Noida land deals: HC bench withdraws from hearing plea

A division bench of the Allahabad High Court today recused itself from hearing a writ petition filed by farmers from a village in Gautam Buddh Nagar district, who had challenged acquisition of more than 100 hectares of land by UP government for housing projects in Noida Extension area.

The bench comprising justices R K Agrawal and Sunil Hali released the petitions filed by farmers of Deola village and referred the matter to the Chief Justice with the request that it be placed before the "appropriate" division bench.

The petitioners had moved the court with the contention that 107 hectares of their land had been acquired by the state government, which had denied them an opportunity to raise objections by invoking the "urgency clause" thereby depriving them of adequate compensation.

Meanwhile, hearing on petitions of farmers from nearly a dozen villages of Gautam Buddh Nagar, challenging acquisition of about 3,000 hectares of land, is likely to commence before a division bench headed by Justice Amitava Lala later today.

An application has also been moved by the "Noida Extension Flat Buyers' Welfare Association", formed in the wake of recent judgements quashing acquisition of hundreds of hectares of land in the area, which has sought to be made a party in the case.