A. JOHN KENNEDY ETC. versus STATE OF TAMIL NADU AND OTHERS ETC.

Citation: [2025] 3 S.C.R. 1437 · Decided: 24-03-2025 · Supreme Court of India · Bench: VIKRAM NATH · Disposal: Directions issued

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Judgment (excerpt)

[2025] 3 S.C.R. 1437 : 2025 INSC 443
A. John Kennedy Etc. 
v. 
State of Tamil Nadu and Others Etc.
(SLP (Civil) No(s). 999-1001 of 2025)
24 March 2025
[Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta,* JJ.]
Issue for Consideration
The issues related to removal of encroachments and restoration 
of forest areas in the Agasthyamalai landscape, which includes 
within its ambit the Periyar Tiger Reserve, Srivilliputhur Grizzled 
Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary, Meghamalai and Thirunelveli Wildlife 
Sanctuaries.
Headnotes†
Forests – Western Ghats – Restoration of pristine forest areas 
and protection of tiger habitats/wildlife reserves/sanctuaries 
falling under the Agasthyamalai landscape – Directions given 
by Supreme Court – Forest Conservation Act, 1980 – Wild Life 
(Protection) Act, 1972:
Held: Forests form the lungs of the ecosystem, and any 
depletion/destruction of forest areas has a direct impact on the 
entire environment – World facing the calamities caused by the 
climate change, and the primary culprit is the depleting forest 
cover because of rapid urbanization, unchecked industrialization, 
encroachments, etc – Supreme Court has time and again passed 
mandatory directions to remove the encroachments from the forest 
areas and to curb any attempt to reduce the forest cover in the 
country –  As an interim measure, Central Empowered Committee 
(CEC) to conduct an extensive survey of the entire Agasthyamalai 
landscape, including Periyar Tiger Reserve, Srivilliputhur Grizzled 
Squirrel Wildlife Sanctuary, Meghamalai and Thirunelveli Wildlife 
Sanctuaries – CEC shall indicate in its report all instances of non-
forestry activities going on in these areas contrary to the statutory 
provisions – CEC shall recommend measures for restoration of 
(a) the reserved forests, (b) the tiger habitats, and (c) elephant 
corridors and (d) other wildlife reserves (sanctuaries) in and 
around the Agsthyamalai landscape, including the abovementioned 
* Author
1438
[2025] 3 S.C.R.
Supreme Court Reports
sanctuaries/reserves – For this purpose, the CEC may employ all 
scientific procedures including Remote Sensing Satellite Imagery, 
Geo Mapping etc. [Paras 2, 4, 27, 29]
Case Law Cited
T.N. Godavarman Thirumalpad v. Union of India and Ors. [2006] 
3 SCR 1024 : (2006) 1 SCC 1; State of Telangana and Others v. 
Mohd. Abdul Qasim(Dead) Per LRs [2024] 5 SCR 81 : (2024) 6 
SCC 461; In Re : T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad v. Union Of India 
and Ors. (IA No. 20650 of 2023) (2025) 2 SCC 641 – referred to.
Bombay Burma Trading Corporation Ltd. and Ors. v. State of Tamil 
Nadu and Ors. (2018) 1 CTC 733 – referred to.
List of Acts
Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972; Forest Conservation Act, 1980; 
Tamil Nadu Forests Act, 1882.
List of Keywords
Singampatti Zamin forests lands; Wildlife Sanctuary; Tiger 
Reserve; Reserve forest; Deputy Director and Wildlife Warden; 
BBTCL (Bombay Burma Trading Corporation Limited); Lease; 
Non-forestry purposes; Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve; 
Core Critical Tiger Habitat; Environment & Forests Department; 
Ecosystem; Climate change; Depleting forest cover; Urbanization; 
Industrialization; Encroachments; Eco-system; Ecological  
balance.
Case Arising From
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: Special Leave Petition (Civil) 
No(s). 999-1001 of 2025
From the Judgment and Order dated 03.12.2024 of the High Court 
of Judicature at Madras in WPMD No. 13104, 13375 and 17911 
of 2024
Appearances for Parties
Advs. for the Petitioners:
Sanjay Parikh Sr. Adv., Prasanna S., Ms. Sanjana Srikumar, Ms. 
Kritika, Ms. Vanshika Mohta, Henri Tiphangne, Robert Chandra 
Kumar.
[2025] 3 S.C.R. 
1439
A. John Kennedy Etc. v. State of Tamil Nadu and Others Etc. 
Advs. for the Respondents:
Tushar Mehta, SG, Amit Anand Tiwari, Sr. Adv./A.A.G., P.S. 
Raman, Sr. Adv./Advocate General, Ms. Purnima Krishna, M.F. 
Philip, Karamveer Singh Yadav, Togin M. Babichen, Renganath, 
Ms. Saushriya Havelia, Gurmeet Singh Makker, Sarthak Karol, 
Shantanu Sharma, Madhav Sinhal, Aditya Shankar Dixit.
Judgment / Order of the Supreme Court
Order
Mehta, J.
1.	
These petitions raise two important issues for our consideration. The 
first being the preservation of Reserve Forests, Wildlife Sanctuaries 
and Tiger Reserves in the State of Tamil Nadu and the other being 
the claim of the petitioners, being the displaced tea estate workers, 
claiming rehabilitation pursuant to their eviction from an erstwhile tea 
estate by the name of Bombay Burma Trading Corporation Limited 
[for short ‘B

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