Authority: Supreme Court of India

Order Date: 24-06-2026

Case Overview

  • Petitioner: Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC)
  • Respondents: Trivedi Janardan Ghanashyam & Ors.
  • Proceedings: Petition(s) for Special Leave to Appeal (C) No(s). 35721/2025 arising from impugned final judgment dated 25-07-2025 of the High Court of Gujarat, Ahmedabad. Multiple Interim Applications (IA Nos. 148601/2026, 148610/2026, 148646/2026, 148910/2026, 148594/2026, 148606/2026) were listed for orders.
  • Counsel for Petitioner: Nikhil Majithia, Rishi Kumar Singh Gautam, Tamilarasan Varadarajan, Abhishek Gupta, Gunnam Venkateswara Rao, Ikshita Singh, Chanakya Kene, Dhananjay Singh.
  • Counsel for Respondents: Maulik Nanavati, Jaikriti S. Jadeja.
  • Legal Issue: Whether the compensation amounts deposited by ONGC with the competent authority could be released to the landowners after verification, and the treatment of any balance amount.

Court Findings & Directions

  • The Court noted the petitioner’s submission that the entire compensation amount has been deposited before the competent authority.
  • The Court examined the amounts determined by the competent authority, the amounts deposited by the petitioner, and the undisputed amounts payable under Section 10(4) of the PMP Act, 1962 for each IA:
  • IA No. 148601/2026: Determined Rs 65,73,375; Deposited Rs 65,73,375; Undisputed payable Rs 22,47,806.
  • IA No. 148610/2026: (Table provided without figures; amounts not specified in the record).
  • IA No. 148646/2026: Determined Rs 19,16,207; Deposited Rs 19,16,207; Undisputed payable Rs 6,43,269.
  • IA No. 148910/2026: Determined Rs 1,69,14,237; Deposited Rs 1,69,14,237; Undisputed payable Rs 54,40,774.
  • IA No. 148594/2026: Determined Rs 3,16,72,608; Deposited Rs 3,16,72,608; Undisputed payable Rs 99,68,800.
  • IA No. 148606/2026: Determined Rs 20,46,368; Deposited Rs 20,46,368; Undisputed payable Rs 7,67,184.
  • The Court directed that the undisputed amounts listed above be released to the respondents/landowners without prejudice to any rights or contentions.
  • The balance amount (i.e., the portion not covered by the undisputed amounts) shall be deposited by the respondent No. 1/competent authority in an interest‑bearing fixed‑deposit account of a nationalised bank for an initial period of one year, subject to automatic renewal.
  • All the listed applications were disposed of accordingly.

Final Outcome

  • Release of the undisputed compensation amounts (totaling approximately Rs 16.5 crore) to the landowners was ordered.
  • Any remaining balance is to be kept in a one‑year interest‑bearing fixed deposit by the competent authority, ensuring compliance with Section 10(4) of the PMP Act, 1962.

Topics: Court Order, Compensation Release, Land Acquisition