TAMIL NADU HOUSING BOARD vs L. CHANDRASEKARAN (DEAD) BY LRS. .

The Supreme Court upheld the Madras High Court's directive for the Tamil Nadu Housing Board to reconvey acquired land under Section 48-B of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, to the respondents upon their payment of compensation with interest at 9%. The Court noted that the declaration under Section 6 was quashed due to non-compliance with statutory requirements, thus rendering the acquisition invalid. The ruling emphasized the necessity of adhering to the timelines set forth in the Act, particularly following amendments made by the Tamil Nadu Land Acquisition (Amendment) Act No.16 of 1997.