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When Ram Jethmalani levelled allegations against Chief Justice of India Dr Adarsh Sein Anand, the tremors shook the nation's legal fraternity.

One of Jethmalani's charges was about a land acquisition case involving the CJI's wife, Mala Anand, and his mother-in-law, Sushila Singh.

In the early 1950s, the Madhya Pradesh government had given around 114 acres to Mala Anand's grandfather and father. For free. But there were certain simple conditions to be fulfilled.

As these were not met, the state government took the land back.

There was no protest when that happened. But 20 years later, when Dr Anand was chief justice of the Madras high court, both women filed a case against the MP government, asking for the land to be returned.

Three judgments later, the MP government has been asked to either give Mala Anand and Sushila Singh alternate land or pay compensation.

The plaintiffs have demanded Rs 1,24,00,000 [12.4 million] as compensation. The land is worth only around Rs 600,000, some market sources claim.

Why did the MP government not contest the state high court's judgment in the Supreme Court? Why did MP Chief Minister Digvijay Singh withdraw the petition challenging the judgment?

Roving Editor Ramesh Menon travelled to Bhopal, Gwalior, Chanderi and Piprod village in Madhya Pradesh to unravel the case.

PART 1
'No one would have bothered if the CJI's wife
had not been a beneficiary'

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