SC sets up five-judge Constitution Bench on land acquisition orders

In a bid to resolve the controversy over conflicting views of different benches of Supreme Court (SC), a five-judge Constitution Bench has been set up by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra to deal with the issue. Besides the CJI, Justices AK Sikri, AM Khanwilkar, DY Chandrachud and Ashok Bhushan are part of the Bench, which would hear the matter on March 6.

A controversy broke out last week after a three-judge Bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur had held virtually stayed the operation of a verdict delivered on February 8 by another three-judge Bench of SC. The other three-judge Bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra had held that compensation not availed within a stipulated five-year period would not be a ground for cancellation of land acquisition.

The three-judge bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur had on February 21 referred to the February 8 judgment and observed that if "judicial discipline" and propriety were not maintained, the institution will "go forever". The Bench had also said that issue should have been referred to a larger Bench in case of difference of opinion.