Kushaba Karbhari Aher v. the State of Maharashtra through the Collector, Nashik and Ors.
Case brief
What is this about?
Solatium and interest under Sections 23 and 28, Land Acquisition Act 1894; non-payment by NHAI/Union of India/State of Maharashtra in national highway land acquisition; batch disposal of 44 writ petitions following Union of India v. Tarsem Singh (2019) 9 SCC 304 and coordinate-bench orders (Jagannath Vishnu Pawar, Manidhari Realtors); deposit-cum-disbursal through Competent Authority and Project Director NHAI; deposit-only direction (per Supreme Court order in SLP(C) 36306/2025) refused; quantum contentions kept open; Bombay High Court, 17 January 2026.
What did the court decide?
Respondents directed to calculate the amounts towards statutory benefits of solatium and interest payable to the petitioners under Sections 23 and 28 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, with consequential directions: (i) petitioners to furnish copies of their respective awards to the Competent Authority/Special Land Acquisition Officer within two weeks; (ii) Competent Authority to compute the amounts and intimate the same to the Project Director, NHAI within six weeks of receipt of the awards; (iii) Project Director, NHAI to deposit the payable amounts with the Competent Authority within six weeks of receipt of the computation; (iv) Competent Authority to disburse the amounts to the petitioners; (v) all contentions on the calculation of quantum kept open; pending applications, if any, disposed of.