The court set aside the earlier order of a single judge that had allowed the company's writ petition.Royal Fragrances had challenged the state govt's March 18, 2009 decision and a May 23, 2009 direction to KIADB to denotify the 36 guntas of land.In March 2013, a single bench had ruled in favour of the company. The bench observed that the speed and manner in which the acquisition was processed suggested a stage-managed exercise intended to create a land bank for private real estate benefit at the cost of farmers and public interest.The court also referred to a report by the KIADB chief executive officer, which stated that five companies, including Royal Fragrances, lacked prior experience in software or computer-related industries. The bench noted that villagers had protested the acquisition for nearly two years.Explaining the doctrine of "eminent domain," the court said the state's sovereign power to acquire private property must be exercised strictly for public purpose and within constitutional limits.
Author: P Vasantha Kumar
Published at: 2026-02-28 23:30:00
Still want to read the full version? Full article
