- 1 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:22779 WP No. 9896 of 2026 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 23RD DAY OF APRIL, 2026 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SACHIN SHANKAR MAGADUM WRIT PETITION NO. 9896 OF 2026 (GM-FOR) BETWEEN: 1. SRI. DILIP APPACHU AGED ABOUT 69 YEARS, S/O LATE SM APPACHU, R/AT. CHETTALLI VILLAGE, SOMVARPETE TALUK, KODAGU - 571 248. REPRESENTED BY HIS GPA HOLDER SRI. T PMEMI, S/O. LATE MOOSAN HAJI, AGED ABOUT 59 YEARS, PROPRIETOR OF IRRKKUR TIMBERS ...PETITIONER (BY SMT. LEELA P DEVADIGA, ADVOCATE) AND: 1. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA DEPARTMENT OF FORESTS, ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT, REP. BY ITS ADDITIONAL CHIEF SECRETARY, MS BUILDING, BANGALORE - 560 003. 2. THE DEPUTY CONSERVATOR OF FORESTS, MADIKERI DIVISION, KODAGU - 571 201. 3. THE DEPUTY CONSERVATOR OF FORESTS, MADIKERI DIVISION, KODAGU - 571 201. Digitally signed by NAGARAJA B M Location: HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA - 2 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:22779 WP No. 9896 of 2026 ...RESPONDENTS (BY SRI. VIKAS ROJIPURA, AGA) THIS WP IS FILED UNDER ARTICLES 226 AND 227 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA PRAYING TO DIRECTING RESPONDENTS TO REFUND THE ENTIRE UNPAID AMOUNT FROM THE SALE PROCEEDS OF THE TREES AMOUNTING TO RS.89,71,764/- WITHOUT ANY DEDUCTIONS, ALONG WITH INTEREST AT THE RATE OF 12 PERCENT PER ANNUM AS DAMAGES FROM THE DATE OF AUCTION UNTIL THE DATE OF PAYMENT AND ETC., THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR PRELIMINARY HEARING, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SACHIN SHANKAR MAGADUM ORAL ORDER The captioned petition is filed seeking for the following reliefs: "i. Issue an appropriate writ, order or direction in the nature of mandamus directing Respondents to refund the entire unpaid amount from the sale proceeds of the trees amounting to Rs.89,71,764/- without any deductions, along with interest at the rate of 12% per annum as damages from the date of auction until the date of payment, in the interest of justice. ii. Issue an appropriate writ, order or direction in the nature of certiorari quashing the official - 3 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:22779 WP No. 9896 of 2026 memorandum dated Nil.05.2023 vide bearing No.A4/ADM/MARA/CR-4/2016-17 issued by the 3rd respondent, produced herewith as Annexure-F, insofar as it holds that the petitioner is not entitled to the sale proceeds of the trees on the ground that they had grown prior to the land becoming paradeenasagu bane land, as being illegal, arbitrary and without authority is law. iii. Pass such other writ, order, or direction as this Hon'ble Court deems fit under the facts and circumstances of the case, to secure the ends of justice." 2. Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned AGA appearing for the respondents. 3. The facts leading to the case are as under: The petitioner asserts absolute ownership and lawful physical possession over the coffee estate lands bearing Sy.Nos.79/3, 78/3, 81/2 and 69/2 situated at Abhyathamangala Village, Kushalnagar Taluk, Kodagu District. It is the specific case of the petitioner that the - 4 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:22779 WP No. 9896 of 2026 subject lands are “redeemed paradeenasagu bane lands”, i.e., alienated bane lands, which, upon such redemption and assessment to land revenue, vest in the occupant with complete, absolute and unfettered rights not only over the land but also over the standing trees therein. Elaborating this contention, it is urged that once the land is brought under assessment to land revenue, the holder acquires plenary title and interest, free from any residual claim of the State. It is in this backdrop that the petitioner calls in question the action of the respondent-authorities in withholding a sum of Rs.89,71,764/- while disbursing the proceeds relatable to felling of trees, on the premise that the trees in question were grown prior to the land attaining the status of paradeenasagu bane land. 4. Heard the learned counsel appearing for the parties. The short but significant question that arises for consideration is as to whether respondent Nos.2 and 3, while effecting disbursement of the amount towards felling of trees standing on the petitioner’s land, were justified in - 5 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:22779 WP No. 9896 of 2026 withholding a sum of Rs.89,71,764/- on the ground now urged. 5. This issue is no longer res integra and stands squarely covered by the judgment rendered by this Court in W.P.No.52337/2016. It would be apposite to extract paragraph 7.6 of the said judgment, which reads as under: "7.6 Thus, in that view of the matter, whether the age of the trees was 34 years, greater or lesser than 34 years, is of no relevance. Since from the date on which the amendment came into force, the holder of the land is a full owner and the State would not have any right, title or interest in either the land of the trees grown on the said land. Albeit, if any permission is required to cut any particular/protected variety of trees, the owner would have to secure such requisite permission. That apart, there is no other manner of right, title or interest that the Government can claim as regards the said land or the trees grown on the said land." 6. On a careful consideration of the law laid down in the aforesaid judgment, this Court is of the considered - 6 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:22779 WP No. 9896 of 2026 view that the controversy sought to be raised by the respondent-authorities stands conclusively settled. The Coordinate Bench has unequivocally held that once the landholder acquires absolute ownership consequent upon the statutory amendment, the State is denuded of any right, title or interest either in the land or in the trees standing thereon. The age of the trees or the period of their growth, whether anterior or subsequent to such conferment of rights, has been held to be wholly irrelevant. The only limited caveat carved out pertains to obtaining requisite permissions in respect of notified or protected species, which aspect does not clothe the State with any proprietary claim over the trees. 7. In the light of the authoritative pronouncement of the Coordinate Bench, which squarely governs the field, and having regard to the admitted factual matrix of the present case, this Court finds that the action of the respondents in withholding a portion of the amount payable to the petitioner is wholly untenable in law. The - 7 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:22779 WP No. 9896 of 2026 present case stands on an identical footing and is analogous in all material particulars to the case decided by the Coordinate Bench. Therefore, on the principle of parity and consistency in judicial decisions, the petitioner is entitled to succeed and secure release of the withheld amount. 8. Accordingly, for the foregoing reasons, this Court proceeds to pass the following: ORDER (i) The writ petition is hereby allowed; (ii) The respondents are directed to release the withheld amount of Rs.89,71,764/- (Rupees Eighty Nine Lakhs Seventy One Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty Four only) to the petitioner, without any deductions, together with interest at the rate of 12% per annum, computed from the date of auction/felling till the date of actual payment; (iii) The aforesaid exercise shall be completed within an outer limit of six (6) weeks - 8 - HC-KAR NC: 2026:KHC:22779 WP No. 9896 of 2026 from the date of receipt of a certified copy of this order; (iv) It is made clear that any further delay or non-compliance shall entail appropriate consequences in accordance with law. SD/- (SACHIN SHANKAR MAGADUM) JUDGE CA