D Dahyabhai And Co Pvt. Ltd. And Anr vs The State Of Maharashtra Thr Its Urban Development Department And Ors

Headnote AI-drafted · Reviewed and approved

These consolidated writ petitions arose from disputes concerning land situated in proximity to Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Thane, Maharashtra. Writ Petition No. 3205 of 2018 was filed by the State of Maharashtra through the Chief Conservator of Forests and Director, Sanjay Gandhi National Park, challenging the claims of private parties including D. Dayabhai and Co. Pvt. Ltd. and others over the subject land. Writ Petition No. 10024 of 2023 was filed by D. Dahyabhai & Co. Pvt. Ltd. and its director against the State of Maharashtra and Thane Municipal Corporation raising grievances relating to urban development permissions and municipal actions affecting their property rights.

The matters involved complex issues of forest land, environmental protection, urban planning, and the rights of private landowners vis-à-vis the State and municipal authorities. Interim applications were also filed by Conservation Action Trust and Oriental Florie Culture LLP seeking to be heard as interested parties in the respective writ petitions, reflecting the broader public interest dimensions of the dispute concerning land use and environmental conservation.

The Bombay High Court, per Justice Ravindra V. Ghuge, heard the connected matters together given the common subject matter relating to the disputed land parcels and the overlapping parties. The judgment addressed the rival claims of the State forest authorities, private landowners, and the municipal corporation with reference to applicable laws governing forests, land use, and urban development in Maharashtra.

Catchwords: forest land · Sanjay Gandhi National Park · urban development · land dispute · Thane Municipal Corporation · private landowner · environmental protection · writ petition · Maharashtra · national park buffer zone