NUTAKKI SESHARATNAM vs SUB COLLECTOR .

The Supreme Court held that the failure to publish the substance of the Notification under Section 4(1) of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 within 40 days renders the acquisition invalid. The Court clarified that the appellant's consent to the acquisition, contingent upon receiving lump-sum compensation, constituted an offer under the Contract Act, which could be withdrawn before acceptance. Consequently, the Court allowed the appeal, overturning the High Court's dismissal of the appellant's petition and declaring the acquisition proceedings bad in law due to non-compliance with mandatory publication requirements.