Rasandeep Singh And ORS v. Mankanwal Singh Chahal, Sdm, Amritsar And ANR
-1IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB & HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Date of Decision: 27.08.2025 Rasandeep Singh and others ......Petitioners Vs.
Sh. Mankanwal Singh Chahal and another ......Respondents CORAM: HON'BLE MRS. JUSTICE SUDEEPTI SHARMA Present :
Mr. Manoj Pundir, Advocate, for the petitioners.
Mr. Animesh Sharma, Addl. A.G., Punjab, for respondent No.1.
Mr. Rishi Kaushal, Advocate, for respondent No.2.
**** SUDEEPTI SHARMA J. (ORAL) 1.
The present contempt petition has been filed for deliberate and intentional disobedience of order dated 18.11.2014 passed by the Division Bench of this Court in CWP-23526-2014. 2.
The Division Bench of this Court had issued the following directions, vide its order dated 18.11.2014, in CWP-23526-2014:- "The writ petition is accordingly disposed of in the following terms:- (i) The petitioners shall move application(s) before the notified Competent Authority-cum-Land Acquisition Collector within a period of one month for the grant of aforesaid benefits;
(ii) The said Competent Authority will issue notice and call for the records/reply from the National Highway Authority of India;
-2- (iii)The Competent Authority shall thereafter determine whether or not the petitioners are entitled to the aforesaid benefits, especially in view of the decisions of this Court and the Hon'ble Supreme Court relied upon by the claimants;
(iv) If the petitioners are found entitled to, a selfspeaking supplementary Award to this effect shall be passed within a period of four months from the date of filing of the application(s);
(v) The National Highways Authority of India shall deposit the amount, if any, payable in terms of supplementary award, in interest-bearing fixed deposit account(s) in any nationalized bank within one month from the date of passing of the supplementary award and disbursement thereof shall be subject to the final decision of the Hon'ble Supreme Court in Civil Appeal No.10695 of 2011 titled as Golden Iron & Steel Forgins vs. Union of India & Ors. and Special Leave to Appeal (Civil) No.15104 of 2014 titled: Project Director, National Highway, No.1A vs. Rajeshwar Singh and Ors."
3.
In compliance of the order dated 18.11.2014, reply by way of affidavit of Rakesh Kumar Yadav, Manager (Tech.), National Highway Authority of India, along with letter dated 12.09.2024 (Annexure R2/1), has been filed on behalf of respondent No.2, which is taken on record. The relevant portion of the said reply is reproduced as under:- "2. That at the outset it is pertinent to mention that in compliance with the orders passed by this Hon'ble Court, the answering respondent/respondent no.2, after taking the due approval from its higher authority, deposited the due amount of Solatium vide letter dated 12.09.2024 to respondent no. 1. A copy of the letter dated 12.09.2024 is annexed as Annexure R2/1."
4.
A perusal of the above shows that in compliance of the order dated 18.11.2014, supplementary award No.06 of 2015 dated 20.07.2015
-3and supplementary award/speaking order dated 05.07.2024 have been passed by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate-cum-Competent Authority Land Acquisition Collector, Amritsar-I, Punjab. In this regard, a letter dated 12.09.2024 (Annexure R2/1) was addressed to the Sub-Divisional Magistrate-cum-Competent Authority Land Acquisition Collector, AmritsarI, Punjab by the Project Director, NHAI, PIU, Amritsar, with regard to deposit of due amount of solatium. A copy thereof has been supplied to the learned counsel for the petitioners, who does not dispute the same. 5.
In view of the above, the present contempt is purged and rule stands discharged. Needless to say that petitioners can avail any other remedy as is available to them in accordance with law to challenge the supplementary award dated 20.07.2015 and speaking order dated 05.07.2024 passed by respondent No.1.
6.
Pending application(s), if any, also stand disposed of. (SUDEEPTI SHARMA) JUDGE 27.08.2025 Virender Whether speaking/non-speaking : Yes Whether reportable : Yes/No