Shiv Industries Thr Its Authorized Signatory v. the Land Acquisition Officer and Dy Collector and Ors.
Case brief
What is this about?
Bombay High Court, Civil Appellate Jurisdiction, writ petitions 17264/2025 batch (41 petitions), decided 6 January 2026, Manish Pitale & Shreeram V. Shirsat JJ. Landowners/companies through authorised signatory Nikhil R. Agrawal sought mandatorily payable compensation under S.19B(5) Maharashtra Highways Act 1955 for extinguished/impaired easementary and appurtenant rights, procedure per sub-sections (6) and (7); LAO awards of 2019; statutory arbitration invoked under S.19B(8) before Divisional Commissioner; Section 34 Arbitration and Conciliation Act 1996 applications pending/allowed before Competent Courts; unanswered 2022 letters/representations. Issues: maintainability of Art. 226 writ despite live statutory arbitration remedy; parallel proceedings; factual distinction from NHAI v. Resham Singh ((2023) SCC OnLine P&H 7228) and UOI v. Tarsem Singh ((2019) 9 SCC 304). Disposition: writs disposed, not entertained, with liberty to seek amendment of statement of claim/Sec.34 applications to add S.19B(5) claim; sympathetic consideration without technicalities; applies to substituted/private arbitrators after expiry of statutory arbitrator's mandate. Keywords: easementary rights compensation; MH Act Section 19B(5), 19B(8); Section 34 Arbitration Act; Article 226 maintainability; alternative remedy; amendment of pleadings.