Kohima: The Gauhati High Court Kohima Bench ordered authorities to pay for eight acres of land in Tuli used for the Amguri-Tuli railway line. Construction on the project began in 1983 and finished in the 1990s. The landowner never received payment for the property itself. Officials only paid 11,950 rupees in 1992 for damaged crops.
Railway authorities claimed they paid over 300,000 rupees for the land. They failed to show any receipts. The State Government confirmed no compensation reached the owner. A letter from the Additional Deputy Commissioner of Tuli dated September 1, 2022, backed this claim. Justice Robin Phukan issued the judgment on November 3.
The court rejected arguments that the case was filed too late. Taking land without due process is a continuing wrong. The ruling cites Article 300A of the Constitution. "No person shall be deprived of property except by authority of law," the court noted. Officials have three months to finish the acquisition and pay the owner with 12 percent annual interest.
Separately, a Division Bench dealt with a land dispute at Purana Bazar B village in Dimapur. Justices N. Unni Krishnan Nair and Nchumbemo Mozhui set aside a previous ruling on November 5. The fight over Dag Number 104 involves conflicting records from revenue authorities and the local Village Council. The judges ordered both parties to settle the title dispute in a civil court and maintain the status quo until then.
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