Land Acquisition Collector vs Ashok Kumar

The Supreme Court examined whether land acquisition proceedings lapse under Section 24(2) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, due to non-fulfillment of conditions such as taking possession or tendering compensation. The High Court had declared the acquisition lapsed based on these grounds, referencing a previous Supreme Court decision. The Supreme Court analyzed the statutory provisions and prior case law to determine the validity of the lapse declaration. It upheld the principles that acquisition proceedings do not lapse solely due to non-compliance with certain procedural steps if other conditions are met or if the proceedings are otherwise valid.