Quick Summary: A group of people from Navi Mumbai and Nashik, including Rasik Narsingh Chauhan, successfully argued against their land being labeled as forest land, which made them need government approval for non-forest activities. The Bombay High Court agreed with them and removed these rules.
A group of landowners, including Rasik Narsingh Chauhan and others, took legal action against the State of Maharashtra. They claimed that their lands in Raigad were wrongly labeled as forest lands without proper announcements or notifications.
The landowners said that their lands were called forest lands without any notice under a specific section of the Indian Forest Act, 1927. They highlighted that a decision from 26th September 1978 had already removed their lands from a previous forest law.
"No notice under Section 35(3) of the Indian Forest Act was ever served in relation to the said lands."
The State said that the lands were still private forests and needed permission from the Central Government for activities that were not related to forests. They referred to the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, which limits changes in how forest land is used.
The court, with judges B. P. Colabawalla and Amit S. Jamsandekar, decided on 24th December 2025 that the landowners' lands were not properly labeled as forests according to the law. The court removed the need for Central Government approval for non-forest activities on these lands.
"The remarks in the impugned Mutation Entries... are wholly unsustainable."
The court's decision means that the landowners can now use their lands without needing to get more permissions. This case shows how important it is to follow the right steps before labeling lands as forests.
The authorities have been told to follow the court's order within four weeks, making sure the incorrect labels are removed from official records. The case will be checked for compliance on 29th January 2026.
