Seven-crore plot for just Rs 17500, High Court verdict ends 62-year dispute

Faridabad: A senior citizen residing in Faridabad, a city bordering Delhi, has won land dispute after a long battle of 62 years.

Faridabad: In the Faridabad district of Haryana, adjacent to Delhi, a man has finally achieved success after a long legal battle of 62 years. The most remarkable aspect is that the land for which he fought a lawsuit for the past 62 years was initially valued at just ₹14,000, which has now escalated to ₹7 crore. Furthermore, when this lawsuit began, the elderly man was only 18 years old, and he has now won the legal battle at the age of 80. During this period, his life saw numerous ups and downs, but he never lost hope. When the Punjab and Haryana High Court finally ruled in his favour, tears welled up in his eyes. He joined his hands in front of the court and expressed his gratitude to the judge and the law.

Value increased from ₹14,000 to ₹7 crore

The land for which the elderly resident of Faridabad, in the National Capital Region, was fighting was purchased for a mere ₹14,000. However, being the sole heir to the family property, he spent his entire life trying to acquire that land. He became so entangled in this case that he aged from 18 to 80. After a long legal battle of 62 years, he has finally got his land back. The value of that land is now approximately ₹7 crore. However, the court has ordered that the land be handed over to the petitioner at only 25% of the additional amount. This means the ₹7 crore land will be given to him for just ₹17,500.

Let's understand the entire case in detail

The entire case pertains to the Eros Garden residential colony near Surajkund in the Faridabad district. This colony began to be developed in 1933. At that time, RC Sood & Company Limited had taken an advance payment from CK Anand's mother, Nanki Devi, for land in the Eros Garden residential colony. The company had promised to give her two plots, one of 350 square yards and another of 217 square yards. Nanki Devi had paid nearly half of the sale amount. Although Nanki Devi had paid approximately half of the total agreed price, she was not handed over the land, and the builder later reneged on the deal.

The complication gradually increased

After booking the land, the Punjab Scheduled Roads and Controlled Areas Act, 1963, came into effect. This law was enacted to prevent haphazard and substandard development along roads and in designated 'controlled areas' in Punjab, ensuring proper maintenance, expansion, and future development of roads, leading to planned urbanisation. Subsequently, the Haryana Urban Development Regulation Act, 1975, was implemented, further complicating the matter. When the buyers demanded possession, the builder evaded them by citing changes in statutory regulations. He also assured them that possession would be given after approvals were obtained. This made the situation more complex, and the year became 1980.

Litigation began in 2002

The first case related to this land dispute reached the court in 2002. Lower courts initially ruled in favour of the allottee family, but the developer challenged the lower court's decision and approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The company argued that the allotment was allegedly cancelled in 1964 itself and that the case was now time-barred. It was also argued that the current value of the plot was so high that enforcing the old agreement would be unreasonable. On the preceding Saturday, Justice Deepak Gupta of the Punjab and Haryana High Court delivered a 22-page verdict in this case. He dismissed all arguments, stating that the developer could not benefit from the decades of delay caused by them.

Who is CK Anand, the sole heir to the plot?

According to TOI, CK Anand, a resident of Surajkund in the Faridabad district, is the only son of Nanki Devi. His parents have passed away. His children have grown up, and he has a large family with grandchildren. At the time when CK Anand's mother, Nanki Devi, purchased 5,103 square feet of land in the Eros Garden residential colony near Surajkund village, its value was merely ₹14,000, which is now approximately ₹7 crore. CK Anand fought a lifelong legal battle for this plot and finally achieved victory. The court has ordered the builder to transfer the plot to the petitioner's name, charging an additional fee based on the 1933 rates. This means the builder will provide the ₹14,000 land to the petitioner for just ₹17,500. CK Anand has been declared the sole heir to this property.