The courtroom turned unusually tense on Monday as the Supreme Court of India took a hard look at what it called a disturbing pattern of forest land being quietly taken over by private hands in Uttarakhand. Hearing a criminal appeal, the vacation bench went beyond the immediate dispute and raised wider concerns that caught even the State on the back foot.
Background
The case stems from land measuring nearly 2,866 acres, officially notified decades ago as government forest land near Rishikesh. Part of it was once leased to a society, Pashulok Sewa Samiti, which later claimed to allot portions to its members. Over time, disputes followed. A compromise decree was passed, which the Court hinted was not entirely above board.
What complicated matters further was that in 1984, the society surrendered 594 acres back to the Forest Department. That surrender became final. Yet, years later, private individuals allegedly entered and occupied portions of the same land, claiming ownership based on old arrangements.
Court’s Observations
The bench did not mince words. It noted that the facts “prima facie show how private individuals have systematically grabbed thousands of acres of forest land.” What shocked the judges more was the State’s inaction.
“The authorities appear to be silent spectators,” the Court remarked, as forest land slipped away in plain sight.
Taking a serious view, the bench said the issue could not be treated as a routine private dispute anymore.
Decision
Expanding the case on its own motion, the Court ordered the Chief Secretary and the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests to set up an enquiry committee and submit a report. It restrained all private parties from selling, transferring, or building on the land.
Vacant portions are to be taken over by the Forest Department and the local Collector, with a compliance report due before the next hearing on January 5, 2026.
Case Title: Anita Kandwal v. State of Uttarakhand & Another
Case Number: SLP (Crl) No. 21058 of 2025
Date of Order: 22 December 2025
