Kerala Forest Act, 1961

The State of Kerala issued a notification to declare certain lands as revenue forest, which the appellant's predecessor claimed title to. The Forest Settlement Officer rejected the claim, but the Additional District Judge allowed it on appeal under Section 11 of the Kerala Forest Act. The State appealed to the High Cou…

The Nature Lovers Movement challenged the Kerala government's regularisation of forest land occupied by unauthorised settlers, arguing that Section 2 of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 is not prospective and that the state could assign forest land without Central Government approval. The Supreme Court examined the …

The appellants, a sandalwood oil business, were seized of 125 kg of sandalwood oil by police and the Divisional Forest Officer ordered its confiscation under Section 69 of the Kerala Forest Act, 1961. The High Court upheld the confiscation, treating it as if it were made under Section 61A, which authorises confiscation…

The Kerala Forest Produce (Fixation of Selling Price) Act, 1978 fixed minimum prices for forest produce and prohibited sales below those prices. Section 6 of the Act allowed the State Government, in the public interest, to exempt sales to Central or Kerala Government companies and to co‑operative societies (up to 10 cu…

The State of Kerala challenged K.D. Hills Produce Co. Ltd.'s claim of absolute ownership over a 150‑acre concession in the Kanan Devan Hills, originally granted by the Poonjar Raja in 1877 and later transferred to the company. In 1963 the company clear‑felled the area and sought free passes to transport the timber, but…

The State initiated criminal proceedings under the Kerala Forest Act, 1961 against P. Mohammed Ali and others for manufacturing and possessing sandalwood oil. The accused contended that sandalwood oil is not "wood oil" as defined in Section 2(f)(i) of the Act and therefore the trial court lacked jurisdiction. The Supre…

The State of Kerala sought to confiscate a vehicle used by the accused to transport ivory obtained from the illegal killing of wild elephants, invoking Section 61A of the Kerala Forest Act, 1961. The vehicle was seized in 1996 and the District Judge, upheld by the High Court, set aside the confiscation, holding that iv…