Srinagar, April 11 -- Emphasising that disputes relating to ownership and apportionment of land acquisition compensation must be decided by a civil court and not in writ proceedings, the High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh has set aside a Single Judge's order directing exclusive payment of compensation to a private respondent in a Baramulla land acquisition case.

A Division Bench comprising Justices Sindhu Sharma and Shahzad Azeem allowed a Letters Patent Appeal filed by Abdul Aziz Bhat and others, holding that issues concerning ownership, co-ownership and apportionment of compensation were already pending before appropriate forums.

The Bench observed that where disputes arise regarding entitlement to, or distribution of, compens...