Summary: The Bombay High Court has canceled a decision from 2012 about taking over land, saying the process took too long. The case involved Parshuram Shivram Shitole and others against the Special Land Acquisition Officer No. 17. The court found that the decision was made after the legal deadline, making it invalid.
On January 22, 2026, the Bombay High Court, with Justices Manish Pitale and Shreeram V. Shirsat in charge, looked at the case involving Parshuram Shivram Shitole and others. They argued against a land decision made on May 7, 2012, saying it had expired by law.
Parshuram Shivram Shitole and the other people involved said that according to the rules, the decision should have been made within two years from the announcement date. The announcement was made on May 2, 2010, so the decision should have been made by May 1, 2012. But it was delayed until May 7, 2012.
"The decision had to be made on or before May 1, 2012," the court noted.
The people on the other side, led by the Special Land Acquisition Officer No. 17, showed a paper saying the announcement was made on May 12, 2010. They argued that the case should not be considered because it was filed late, in 2021, nine years after the decision.
The court said this case was different from a similar Supreme Court case, pointing out that the land had not been taken quickly as in urgent cases. Parshuram Shivram Shitole and the others got a copy of the decision on January 7, 2020, and filed the case in May 2021, which was within a reasonable time.
The court highlighted a part of the Constitution that protects property rights and stated:
"Rejecting the claim would take away their constitutional right."
The court canceled the 2012 decision, allowing the case. The state can start new proceedings if necessary, but the original decision is invalid.
