WP-2914-2026+forest group.odt rajshree IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT BOMBAY CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION WRIT PETITION NO.2914 OF 2026 Vanita Siddharth Bhandari ....Petitioner V/S State of Maharashtra & Ors. ....Respondents ALONGWITH WRIT PETITION NO.3606 OF 2026 Shalini Milind Walanj ....Petitioner V/S State of Maharashtra & Ors. ....Respondents ALONGWITH WRIT PETITION NO.3607 OF 2026 Ganpat Raghu Mengde ....Petitioner V/S State of Maharashtra & Ors. ....Respondents ALONGWITH WRIT PETITION NO.3612 OF 2026 Sagar Nandkumar Walanj & Anr. ....Petitioners V/S State of Maharashtra & Ors. ....Respondents ALONGWITH WRIT PETITION NO.3614 OF 2026 Taibai Mahipati Hundare & Ors. ....Petitioners V/S State of Maharashtra & Ors. ....Respondents ALONGWITH WRIT PETITION NO.3615 OF 2026 Taibai Mahipati Hundare ....Petitioner 1/6 RAJSHREE KISHOR MORE Digitally signed by RAJSHREE KISHOR MORE Date: 2026.09.08 09:38:07 +0530 WP-2914-2026+forest group.odt V/S State of Maharashtra & Ors. ....Respondents ALONGWITH WRIT PETITION NO.3616 OF 2026 Nandkumar Sonu Walanj ....Petitioner V/S State of Maharashtra & Ors. ....Respondents ALONGWITH WRIT PETITION NO.3617 OF 2026 Annamarie Kith Nazresth Through PoA ....Petitioner V/S State of Maharashtra & Ors. ....Respondents ALONGWITH WRIT PETITION NO.3618 OF 2026 Santosh Raichand Gandhi & Ors. ....Petitioners V/S State of Maharashtra & Ors. ....Respondents ALONGWITH WRIT PETITION NO.3619 OF 2026 Vandana Kisan Khondge ....Petitioner V/S State of Maharashtra & Ors. ....Respondents ALONGWITH WRIT PETITION NO.3620 OF 2026 Rohini Sharad Gadsingh ....Petitioner V/S State of Maharashtra & Ors. ....Respondents ALONGWITH WRIT PETITION NO.3621 OF 2026 Sagar Nandkumar Walanj & Ors. ....Petitioners 2/6 WP-2914-2026+forest group.odt V/S State of Maharashtra & Ors. ....Respondents ALONGWITH WRIT PETITION NO.3622 OF 2026 Gautam Keshavji Thakkar through PoA ....Petitioner V/S State of Maharashtra & Ors. ....Respondents ALONGWITH WRIT PETITION NO.4521 OF 2026 Nilesh Vitthal Kokne ....Petitioner V/S State of Maharashtra & Ors. ....Respondents WITH WRIT PETITION NO.4526 OF 2026 Yashwant Gangaram Mali ....Petitioner V/S State of Maharashtra & Ors. ....Respondents WITH WRIT PETITION NO.4527 OF 2026 Narayan Ganpat Ambekar ....Petitioner V/S State of Maharashtra & Ors. ....Respondents WITH WRIT PETITION NO.4525 OF 2026 Narsing Sitaram Shinde ....Petitioner V/S State of Maharashtra & Ors. ....Respondents WITH WRIT PETITION NO.4538 OF 2026 Sheetal Mahesh Parvate ....Petitioner 3/6 WP-2914-2026+forest group.odt V/S State of Maharashtra & Ors. ....Respondents WITH WRIT PETITION NO.4528 OF 2026 Ashish Ashok Wardhe & Ors. ....Petitioners V/S State of Maharashtra & Ors. ....Respondents Mr.Yash Naik i/b Mr.Atharva R.B. for the Petitioner in WP No.2914/2026. Mr.Yash Naik for the Petitioners in WP Nos.3606/2026, 3607/2026, 3612/2026, 3614/2026,3615/2026, 3616/2026, 3617/2026, 3618/2026,3619/2026, 3620/2026, 3621/2022 and 3622/2026. Mr.Yash Naik i/b Mr.Swapnil Telank for the Petitioners in WP No.4521/2026, WP No.4526/2026, WP No.4527/2026, WP NO.4525/2026, WP No.4538/2026,WP No. 4528/2026. Mr.A.I. Patel, Addl. GP a/w Mr.Karan S. Thorat, B Panel Counsel for the State. Ms.Shruti Vyas, Addl. GP a/w Ms.Savita Prabhune, AGP, Ms.G.R. Raghuvanshi, AGP and Mr.Karan S. Thorat, B Panel Counsel for State. Ms.Shruti D. Vyas, Addl. GP a/w Ms.G.R. Raghuvanshi, AGP for State in WP No.3606/2026. Ms.Shruti D. Vyas, Addl. GP a/w Mr.M.M.Pable, AGP for State in WP No.3612/2026. Ms.Shruti D. Vyas, Addl. GP a/w Mr.Karan S. Thorat, B Panel Counsel for State in WP No.3622/2026. Mr.O.A. Chandurkar, Addl. GP a/w Mr.Karan. S. Thorat, B Panel counsel for State in WP NO.3607/2026. Mr.O.A. Chandurkar, Addl. GP a/w Ms.Savita Prabhune, AGP for State in WP No.3616/2026. Ms.Savita Prabhune, AGP for State in WP No.3614/2026. Mr.M.M. Pable, AGP for State in WP No.3615/2026, WP 4/6 WP-2914-2026+forest group.odt No.3620/2026. Mr.A.I. Patel, AGP for State in WP No.3617/2026. Mr.A.I. Patel, Addl. GP a/w Ms.Savita Prabhune, AGP for State in WP No.3618/2026, WP No.3619/2026. Mr.Karan Thorat, B Panel Counsel for State in WP No.3621/2026. CORAM : BHARATI DANGRE & ASHISH S. CHAVAN, JJ DATE : 7th SEPTEMBER 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 as the directions issued in Writ Petition No.5344/2026 decided on 24/08/2026, we deem it appropriate to permit the Petitioners to prefer a representation to the Deputy Conservator of Forests, and permit the Petition 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, streaming for redressal of grievance of those who claim that their lands have been wrongly mutated as ‘Private Forest’ without following the procedure laid down in Section 35 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927. 2 All the pleadings shall be adjudicated by the Scrutiny Committee in an expeditious manner. 5/6 WP-2914-2026+forest group.odt 3 With the aforesaid directions, the Writ Petitions stand disposed of. Interim Applications, if any, also stand disposed of. [ASHISH S. CHAVAN, J.] [BHARATI DANGRE, J.] 6/6