MAHABIR PRASAD SANTUKA & ORS. vs COLLECTOR, CUTTACK & ORS.

The Supreme Court set aside the High Court's order reducing compensation for land acquired under the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, specifically referencing Section 23 which mandates compensation based on market value. The Court established that market value should reflect what a willing purchaser would pay, emphasizing that concessional rates offered to industrialists do not represent true market value. The Court held that the appellants are entitled to Rs. 15,000 per acre, as the land had significant potential for non-agricultural use, particularly for industrial purposes.