The Bombay High Court recently directed the Collector of Mumbai Suburban District to look into the allegations made in a PIL about encroachment on 450 acres of ‘Khoti land’ (property owned by zamindars or landlords) in suburban Mulund. According to the petitioner, there is encroachment by trespassing on these lands.
The division bench of Chief Justice Dr Manjula Chellur and Justice M.S. Sonak, issued this direction recently. The bench asked the Collector of Mumbai Suburban District to treat the public interest litigation (PIL), filed by activist Bhushan Samant, on the ‘Khoti land’ issue as a representation and decide upon it within four months.
According to bench “In order to contend that there is unauthorised occupation of these lands after the Khoti land Abolition Act, several factual ascertainment exercise has to be undertaken...we are of the opinion that this is not the stage for us to opine regarding the nature of land.”
