Tej Kaur & Ors., Etc vs State Of Punjab & Ors

The Supreme Court held that the mandatory inquiry under Section 5A of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 must be conducted to afford landowners an opportunity to be heard regarding objections to land acquisition. The Court emphasized that failure to conduct such an inquiry could render the acquisition proceedings illegal. In this case, while the Collector conducted an inquiry, there was no evidence that the appellants were personally heard, leading to the conclusion that their rights were prejudiced. The appeals were allowed, and the acquisition proceedings were set aside due to the violation of Section 5A.