Noida: The Rs 295-crore Reddy Veeranna land compensation dispute will be heard by Allahabad high court on Feb 4 after the division bench led by chief justice Arun Bhansali and justice Kshitij Shailendra granted UP govt additional time to file its affidavit at its last hearing on Jan 7.The high court resumed hearings in Oct last year after the Supreme Court, in July 2025, set aside compensation awarded to the Hyderabad-based businessman, holding that the entire process had been tainted by fraud. The apex court found that Veeranna had misled courts to secure enhanced compensation for land in Sector 18, which was later leased by the Noida Authority to DLF for the Mall of India project.
The dispute concerns over five bighas of land in Chhalera Banger village, jointly purchased in 1997 by Veeranna, Vishnu Vardhan and T Sudhakar for about Rs 1 crore. Noida Authority partially acquired the land in 2005 and subsequently leased it to DLF for Rs 173 crore. While the three co-owners initially challenged the acquisition together, Veeranna later obtained a compromise decree from a trial court in 2006 using a revoked power of attorney, leading to his name being entered as the sole owner in revenue records.In 2019, Veeranna approached the high court seeking enhanced compensation without impleading the other co-owners. In Oct 2021, the court fixed compensation at Rs 1.1 lakh per square metre. The Supreme Court upheld the order in May 2022 and removed a 50% development charge, raising Veeranna’s entitlement to around Rs 360 crore, later settled at Rs 295 crore. The apex court, however, clarified that it was not ruling on ownership.In 2023, Vardhan moved the Supreme Court, alleging that Veeranna had repeatedly misrepresented facts and relied on an invalid decree while excluding the co-owners. In its judgment on July 23, 2025, a three-judge bench set aside earlier rulings, holding that fraud vitiated the proceedings, and remanded the case to the high court to reconsider ownership and compensation after hearing all parties.Following the remand, the high court addressed impleadment and pleadings, allowing applications by Vardhan and Sudhakar in Nov. Counter-affidavits were filed by Dec 5, and time was granted for a rejoinder. On Jan 7, the state sought time to file its response.Veeranna continues to retain the compensation amount, having furnished property securities worth Rs 295 crore through his firm Manyata-Pristine. Under a Supreme Court interim order passed in Jan 2025, the securities will remain with the court until the high court delivers its final verdict.
