land. The division was not specified in the original documents, so you executed and registered a partition deed with the prior written permission of the Special Land Tahsildar, Railways. Despite this, the authorities failed to inform you or your grandfather about the acquisition process, which reportedly commenced with a notification issued in 2019. You came to know of the acquisition only in 2022 when paying property tax.

When you approached the Collector to clarify and assert your claim, he forwarded the matter to the Railway Tahsildar, who informed you that the matter had become disputed and would be referred to court. The present Tahsildar has now asked for your and your uncle’s addresses to submit the matter to court for adjudication on who is entitled to compensation. The authority has reduced the compensation amount citing the “dispute” and is delaying the disbursement. You also possess an RTI reply indicating that the land adjacent to yours received a higher compensation rate per cent, which confirms that the current valuation lacks consistency and fairness.

The authorities failed to comply with the mandatory requirement of serving notice on recorded owners before acquisition. This violates principles of natural justice and statutory provisions, particularly under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (RFCTLARR Act). Your family’s claim remains legitimate as you relied on the registered partition deed and possess title-based records. The registered deed, supported by patta and tax receipts, sufficiently proves your claim over your portion of land.

You should file a claim before the designated Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Authority or the competent civil court asserting ownership based on the registered partition deed and claiming full compensation along with solatium and interest. You should submit the RTI reply showing higher compensation in adjoining plots as supporting evidence of undervaluation. You may also send a formal legal notice to the Collector and Railways demanding correction of compensation and prompt disbursal. This notice should put them on notice that you reserve the right to approach the High Court through a writ petition if they fail to act.

You should keep written records of all submissions and acknowledgments, especially the address submission requested by the Tahsildar, and preserve all title, tax, and communication documents. If there is no response or continued undervaluation, you can approach the High Court under Article 226 of the Constitution to seek directions for fair compensation, correction of procedure, and proper adjudication of title, since the acquisition occurred without notice and the compensation process lacks transparency.

Based on the facts and documents in your possession, you hold a strong case to assert your claim to fair compensation, and to challenge the procedural and legal lapses committed by the acquisition authority. Please let me know if you would like assistance with drafting the legal notice, the application before the LARR Authority, or a writ petition before the High Court.

 

In case you need my assistance in the matter I can be contacted on 

Yuganshu Sharma
Advocate, Delhi
962 Answers
2 Consultations

Dear Sir, 

When there is a dispute regarding the ownership of the property acquired under the land acquisition laws, the same is decided by the reference court under section 30-31 of Land Acquisition Act of 1894. You are suggested to give address to the said Tehsildare and also be prepared to reflect your best case before the court to get the success in the court. After whatever the compensation decided, just approach Tehsildar for compensation at higher rates. You need to get dishearten by the current situation/status of the case and get ready to fight a long battle till the time you get suitable compensation. 

Ganesh Singh
Advocate, New Delhi
7169 Answers
16 Consultations

Ask a Lawyer

Get legal answers from lawyers in 1 hour. It's quick, easy, and anonymous!
  Ask a lawyer