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IN THE HIGH COURT OF AT BANGALORE

DATED THIS THE 28 TH DAY OF OCTOBER 2014

PRESENT

THE HON’BLE MR.JUSTICE K.L.MANJUNATH

AND

THE HON’BLE MR.JUSTICE RAVI MALIMATH

WRIT PETITION NO.7087 OF 2013(GM-PIL)

BETWEEN:

1. G.V. THIMMAPPA AGED ABOUT 59 YEARS S/O H.UGRAPPA

2. G.S. SIDDAPPA @ THAMMANNA AGED ABOUT 60 YEARS S/O LATE SIDDAPPA

3. G.M. SIDDAPPA AGED ABOUT 68 YEARS S/O LATE MALLAPPA

4. G.V. RAMACHANDRAPPA AGED ABOUT 50 YEARS S/O LATE H.UGRAPPA

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5. G.B. REVANNA AGED ABOUT 40 YEARS S/O LATE BYRAPPA

6. G.K. SIDDARANGAPPA AGED ABOUT 77 YEARS S/O LATE KANEGOWDA

ALL ARE RESIDENTS OF GULLADAMANE NANDI POST, TALUK – 577 134. ... PETITIONERS

(BY SRI H MOHAN KUMAR, ADVOCATE)

AND:

1. THE DEPUTY COMMISSIONER CHIKMAGALUR DISTRICT CHIKMAGALUR – 577 134.

2. THE SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE CHIKMAGALUR DISTRICT, CHIKMAGALUR – 577 134.

3. THE DIVISIONAL FOREST OFFICER BHADRAVATHI DIVISION BHADRAVATHI SHIMOGA DISTRICT – 577 134.

4. THE ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER TARIKERE CHIKMAGALUR DISTRICT – 577 134.

5. THE TAHSILDAR TARIKERE TALUK CHIKMAGALUR DISTRICT – 577 134.

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6. THE DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT OF POLICE CHIKMAGALUR DISTRICT – 577 134.

7. THE ASSISTANT CONSERVATOR OF FORESTS TARIKERE SUB-DIVISION TARIKERE, CHIKMAGALUR DISTRICT – 577 134.

8. B.V.UMAMAHESHWARACHAR S/O KRISHNAPPA AGED ABOUT 56 YEARS, HOSAMANE BADAVANE, BHADRAVATHI, SHIMOGA DISTRICT.

9. T.S.KUMAR S/O SRINIVAS AGED ABOUT 38 YEARS, GALIHALLI, KODICAMP, TARIKERE. CHIKMAGALUR – 577 134.

10. RAGHAVENDRA S/O SUBRAMANI AGED ABOUT 37 YEARS, LINGADAHALLI VILLAGE, TARIKERE TALUK.

11. T.S.ALIAS BASHA S/O T.S.NASEER AHAMED AGED ABOUT 39 YEARS, MANDALKAN STREET, TARIKERE.

12. SANAULLA L.B. S/O BASHASAB AGED ABOUT 49 YEARS, LINGADAHALLI VILLAGE, TARIKERE TALUK.

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13. T.S.KUMAR S/O T.SHANKARAPPA AGED ABOUT 38 YEARS, TARIKERE TALUK, TARIKERE.

14. H.R.DEVARAJ S/O THIMMAIAH AGED ABOUT 39 YEARS, GALIHALLI, KODICAMP, TARIKERE.

15. N.MAHESHWARAPPA S/O B.C.LINGAPPA AGED ABOUT 36 YEARS, KODICAMP, TARIKERE.

16. G.BYRAPPA S/O LIKSHMANAPPA AGED ABOUT 55 YEARS, KODICAMP, TARIKERE.

17. T.M.TIPPESWAMY S/O LAKSHMANAPPA AGED ABOUT 55 YEARS, GALIHALLI, KODICAMP, TARIKERE.

18. MOHAMMED GOUSE S/O BASHEASAB AGED ABOUT 48 YEARS, GALIHALLI, KODICAMP, TARIKERE.

19. DASTAGIRI S/O MOHAMMED KASIM AGED ABOUT 48 YEARS, GALIHALLI, KODICAMP, TARIKERE.

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20. SALEEM JAN W/O LATE ABDUL KHADAR AGED ABOUT 60 YEARS, LAKKAVALLI VILLAGE, TARIKERE TALUK.

21. ASMATHULLA S/O AMAANULLA AGED ABOUT 38 YEARS, GALIHALLI, KODICAMP, TARIKERE.

22. MANSOOR BAIG S/O BASHASAB AGED ABOUT 39 YEARS, GALIHALLI, KODICAMP, ARIKERE.

23. SAROJAMMA W/O LATE RANGAPPA AGED ABOUT 42 YEARS, LINGADAHALLI HOBLI, TARIKERE TLAUK.

24. ANITHA W/O PARMESH AGED ABOUT 39 YEARS, GALIHALLI, KODICAMP, TARIKERE.

25. KAMALAMMA W/O LATE GANGADHARACHAR AGED ABOUT 52 YEARS, GALIHALLI, KODICAMP, TARIKERE.

26. S.SUBRAMANYA

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S/O SRINIVAS MURTHY AGED ABOUT 39 YEARS, TARIKERE, TARIKERE TALUK.

27. YESHWANTH S/O SUBRAMNYA AGED ABOUT 45 YEARS, AGRICULTURIST, VIDYANAGARA BADAVANE, KODICAMP, GALIHALLI, TARIKERE.

28. AMBIKA W/O K.S.JANARDHANA AGED ABOUT 40 YEARS, AGRICULTURIST, LINGADAHALLI MAIN ROAD, VIJAYANAGARA BADAVANE, TARIKERE.

29. PADMANABHA S/O SUBAMANYA AGED ABOUT 40 YEARS, AGRICULTURIST, KODICAMP, TARIKERE.

30. BALARAJU S/O RAMAKRISHNAPPA AGED ABOUT 49 YEARS, AGRICULTURIST, (VIDYANAGARA BADAVANE, GALIHALLI, TARIKERE.) HADIKERE VILLAGE,

31. VASUDEV S/O KRISHNAPPA AGED ABOUT 58 YEARS, AGRICULTURIST,

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ASHRAYA BADAVANE, SUNDRESH NAGARA, TARIKERE.

32. ASHOK KUMAR S/O RAMAKRISHNAPPA AGED ABOUT 45 YEARS, AGRICULTURIST, GALIHALLI, 1 ST STAGE, BHOVI COLONY, TARIKERE.

33. SUBRAMANYACHAR S/O K.B.RAMACHAR AGED ABOUT 68 YEARS, AGRICULTURIST, KODICAMP 10 TH CROSS, GALIHALLI, TARIKERE.

34. T.R.SATYANARAYANA S/O RAMAKRISHNAPPA AGED ABOUT 48 YEARS, AGRICULTURIST, 4TH CROSS, KIDOCAMP, GALIHALLI, TARIKERE.

35. ANUSUYAMMA W/O VENKATASWAMY AGED ABOUT 50 YEARS, HOSAMANE BADAVANE, LEFT SIDE BHADRAVATHI, SHIMOGA DISTRICT.

36. NANJUNDACHAR S/O MALLACHAR AGED ABOUT 45 YEARS, AGRICULTURE, NAGATHIBELAGALU VILLAGE,

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BHADRAVATHI TALUK, SHIMOGA DISTRICT. …RESPONDENTS

(BY SMT.PRATHIMA HONNAPURA, HCGP FOR R1 TO R7 SRI G.S.BALAGANGADHAR, ADVOCATE FOR R9 TO R33, R35 & R36 PETITION AGAINST R34 STANDS ABATED VIDE ORDER DATED 1.9.2014)

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THIS WRIT PETITION IS FILED UNDER ARTICLES 226 AND 227 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF PRAYING TO DIRECT TO THE RESPONDENTS TO PROTECT THE STATE AND SOCIAL FOREST IN SY.NO.37 (OLD NO.45) MEASURING AN EXTENT OF 361 ACRES SITUATED AT KENCHENALLI VILLAGE, LINGADAHALLI HOBLI, TARIKERE TALUK, CHIKMAGALUR DISTRICT.

THIS WRIT PETITION COMING ON FOR PRELIMINARY HEARING THIS DAY, K.L.MANJUNATH J., DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING:-

JUDGMENT

The petitioners are the residents of Gulladamane.

The present petition is filed to direct the respondents to

protect the forest on the ground that the Survey Number

37 of Kenchenahalli village ,Lingadahalli Hobli, Taikere

Taluk, Chikmagalur District, in all measuring 617 acres 20

guntas. Out of which 253 acres is forest land remaining

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361 acres is a revenue land. Out of 361 acres of revenue land, 142 acres 20 guntas is transferred to the Land Bank made by the Government which has been converted into social forest. Contending that the Government is trying to grant the and in the remaining revenue land, the present petition is filed to direct the State and social forest situated in Sy.No.37 to an extent of 361 acres in Kenchenahalli village and also to issue direction to register the case against mischief mongers who are trying to cut and remove the standing trees in the forest and also to implement Annexure-E wherein the application filed by different persons for the regularization of the unauthorised cultivation is rejected by the Government.

2. The respondent-State has filed the counter.

According to the State Government, the Government has protected the interest of the petitioners. The entire forest area has been enclosed and it has not allowed any person to encroach the forest land or the land which has been ear

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marked for social forest and further that the action has already been initiated for the offence punishable under the

Forest Act. Therefore the respondents requests the Court to dismiss the petition.

3. Having heard the learned counsel appearing for the parties we do not find any reasons to entertain the writ petition for the following reasons:-

Even according to the petitioners out of 617 acres 20 guntas of land 253 acres is the reserve forest and out of the remaining 361 aces of revenue land, 142 acres and 20 gunats is transferred to Land Bank. The said land has been ear marked for social forest. When these two piece of lands are protected by the Government as a reserve forest and social forestry considering the grievance of the petitioners do not arise. Even otherwise the Government has taken a specific stand that it is protecting the forest area and so also the area ear marked for social forest under Land Grant Rules. If the Government is interested

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to dispose off the remaining land in Sy.No.37 of

Kenchenahalli village the petitioners cannot have any grievance unless such grants are contrary to the Land

Grant Rules. Therefore this petition is dismissed.

Sd/- JUDGE

Sd/- JUDGE

Rsk