Ramanlal Deochand Shah vs State Of Maharashtra & Anr

The Supreme Court held that under Section 18 of the Land Acquisition Act, the burden of proof lies with the claimants to establish that the compensation awarded by the Special Land Acquisition Officer was inadequate. The Court found that the Reference Court's enhancement of compensation to Rs.85/- per sq. mtr. was unjustified due to lack of evidence demonstrating a higher market value. Consequently, the Supreme Court upheld the High Court's decision to set aside the Reference Court's order, affirming the original compensation amount of Rs.26.25 per sq. mtr.