HC dismisses petition of education society occupying forest land

Mumbai, Oct 3 (UNI) The Bombay High Court today dismissed a petition filed by Sinhgad Technical Education Society, challenging the notices issued to them for evicting the land on which it had structure as it came under reserved forest land.

Justice D G Karnik dismissed the petition on the grounds that the said land, near the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, was private forest land as per the Maharashtra Private Forest Act of 1975 and therefore it was the property of the State government.

The land, which runs into 15 hectares of area, was purchased by the petitioners in 2002 and converted into non-agricultural lands.

The Education Society runs various educational courses such as hotel management, pharmacy, engineering and management and has more than 1,600 students studying there.

The Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF), Pune, issued the notices in 2004 under Maharashtra Land Revenue Code alleging that the petitioner had encroached upon the land and carried out non-forestry activity. Later, the order was passed for eviction and confiscation of the structure.

The petitioners challenged the order of the ACF before a Civil Court in Pune, but their appeal was rejected. So they approached the High court, but to no avail.

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