The Allahabad High Court set aside acquisition of more than 100 hectares of land by the Uttar Pradesh government in Mathura district for promoting tourism and developing residential colonies. The court held that invoking of urgency clause was not justified. The order was passed a division bench comprising justices Sunil Ambawani and Kashi Nath Pandey on a batch of petitions. The petitioners owned over 110 hectares of land in Azizpur village of Mathura, which was acquired in August 2007-08. The petitioners had moved the court contending that invocation of the urgency clause deprived the owners of their valuable right to raise objections and negotiate for adequate compensation. The High Court had in May quashed the acquisition of more than 150 hectares of land in Shahberi village in Greater Noida and, subsequently, an appeal filed by the state government challenging the order was set aside by the Supreme Court.