(1) The Central Government may at any time release from requisition any property requisitioned under this Act and shall, as far as possible, restore the property in as good a condition as it was when possession thereof was taken subject only to the changes caused by reasonable wear and tear and irresistible force:
Provided that where the purposes for which any requisitioned property was being used cease to exist, the Central Government shall, unless the property is acquired under section 7, release that property, as soon as may be, from requisition.
[(1A) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1), the Central Government shall release from requisition,--
(a) any property requisitioned or deemed to be requisitioned under this Act before the commencement of the Requisitioning and Acquisition of Immovable Property (Amendment) Act, 1970 (1 of 1970), on or before the expiry of a period of [seventeen years] from such commencement;
(b) any property requisitioned under this Act after such commencement, on or before the expiry of a period of [seventeen years] from the date on which possession of such property was surrendered or delivered to, or taken by, the competent authority under section 4,
unless such property is acquired under section 7 within the period of [seventeen years] aforesaid].
(2) Where any property is to be released from requisition, [under sub-section (1) or sub-section (1A)] the competent authority may, after such inquiry, if any, as it may in any case consider necessary to make or cause to be made, specify by order in writing the person to whom possession of the property shall be given and such possession shall, as far as practicable, be given to the person from whom possession was taken at the time of the requisition or to the successors-in-interest of such person.
(3) The delivery of possession of the property to the person specified in an order under sub-section (2) shall be a full discharge of the Central Government from all liability in respect of the property, but shall not prejudice any rights in respect of the property which any other person may be entitled by due process of law to enforce against the person to whom possession of the property is given.
(4) Where any person to whom possession of any requisitioned property is to be given is not found and has no agent or other person empowered to accept delivery on his behalf, the competent authority shall cause a notice declaring that the property is released from requisition to be affixed on some conspicuous part of the property and shall also publish the notice in the Official Gazette.
(5) When a notice referred to in sub-section (4) is published in the Official Gazette, the property specified in such notice shall cease to be subject to requisition on and from the date of such publication and shall be deemed to have been delivered to the person entitled to possession thereof and the Central Government shall not be liable for any compensation or other claim in respect of the property for any period after the said date.
(6) Where any property requisitioned under this Act or any material part thereof is wholly destroyed or rendered substantially and permanently unfit for the purpose for which it was requisitioned by reason of fire, earthquake, tempest, flood or violence of any army or of a mob or other irresistible force, the requisition shall, at the option of the Central Government, be void:
Provided that the benefit of this sub-section shall not be available to the Central Government where the injury to such property is caused by any wrongful act or default of that Government.