Land acquisition news: The Gauhati High Court has ruled that executive authorities cannot dispossess citizens of land without strict adherence to law, drawing a constitutional line against arbitrary acquisition in Nagaland.

A bench of Justice Devashis Barua was hearing a batch of connected writ petitions concerning alleged illegal land acquisition of the land belonging to tribal villagers in Phek district for a highway project in Nagaland.

The court was examining whether the actions of the Centre and the state authorities complied with the constitutional mandate requiring deprivation of property only by authority of law.

“No person whatsoever can be deprived of his right over a property without an authority of law,” the court said on March 24.