The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has been installing boards around 100 acres of land currently under the possession of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) since last Friday, declaring that the area has been reserved for a park. This action follows a stay granted by the Supreme Court on a February 2026 order of the Bombay High Court.
Background of the Land Dispute
The Bombay High Court had previously ruled that 217 acres of land in Manpada, Thane, could not be classified as private forest. The court dismissed the state government's challenge to a 2017 order of the Maharashtra Revenue Tribunal, which had set aside the state's acquisition of the land. The high court noted that no proper notice had been served to the landowner, D Dahyabhai and Co Pvt Ltd, before the acquisition, rendering the state's plea invalid. The dispute has its origins five decades ago.
High Court Directive and TMC's Financial Implications
The high court directed the TMC to grant Dahyabhai development rights and transfer of development rights (TDR) within 21 days for the 100 acres reserved for a park. This would have cost the corporation approximately Rs 2,800 crore. The TMC challenged this order in the Supreme Court through a special leave petition, which the apex court stayed in April.
SGNP's Intervention and Government Inaction
Meanwhile, the Sanjay Gandhi National Park authorities wrote to the state government, followed by reminders, urging the government to file a review petition and subsequently a special leave petition before the Supreme Court challenging the high court order. The last date for filing such a petition is May 20. However, sources indicate that the government has yet to make a decision.
Police Presence and Demarcation Process
Following the Supreme Court's stay, the TMC, amid heavy police bandobast, began erecting boards to secure the land. Prashant Kadam, Deputy Commissioner of Police for Zone-5 of Thane city police, stated that the demarcation process for the land is ongoing. “As a precautionary measure, to avoid any potential law and order issues, a police bandobast has been actively deployed in the area. The restricted zone will be opened to the public once the physical demarcation is completed and the concerned authorities have received all the requisite legal documents,” he said.
Clarification from TMC Commissioner
However, TMC Commissioner Saurabh Rao denied imposing any restrictions on the movement of residents in the area. “We have not set up any boards declaring that the area is private property, as has been claimed, nor have we restricted access to the residents,” he clarified.
