Jammu and Kashmir: In a recent judgement, the High Court of J and K and Ladakh has directed the Army to pay 46 years rent rent to a man for occupying his private land since 1978. The petitioner identified as Abdul Majeed Lone had alleged that the Army had occupied his land since as long as 46 years.
The incident has been reported from Tangdhar area of Kupwara in North Kashmir. The Bench, headed by Justice Wasim Sadiq Nargal held that the army needs to pay the pending rent at the earliest.
The court order said, “Human rights have been considered in the realm of individual rights, such as right to shelter, livelihood, health, employment, etc and over the years, human rights have gained a multifaceted dimension.”
The Court further said that, “the respondents, without following due process of law, have acquired the land of the petitioner, that too without paying the rental compensation to him, which is violative of the Constitutional right of the petitioner.”
The Court added that the Kupwara’s Deputy Commissioner would form a team of Revenue officers within two weeks, headed by the tehsildar of the area. And the land shall be inspected and the rent shall be fixed accordingly. It is further worth mentioning that the Army has been directed to pay the rent within one month.