Writ petition seeking permit passes for cattle rearers to graze cattle in forests. Relying on an earlier order prohibiting cattle grazing in Tamil Nadu forests including tiger reserves, the High Court held the relief could not be granted and dismissed the petition.
This page shows the compact analysis of this judgement. The full analysis — procedural history, issue-by-issue holdings with ratio and obiter, advocates, and paragraph-level evidence for every claim — is being added to the record in batches and will appear here when this judgement has been through it.
W.P.(MD) No.21497 of 2018
BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT
DATED : 26.07.2024
CORAM:
THE HONOURABLE MR.D.KRISHNAKUMAR, THE ACTING CHIEF JUSTICE
AND
THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE R.VIJAYAKUMAR
W.P.(MD)No.21497 of 2018
M.Natarajan
... Petitioner
-Vs-
Page 1 of 4
W.P.(MD) No.21497 of 2018
PRAYER: Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, to issue a Writ of Mandamus, directing the respondents to issue permit pass to the cattle rearers for cattle grazing in forests.
For Petitioner : Mr.V.Kannan For Respondents : Mr.P.Thilakkumar, Government Pleader
ORDER
[Order of the Court was made by The Hon'ble The ACTING CHIEF JUSTICE]
The prayer sought for in this Writ Petition is to direct the respondents to
issue permit pass to the cattle rearers for cattle grazing in forests.
2.The learned Government Pleader appearing for the respondents would
submit that the issue involved in this Writ Petition has already been decided by this Court elaborately in W.P.(MD)No.8466 of 2020, vide order dated 04.03.2022. The relevant portion of the said order is extracted hereunder:-
“48.Considering all the above materials, it is clear that, allowing cattle to graze inside the forest, especially the Tiger Reserve, is not only causing damage to the wildlife habitats, posing serious threat to the wildlife, and also prohibited under law. The cattle owners cannot claim it as a matter of right to take their cattle inside the Tiger Reserve for grazing, and in the interest of wildlife it should
Page 2 of 4
W.P.(MD) No.21497 of 2018
be necessarily prohibited.
3.In the light of the above, we are of the view that the aforesaid decision
is squarely applicable to the facts of the present case also. Therefore, the relief sought for in this Writ Petition, seeking issuance of permit pass to the cattle rearers for cattle grazing in forests cannot be granted. Accordingly, this Writ Petition is dismissed. No costs.
[D.K.K., A.C.J.] & [R.V., J.] 26.07.2024
NCC : Yes / No Index : Yes / No Internet : Yes / No Yuva
To
1.The Chief Conservator of Forest, Panagal Building, Saidapet, Chennai.
Page 3 of 4
W.P.(MD) No.21497 of 2018
D.KRISHNAKUMAR, A.C.J.
AND
R.VIJAYAKUMAR , J.
Yuva
W.P.(MD)No.21497 of 2018
26.07.2024
Page 4 of 4
1 issue framed by the court
Whether cattle rearers can be directed to be issued permit passes for grazing cattle in forests.
Colour shows how this judgement treated each authority
W.P.(MD)No.8466 of 2020Relied on¶2
1 provisions across 1 enactments
M.Natarajan
The Chief Conservator of Forest, Chennai
The District Collector, Tirunelveli District
The District Collector, Kanniyakumari District
The District Forest Officer, Tirunelveli Region
The District Forest Officer, Kanyakumari Division, Nagercoil
D.Krishnakumar
R.Vijayakumar
As recorded by the court registry
Judgements on the same questions, provisions and authorities, from every court
