Bharat Verma v. State of Chhattisgarh
Case brief
What is this about?
Chhattisgarh High Court, Bilaspur; WPC No. 1301 of 2022; Justice Parth Prateem Sahu; order dated 08/12/2025. Land acquisition compensation writ petition: petitioners sought enforcement of supplementary award dated 25.01.2017 (Annexure P/1) with interest; respondents stated the award passed by the Competent Authority under the Land Acquisition Act is under challenge before the Arbitrator under Section 3G(5), National Highways Act, 1956, so payment awaited conclusion of arbitration; NHAI counsel pointed to petitioners' default (non-appearance after notice; no reply to claim application). Court held petitioners were in default, refused the prayer, and disposed of the petition in view of respondents' submissions. No costs or amounts awarded; no precedents cited.
What did the court decide?
The Court declined to accept the petitioners' prayer, finding that the petitioners themselves appeared to be in default in not filing/prosecuting the proceedings before the Arbitrator within the specified time, and therefore no good ground existed to accept the prayer of learned counsel for the petitioners.