LAA No.70 of 2019 1 2025:KER:28366 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM PRESENT THE HONOURABLE DR. JUSTICE A.K.JAYASANKARAN NAMBIAR & THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE EASWARAN S. THURSDAY, THE 27TH DAY OF MARCH 2025 / 6TH CHAITHRA, 1947 LA.APP. NO. 70 OF 2019 AGAINST THE JUDGMENT AND DECREE DATED 24.11.2015 IN L.A.R. NO.113 OF 2012 OF II ADDITIONAL SUB COURT, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM APPELLANTS/RESPONDENTS IN LAR : STATE OF KERALA REPRESENTED BY THE SPECIAL TAHSILDAR, ADDITIONAL LA UNIT, CIVIL STATION, KUDAPPANAKUNNU, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM. 695043 BY ADV SRI.T.K.SHAJAHAN, SR.GOVERNMENT PLEADER RESPONDENTS/CLAIMANTS IN LAR : 1 L.AMBIKA RESIDING AT CHELLAM PUTHEN VEEDU, KEEZHUVILA, KARIMANAL P.O., ATTIPRA VILLAGE.695583 2 L.KANAKAMMA RESIDING AT CHELLAM PUTHEN VEEDU, KEEZHUVILA, KARIMANAL P.O., ATTIPRA VILLAGE.695583 3 LEKSHMI AMMA, RESIDING AT CHELLAM PUTHEN VEEDU, KEEZHUVILA, KARIMANAL P.O., ATTIPRA VILLAGE.695583 LAA No.70 of 2019 2 2025:KER:28366 4 RADHAKRISHNAN RESIDING AT CHELLAM PUTHEN VEEDU, KEEZHUVILA, KARIMANAL P.O., ATTIPRA VILLAGE.695583 5 S.MANIKANTAN ELLUVILA VEEDUC, KALLAMPALLY, SREEKARIYAM, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM. 695017 6 S.MOHANAN ELLUVILA VEEDUC, KALLAMPALLY, SREEKARIYAM, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM. 695017 7 V.VASANTHAMMAL ELLUVILA VEEDUC, KALLAMPALLY, SREEKARIYAM, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM. 695017 8 N.V.SUJALA ELLUVILA VEEDUC, KALLAMPALLY, SREEKARIYAM, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM. 695017 9 N.V.SUJAL LAL ELLUVILA VEEDUC, KALLAMPALLY, SREEKARIYAM, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM. 695017 10 SUJITHA SASTHAM VAILAKATHU VEEDU, KUZHIVILA, KOLLUMMURI, KARIMANAL, ATTIPRA VILLAGE-695583.. 11 NARAYANI BHANUMATHY SASTHAM VAILAKATHU VEEDU, KUZHIVILA, KOLLUMMURI, KARIMANAL, ATTIPRA VILLAGE-695583. 12 BHANUMATHY SARAGAMMA SASTHAM VAILAKATHU VEEDU, KUZHIVILA, KOLLUMMURI, KARIMANAL, ATTIPRA VILLAGE-695583. 13 V.MALLINATHAN SASTHAM VAILAKATHU VEEDU, KUZHIVILA, KOLLUMMURI, KARIMANAL, ATTIPRA VILLAGE-695583. 14 V.BHASAN SASTHAM VAILAKATHU VEEDU, KUZHIVILA, KOLLUMMURI, KARIMANAL, ATTIPRA VILLAGE-695583. LAA No.70 of 2019 3 2025:KER:28366 15 V.JAYADEVAN SASTHAM VAILAKATHU VEEDU, KUZHIVILA, KOLLUMMURI, KARIMANAL, ATTIPRA VILLAGE-695583. 16 V.MADANARAJAN SASTHAM VAILAKATHU VEEDU, KUZHIVILA, KOLLUMMURI, KARIMANAL, ATTIPRA VILLAGE-695583. 17 K.SARASWATHY SASTHAM VAILAKATHU VEEDU, KUZHIVILA, KOLLUMMURI, KARIMANAL, ATTIPRA VILLAGE-695583. 18 B.NIRMALA SASTHAM VAILAKATHU VEEDU, KUZHIVILA, KOLLUMMURI, KARIMANAL, ATTIPRA VILLAGE-695583. *19 V.DEVARAJAN (DIED) SASTHAM VAILAKATHU VEEDU, KUZHIVILA, KOLLUMMURI, KARIMANAL, ATTIPRA VILLAGE-695583. 20 P.S.PRADEEP SASTHAM VAILAKATHU VEEDU, KUZHIVILA, KOLLUMMURI, KARIMANAL, ATTIPRA VILLAGE-695583. 21 P.S.HEMAN SASTHAM VAILAKATHU VEEDU, KUZHIVILA, KOLLUMMURI, KARIMANAL, ATTIPRA VILLAGE-695583. 22 P.S.HARSHAN SASTHAM VAILAKATHU VEEDU, KUZHIVILA, KOLLUMMURI, KARIMANAL, ATTIPRA VILLAGE-695583. ** ADDITIONAL RESPONDENTS 23 TO 25 IMPLEADED ADDL.23 MEENAKSHI, AGED 62 YEARS, W/O LATE DEVARAJAN, SASTHAM VAILAKATHU VEEDU, KUZHIVILA, KOLLUMMURI, KARIMANAL, ATTIPRA VILLAGE, KAZHAKUTTOM , THIRUVANANTHAPURAM- 695583 ADDL.24 PRABATH.D, AGED 43 YEARS, S/O.LATE DEVARAJAN, SASTHAM VAILAKATHU VEEDU, KUZHIVILA, KOLLUMMURI, KARIMANAL, ATTIPRA VILLAGE, KAZHAKUTTOM, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-695 583 LAA No.70 of 2019 4 2025:KER:28366 ADDL.25 PRASOBH, AGED 39 YEARS, S/O. LATE DEVARAJAN, SASTHAM VAILAKATHU VEEDU, KUZHIVILA, KOLLUMMURI, KARIMANAL, ATTIPRA VILLAGE, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM-695583. ** ADDITIONAL RESPONDENTS 23 TO 25 IMPLEADED AS PER ORDER DATED 27.3.2025 IN I.A. NO.1 OF 2025. BY ADVS. SRI.ARUN MATHEW VADAKKAN [R13, R15, R16 & R18] M.BALAGOVINDAN, FOR R23 TO R25 MINI GANGADHARAN, FOR R23 TO 25 THIS LAND ACQUISITION APPEAL HAVING COME UP FOR HEARING ON 27.03.2025, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING: LAA No.70 of 2019 5 2025:KER:28366 DR. A.K. JAYASANKARAN NAMBIAR & EASWARAN S., JJ. -------------------------------- L.A.A. No.70 of 2019 ------------------------------------------ Dated this the 27th day of March, 2025 JUDGMENT Easwaran S.,J. The appeal is preferred by the State aggrieved by the judgment and decree in L.A.R. No.113 of 2012 dated 24.11.2015 on the files of the II Additional Sub Court, Thiruvananthapuram. 2. The brief facts necessary for the disposal of this appeal are as follows: An extent of 3.70 Ares of land in Survey No.528/2 Block No.18 (LA Re-survey No.528/9) of the Attipra Village in Thiruvananthapuram Taluk was acquired for widening of the Ulloor-Akkulam-Kuzhivila road. The notification under Section 4(1) of the Land Acquisition Act was issued on 12.12.2007. The award was passed on 4.11.2010. The Land Acquisition Officer fixed the land value at Rs.2,20,668/- per Are. Dissatisfied with the land value, the claimants sought reference under Section 18 of the erstwhile Land Acquisition Act. The reference court, relying on the judgment in L.A.R. No.115 of 2011 fixed the land value at Rs.24,17,100/- per Are and hence the present appeal. 3. Heard Sri. T.K. Shajahan, the learned Senior Government LAA No.70 of 2019 6 2025:KER:28366 Pleader appearing on behalf of the appellant/State and Smt. Mini Gangadharan, the learned counsel appearing for the claimants. 4. On consideration of the rival submissions raised across the Bar, we find that the appeal preferred by the State has to fail inasmuch as a Co-ordinate Bench of this Court in L.A.A. No.15 of 2018 dated 7.8.2018 had re-fixed the land value to Rs.30,18,413/- per Are. Following the said judgment, another Co-ordinate Bench of this Court in L.A.A. No.71 of 2024 by judgment dated 5.8.2024 [authored by one of us, E.S.(J)] had allowed the appeal preferred by the claimants and enhanced the land value at Rs.30,18,413/- per Are for the acquired land covered under the very same notification. 5. In the present case, although the claimants did not prefer any appeal, the interest of justice demands that this Court invokes the power under Order XLI Rule 33 of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908, to enhance the compensation to Rs.30,18,413/- per Are in order to bring parity in compensation. Therefore, we are of the view that while dismissing the appeal preferred by the State against enhancement of compensation, we should invoke the power under Order XLI Rule 33 and re-fix the land value at Rs.30,18,413/- per Are thereby entitling the claimants to get all statutory benefits flowing out of the said fixation. 6. Accordingly, the appeal is dismissed. The claimants are entitled to get enhanced land value at Rs.30,18,413/- per Are. They are also LAA No.70 of 2019 7 2025:KER:28366 entitled to get all statutory benefits and proportionate costs flowing out of the said fixation. The appeal ordered accordingly. Sd/- DR. A.K.JAYASANKARAN NAMBIAR JUDGE Sd/- EASWARAN S. JUDGE NS