On February 25, 2026, the Madras High Court, led by Hon'ble Dr. Justice A.D. Maria Clete, made a clear decision in a long-standing land dispute between Raja Gounder and Sellappan. Here's what happened.
Raja Gounder and his family, from Poochamarathukadu, claimed they had the right to use a path through Sellappan's land in Sankari to get to their own fields. They said this pathway was their only way to access their land and had even been made wider over time.
"We need this path for our farming vehicles," they argued.
Raja Gounder filed a case back in 1998, asking for the path to be restored and for protection to keep using it. They claimed that the path was being blocked and even had coconut trees planted on it. They wanted the path restored to its original width and a permanent order to stop any interference.
Sellappan and others denied that such a path existed and argued that the claims were unclear and outdated. They said the path was a common one and didn't belong only to Raja Gounder.
The trial court, looking at evidence and a report from an Advocate Commissioner, found that the path did exist but was only 3 feet wide. They allowed Raja Gounder to use it but limited its width.
Unhappy with the decision, Raja Gounder appealed, hoping for a wider path. However, both the first appellate court and the High Court confirmed the 3 feet width, based on the evidence.
"The path is 3 feet wide, and that's what the evidence shows," the courts concluded.
The High Court dismissed the appeal, stating that the path's width was proven to be 3 feet, and there was no reason to make it wider for convenience.
The court ruled that Raja Gounder has the right to use the path, but it will remain 3 feet wide as shown by the evidence.
