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Nagarajan @ Vaigai Rajan v. Union of India, Represented by The Principal Secretary

Madras HC18 Jun 2026WP(MD)/16819/2026

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

Keywords: Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve; Manjolai; Agasthiyamalai biosphere; Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation (BBTCL); removal of tea plantations and invasive species; planting and preservation of native trees; restoration of Reserve Forest; Zamin Singampatti Village; Singampatti Forest Block; Ambasamudram Taluk; Tirunelveli; Tenkasi; Article 226 writ of mandamus; environment and forests; writ petition closed as relief covered by Supreme Court orders in Civil Appeal Nos.6395–6397 of 2025; compliance reports due 01.09.2026.

What did the court decide?

No relief granted by this Court; the writ petition was closed as the relief sought is already covered by the orders of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India. ¶37

Nagarajan @ Vaigai Rajan Vs Union of India… — Writ and Judicial Review | Madras HC (2026)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

No relief granted by this Court; the writ petition was closed as the relief sought is already covered by the orders of the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India.

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Issue for consideration

Whether a writ of mandamus should issue directing respondent Nos. 1 to 6 to remove the tea plantations and other invasive species from Survey No. 251 of Zamin Singampatti Village Part II, Singampatti Forest Block, Ambasamudram Taluk, Tirunelveli District, within the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, and to plant, nurture and preserve native trees to restore the area to its original ecological condition.

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Court's answer

Since the order passed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India covers the relief sought by the petitioner in the present writ petition, no further directions are required in this matter.

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Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Madras High Court (Madurai Bench), N. Sathish Kumar & P.B. Balaji, JJ. — W.P(MD)No.16819 of 2026, decided 18.06.2026: The petitioner sought a writ of mandamus directing respondents 1 to 6 to remove tea plantations and other invasive species from Survey No. 251 of Zamin Singampatti Village Part II, Singampatti Forest Block, Ambasamudram Taluk, Tirunelveli District, within the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, and to plant, nurture and preserve native trees to restore the area to its original ecological condition. The Court noted that an earlier Division Bench order in W.P.(MD) Nos.15001 of 2024 etc. had already directed that the lands leased out to BBTCL be restored to the Government and that the entire landscape be maintained as Reserve Forest with its original forest cover; that order has been upheld by the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India, which has also issued several further directions in Civil Appeal Nos.6395–6397 of 2025 concerning Manjolai and other areas in the Agasthiyamalai biosphere, with the matter posted on 01.09.2026 for compliance reports. Since the Supreme Court's orders cover the relief sought, no further directions were required; the writ petition was closed without costs, and the connected W.M.P(MD)Nos.12461 & 12462 of 2026 were also closed.

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W.P(MD)No.16819 of 2026

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BEFORE THE MADURAI BENCH OF MADRAS HIGH COURT

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DATED : 18.06.2026

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CORAM:

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THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE N.SATHISH KUMAR and

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THE HONOURABLE MR.JUSTICE P.B. BALAJI

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W.P(MD)No.16819 of 2026 and

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W.M.P(MD)Nos.12461 & 12462 of 2026

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Nagarajan @ Vaigai Rajan

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... Petitioner

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vs.

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1.Union of India, Represented by The Principal Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Indira Paryavaran Bhavan, Ali Ganj, Jorbagh Road, New Delhi.

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2.State of Tamil Nadu, Represented by The Principal Secretary, Environment, Climate Change and Forests Department, State Secretariat, Fort St. George, Chennai.

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3.The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Office of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests,

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1/6

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https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis

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Forest Headquarters building, Guindy-Velachery Main Road, Near Kannikapuram Checkpost, Guindy, Chennai.

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W.P(MD)No.16819 of 2026

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4.The District Collector, Office of the District Collector, Tirunelveli District.

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5.The District Collector, Office of the District Collector, Tenkasi District.

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6.The Field Director, Kalakad Mudunthurai Tiger Sanctuary, NGO Colony, Tirunelveli District.

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7.The Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation (P) Ltd., Through its Group Manager, Majolai Estates, Ambasamuthiram Taluk, Tirunelveli District. ... Respondents

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PRAYER : Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying for issuance of a Writ of Mandamus, directing the respondent Nos.1 to 6 to remove the tea plantations and other invasive species from Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve at Survey No.251 of Zamin Singampatti Village Pat II, Singampatti Forest Block, Ambasamudram Taluk, Tirunelveli District and to take appropriate action to plant, nurture and preserve native trees in order to restore Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve areas to its original state in accordance with law.

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https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis

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For Petitioner : Dr.R.Alagumani For R1 to R6 : Mr.C.Jeganathan Counsel for State

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W.P(MD)No.16819 of 2026

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ORDER

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(Order of the Court was made by N.SATHISH KUMAR, J.)

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The present Writ Petition has been filed seeking the issuance of a Writ of Mandamus directing Respondent Nos. 1 to 6 to remove the tea plantations and other invasive species from the area situated in Survey No. 251 of Zamin Singampatti Village Part II, Singampatti Forest Block, Ambasamudram Taluk, Tirunelveli District, within the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, and to take appropriate steps to plant, nurture, and preserve native tree species so as to restore the said area of the Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve to its original ecological condition in accordance with law.

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Though the writ petition has been filed with a laudable objective, an earlier order passed by the Division Bench of this Court in a batch of writ petitions in W.P.(MD) Nos.15001 of 2024 etc., directed that the lands leased out to BBTCL be restored to the Government and that the entire landscape be

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3/6

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https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis

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W.P(MD)No.16819 of 2026

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maintained as Reserve Forest with its original forest cover. The said order of the Division Bench has already been upheld by the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India. Apart from this, several other directions have also been issued by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in Civil Appeal Nos.6395–6397 of 2025, not only with respect to Manjolai but also in relation to other areas in Agasthiyamalai biosphere. The matter is presently posted on 01.09.2026 for filing of further compliance reports.

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Since the order passed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India covers the relief sought by the petitioner in the present writ petition, no further directions are required in this matter.

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Accordingly, the writ petition is closed. No costs. Consequently, the connected miscellaneous petitions are also closed.

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[N.S.K.,J.] [P.B.B.,J.] 18.06.2026

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NCC : Yes / No Index : Yes / No Internet : Yes am

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4/6

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https://www.mhc.tn.gov.in/judis

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W.P(MD)No.16819 of 2026

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1.The Principal Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Union of India, Represented by Forest and Climate Change, Indira Paryavaran Bhavan, Ali Ganj, Jorbagh Road, New Delhi.

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2.The Principal Secretary, Environment, Climate Change and Forests Department, State Secretariat, Fort St. George, Chennai.

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3.The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Office of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Forest Headquarters building, Guindy-Velachery Main Road, Near Kannikapuram Checkpost, Guindy, Chennai.

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