M.P Housing Board Appeal Set Aside, Remitted

Authority: Supreme Court of India, Bench of Justices S.V.N. Bhatti & Augustine George Masih

Order Date: 07‑09‑2026

Case Overview

• Parties: M.P Housing Board (appellant) vs Ram Krishna (deceased) through legal representatives and others (respondents).
• The dispute arises under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 concerning acquisition proceedings.
• The appellant filed First Appeal No. 495 of 2020 (registered as First Appeal No. 43 of 2013) before the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Jabalpur Bench; judgment was pronounced on 22‑05‑2020 at Indore Bench while the judge was not sitting at the bench where the case was heard.
• Senior counsel objected, relying on Chapter XVII Rule 6 of the High Court of Madhya Pradesh Rules, 2008, which mandates that a judgment pronounced by a judge not sitting at the hearing bench must be signed and transmitted, and the date of pronouncement is the date of the judgment.
• Respondent counsel did not raise any objection to the procedure.
• The Supreme Court noted that the pronouncement did not conform to the stipulated procedure.

Final Outcome

• The Supreme Court set aside the impugned High Court judgment dated 22‑05‑2020.
• The civil appeal is allowed; the matter is remitted to the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Jabalpur Bench, to be tagged and heard together with eight pending appeals: FA‑384/2011 with FA‑369/2011, FA‑609/2012, FA‑666/2012, FA‑851/2012, FA‑625/2012, FA‑48/2014, FA‑711/2018.
• All pending applications, if any, are ordered disposed of.
• The order was signed by Justices S.V.N. Bhatti and Augustine George Masih.

Topics: Land Acquisition; Judicial Procedure