SC restores private forest land to owners

In a major relief to Maharashtra's private forest landowners, the Supreme Court overturned a Bombay High Court ruling that had vested ownership of private forest land in the state government based solely on the issuance of a notice under the Indian Forest Act, reports livelaw.in.

- Online Report

The court restored ownership of the private forest land to its owners. The court held that the High Court's view was contrary to the precedent in Godrej & Boyce Mfg Co Ltd vs State of Maharashtra (2014) 3 SCC 430, which made it clear that merely issuing such a notice does not automatically classify the land as "private forest" or cause it to vest in the state under the Maharashtra Private Forests (Acquisition) Act (MPFA).