with a batch of writ petitions pending at the stage of final hearing, at the time when the State Government agreed to release the subject land. The High Court has meanwhile dismissed those petitions, upholding the acquisition, and presently, Special Leave Petitions (hereinafter ‘SLPs’) are pending before this Court. 2438. Be that as it may, given the land’s premium nature, and its criticality to the subject acquisition, it is rather intriguing why the State Government has opted to enter into a compromise, knowing full well that doing so would weaken its case in defending the major chunk of the acquisition. We, therefore, in order to satisfy ourselves that the State Government has considered thoroughly all the pros and cons and acted in a bona fide manner to serve the public interest, before making the offer of release, deemed it imperative to delve deeper. 39. A perusal of the original record casts a cloud of doubt on the legal necessity of the entire exercise and has disappointed us