Administrative inquiry report target specific individuals cannot invalidate general acquisition

An administrative inquiry report exposing collusive overvaluation by public officials and select land owners cannot justify setting aside an entire multi-party acquisition award. Executive inquiry findings establishing colorable exercise of power by revenue officers apply exclusively to the specific land parcels and individuals identified as fraudulent beneficiaries. Authorities cannot treat an inquiry report targeting specific named individuals as a legal foundation to suspend or cancel compensation awards for untainted land owners. Legitimate land owners who are neither named in inquiry reports nor subjected to penal registration retain full entitlement to awarded compensation amounts. Administrative action seeking to sweepingly cancel all acquisition awards based on isolated instances of official misconduct violates statutory land acquisition schemes. The scope of corrective administrative or judicial action following an inquiry report must strictly correspond to the specific instances of fraud unseated by evidence. Consequently, general acquisition awards remain legally binding and enforceable for all land owners not specifically indicted by administrative inquiry findings. (Niraj Jain v. Competent Authority-cum-Additional Collector, Jagdalpur & Ors. | 2026 INSC 86)