HASMUKHRAI V. METHA vs STATE OF MAHARASHTRA & ORS.

The Supreme Court ruled that under Section 49 and Section 127 of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, 1966, the appellant's land, initially designated for residential use, could not be reserved for Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) without proper acquisition proceedings. The Court held that the failure to initiate acquisition proceedings within the stipulated time frame results in the automatic release of the land from reservation. Consequently, the Court directed the authorities to either acquire the land or release it for residential development, thereby upholding the appellant's rights.