Bhagwan Das & Ors vs State Of.U.P. & Ors

The Supreme Court addressed the applicability of Section 54 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, determining that an appeal does not lie against the Collector's order refusing to make a reference under Section 18. The Court held that the six-month period for filing a reference application under Section 18(2) should be calculated from the date of knowledge of the award, not the date of the award itself. The Court also clarified that the Collector has the discretion to condone delays in filing reference applications if sufficient cause is shown, thereby granting relief to the appellants.