Delay in translating documents from Kannada to English is not a valid ground: Supreme Court

New Delhi, Sept. 7 (Agencies)- The Supreme Court has dismissed a petition filed by Infosys Limited challenging the enhanced compensation awarded to the family of a landowner whose property in Mysuru was acquired for the company’s campus expansion.

A Bench comprising Justices Dipankar Datta and Manmohan declined to condone a delay of over 160 days in filing the appeal. Infosys had argued that the delay occurred because of the time taken to translate case documents from Kannada to English.

Senior Advocate Atmaram Nadkarni, appearing for Infosys, urged the Bench not to dismiss the plea on grounds of limitation and even offered to file a fresh affidavit to support the condonation application. However, the Bench refused to consider this request.

2005 dispute

The dispute dates back to 2005 when the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB) acquired 1.05 acres of land in Mysuru as part of an 18.04-acre acquisition for Infosys’ campus expansion.

Initially, the Special Land Acquisition Officer fixed compensation at Rs. 4.85 lakh per acre. Dissatisfied with this, the landowner’s family sought a reference under Section 18 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894.

In January 2020, the Mysuru Reference Court substantially enhanced the compensation to Rs. 220 per sq.ft., in addition to statutory benefits such as solatium and interest.

High Court case

Infosys challenged this decision before the Karnataka High Court, contending that the Reference Court had wrongly relied on auction sale deeds and transactions involving small residential plots, which, it argued, were inappropriate for determining the market value of large tracts of agricultural land.

The company further claimed there was no sufficient proof of the land’s non-agricultural potential at the time of acquisition, stating that photographs and satellite images were inadequate to justify such a steep increase in compensation.

Countering this, the landowners pointed out that the acquired property lay adjacent to the existing Infosys campus and was part of a rapidly developing industrial hub hosting multiple software and manufacturing companies. They cited sale deeds from 2005 for nearby residential plots showing values ranging between Rs. 430 and Rs. 499 per sq.ft.

They argued that the Reference Court had settled on a lower rate of Rs. 220 per sq.ft only because they could not afford the Court fees required to file a cross-objection for a higher valuation.

On Oct. 22, 2024, the Karnataka High Court dismissed Infosys’ appeal, stating that even after making necessary deductions, the sale deeds available clearly supported a land value higher than Rs. 220 per sq. ft. The Bench also recognised the land’s strong industrial potential given its proximity to Infosys’ operational campus.

By the time Infosys approached the Supreme Court, the delay in filing the appeal had exceeded 160 days, ultimately leading to its dismissal.