Authority: Gauhati High Court (High Court of Assam, Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh)

Order Date: 24 July 2026

Case Overview

  • Petitioners: C. Hetha and 16 others, residents of Tipa Village, Siaha District, Mizoram.
  • Respondents: Subhash Sharma (Secretary, Border Roads Development Board) and nine officials including the Chief Engineer, Border Road Task Force, Project Pushpak, and various district officials of Mizoram.
  • The petition was filed under Rule 9 of the Contempt of Court Rules, 1977 and Section 12 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 to enforce the Court’s order dated 22 January 2019 in WP(C) No. 138/2018, which directed the constitution of a verification team to examine whether a road (Siatlai‑Zongling‑Khopai‑Laki) had been constructed over the petitioners’ land.
  • The verification team, comprising the Deputy Commissioner cum District Collector (Siaha), the Senior Revenue Officer (MADC), the Chief Engineer of the Border Road Task Force (Project Pushpak, GREF) and the petitioners’ representatives, conducted a spot verification. The team confirmed that the road had indeed been built over the petitioners’ land.
  • Consequently, the Court directed that the Deputy Commissioner decide on the validity of the petitioners’ land passes, and, if valid, to initiate acquisition under the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.
  • An award (Award No. 12/2024) was issued approving compensation of Rs 65,04,53,808 (inclusive of 2.5 % administrative cost) for the acquisition. A letter dated 22 December 2025 from the Under‑Secretary, Land Revenue & Settlement Department, Government of Mizoram, confirmed the Government’s approval of the award and stipulated that the State Government and Revenue Officer’s share of the administrative cost be credited by the District Collector within seven days of receipt.
  • The petitioners’ counsel submitted that the full compensation amount had been paid to all 17 petitioners, satisfying the Court’s earlier directions.

Final Outcome

  • The Court, after reviewing the award and confirming that the compensation of Rs 65,04,53,808 had been paid to all petitioners, ordered the contempt petition to be closed and disposed of.

Topics: Land Acquisition, Compensation, Contempt of Court