Supreme Court Reaffirms Absolute Protection Of Forest Land: Illegal Agricultural Leases Cannot Be Regularised

Introduction

In a decisive ruling reinforcing India's environmental protection regime, the Supreme Court in State of Karnataka & Ors. v. Gandhi Jeevan Collective Farming Co-operative Society Ltd.¹ has held that forest land cannot be leased, continued, or regularised for agricultural purposes in violation of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. The Court categorically ruled that prolonged or historical possession of forest land does not legitimise an otherwise illegal grant, and that courts cannot permit continuation of non-forest use merely on equitable considerations. The judgment highlights the primacy of statutory forest protection over administrative lapses and private claims.