Sarootham Padmanabhan vs The State Of Tamil Nadu

Headnote AI-drafted · Editorially reviewed

These batch writ petitions were filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India before the Madras High Court challenging the common order dated 19.08.2023 passed by the Segur Plateau Elephant Corridor Inquiry Committee in Case No.19/2021. The petitioners sought issuance of a Writ of Certiorari to call for and quash the said order. The cases concerned the Segur Plateau Elephant Corridor in the Nilgiris District of Tamil Nadu and raised questions pertaining to land use, forest rights, and wildlife corridor conservation.

The batch involved a large number of petitioners, primarily landowners and residents in the Nilgiris region, challenging inquiry proceedings and directions issued by the Committee constituted by the State of Tamil Nadu for the purpose of notifying and securing the Segur Plateau Elephant Corridor. The petitioners contended that the impugned order was passed without following principles of natural justice and without adequate legal authority, adversely affecting their property and livelihood rights.

The Division Bench of the Madras High Court, comprising Justice N. Sathish Kumar and Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy, heard the matter extensively and pronounced its judgment on 12 September 2025 after reserving it on 08 August 2025. The judgment runs to 120 pages and comprehensively addresses the legal issues arising from the elephant corridor notification and the validity of the inquiry committee's order.

Catchwords: elephant corridor Segur Plateau Nilgiris wildlife conservation forest land writ of certiorari inquiry committee natural justice Article 226 Tamil Nadu landowners' rights environmental law