In *Kameshwar Singh v. State of Bihar*, the Bihar Land Reforms Act, 1950 was struck down as colourable legislation. What was the colourable feature of the Act?

1. The doctrine of colourable legislation says that what the legislature cannot do directly, it cannot do indirectly under the guise of legislating on a permissible subject. 2. In **Kameshwar Singh v. State of Bihar, AIR 1952 SC 252**, the Bihar Land Reforms Act, 1950 provided that **unpaid rents from tenants would vest in the State and one half would be paid back to the landlord as 'compensation' for acquisition**. 3. The Supreme Court held this was **'naked confiscation no matter in whatever specious form it may be clothed'** — taking the whole and returning a half means nothing more or less than taking a half without any return. 4. So the law was struck down as a colourable exercise of the acquisition power. _Source: ICSI CS Executive — Lesson 2, 'Colourable Legislation', pp. 66-67._