7,8&20-wp.11140,11148&.2026&wpst.23532.2026.doc IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION WRIT PETITION NO.11140 OF 2026 Alka Suryakant Karale ...Petitioner Versus State of Maharashtra and Ors. ...Respondents WITH WRIT PETITION NO.11148 OF 2026 Bajranglal Richhpal Gupta ...Petitioner Versus State of Maharashtra and Ors. ...Respondents WITH WRIT PETITION (STAMP) NO.23532 OF 2026 Aziz Esmail Dhariwala and Ors. ...Petitioners Versus The State of Maharashtra and Ors. ...Respondents Mr. Balasaheb G. Ligade i/b. Mr. Drupad S. Patil for the Petitioners in all the petitions. Mr. M. M. Pabale, A.G.P. for the Respondent-State in WP/11140/2026 and WPST/23532/2026 Mr. Karan Thorat, ‘B’ Panel Counsel for the Respondent-State in WP/11148/2026. N. S. Chitnis 1/3 NISHA SANDEEP CHITNIS Digitally signed by NISHA SANDEEP CHITNIS Date: 2026.09.03 13:41:19 +0530 7,8&20-wp.11140,11148&.2026&wpst.23532.2026.doc CORAM: BHARATI DANGRE & ASHISH S. CHAVAN, JJ. DATE : 31st AUGUST 2026 P.C. : 1. In the wake of the directions issued by us in a bunch of Writ Petitions, the lead Petition being Writ Petition No.1536 of 2017, decided on 23rd July 2026, as well the directions issued in Writ Petition No.5344 of 2026 decided on 24th August 2026, we deem it appropriate to permit the petitioners to prefer a representation to the Deputy Conservator of Forests and permit the petitions to be treated as a representation to be placed before the Scrutiny Committee which shall follow the mandate as set out in the Government Resolution dated 13th August 2026, issued by the Revenue and Forest Department, streamlining for redressal of grievance of those who claim that their lands have been wrongly mutated as ‘Private Forests’ without following the procedure laid down in Section 35 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927. All the proceedings shall be adjudicated by the Scrutiny Committee in expeditious manner. N. S. Chitnis 2/3 7,8&20-wp.11140,11148&.2026&wpst.23532.2026.doc With the aforesaid directions, all the aforesaid writ petitions stand disposed of. ASHISH S. CHAVAN, J. BHARATI DANGRE, J. N. S. Chitnis 3/3