Meera Bhardwaj:
This is the saga of a three decade long legal battle to evict encroachers who did not vacate a pristine reserve forest in Sirsi taluk of Uttar Kannada district despite eviction notices served umpteen times by the Karnataka Forest Department (KFD). The reserve forest measuring 389.07 acres is a thick forest and is a known “corridor” for movement of elephants, leopards and other wildlife.
The Karnataka High Court which has reserved its judgement till next month will pronounce its orders on July 9, 2026 on the eviction of Sri Kamadhenu Milk Cooperative & Fruit Processing Society from 389.07 acres of reserve forest that is situated in the three villages of Western Ghats bound Sirsi taluk.
Shockingly, this reserve forest with varied wildlife was given on lease to the Kamadhenu Society in 1969 by the erstwhile Veerendra Patil government. With the lease period ending on 1.12.1989, the Kamadhenu Society refused to vacate the reserve forest land.
For the Karnataka Forest Department, it has been a long battle of wits involving a history of eviction notices and eviction orders by concerned forest officials, filing of writ appeals by the Kamadhenu Society, frequent rejections in the Sirsi civil court and the Dharwad and Bengaluru benches of the Karnataka High Court.
In the above picture of the Kamadhenu lease land, it is clearly evident – how from the Sorab (Shivamogga district) side of the lease area, it is contiguous with dense forests, highlighting its ecologically sensitive surroundings.
Based on earlier precedents, judgments and orders passed by both the High Court and Supreme Court, the Karnataka Forest Department is hopeful of vacating the encroachers from the 389.07 acres of this moist deciduous forests that is located between Banavasi and Sirsi in Uttar Kannada district of Karnataka.
HIGH COURT ORDER ON JULY 9
Speaking to Green Minute News, Sirsi DCF Sandip Suryawanshi said, “Currently, the matter is in the High Court as the respondents went to the court when they were served eviction notices by the CCF, Kanara Circle on June 9, 2026. We have filed caveats in the Dharwad & Bengaluru bench on June 10. However, they filed a writ appeal on 16 June in the Dharwad bench. After the first hearing on June 17, we filed our objections on 22 June. The matter came up for hearing on June 24 and now the High Court has posted the matter for dictating orders on July 9.”
Further, this is a historical route for movement for elephants since the times of Kadambas, although not notified as an elephant corridor, the DCF adds. “Lot of movement of wildlife has been noticed in this region and the footprints of movement can be witnessed in the agricultural fields and to mitigate the conflict, we have to restore the natural forests.”
THE LANDMARK KALGHATGI ORDER
DCF Suryawanshi further said, “We are very hopeful of a favourable order in the background of a similar case at Kalghatgi, Dharwad as the lease period in this case had expired in 1986. On 18.12.2025, the Supreme Court ruled that 134 acres of reserve forest land in Kalghatgi taluk cannot be used for agriculture by the Gandhi Jeevan Collective Farming Society.”
Overturning the High Court orders, the apex court ordered the land’s complete ecological restoration and directed the KFD to plant indigenous tree species, the DCF informed. Earlier, the High Court had permitted the Society to make a representation to the Centre for continuation of lease but the Supreme Court set aside High Court’s direction and directed restoration of forest land within 12 months.
Now what is the history behind leasing of 389.07 acres of reserve forest for non-forestry purposes?
It was in 1969 that the Karnataka Government led by Veerendra Patil and Finance Minister Ramakrishna Hegde that this reserve forest land was leased to the Sri Kamadhenu Milk Cooperative & Fruit Processing Society for non-forestry purposes. This was an era where the Forest (Conservation) Act,1980 had not been enacted and many state governments during that period had leased many forest lands across the country.
Let us list the protracted KFD’s battle with the Sri Kamadhenu Milk Cooperative & Fruit Processing Society for more than three decades :
02.12.1969: State govt leased 389.07 acres of reserve forest land in three villages of Sirsi taluk to Sri Kamadhenu Milk Cooperative & Fruit Processing Society for a period of 30 years but with certain conditions.
12.2.1976: The lease period was reduced from 30 years to 20 years which effectively meant the lease would last till 01.12.1989.
25.10.1980: But with the enactment of the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, the scenario changed as the Act completely prohibited the use of forest land for any non-forest purposes without the Centre’s approval.
27.08.1986: Taking note of under-utilization of land, the society was asked by KFD to hand over 200 acres of forest land back. However, the Society did not do it.
04.10.1993: The lease with Kamadhenu Society got terminated in 1989 as any renewal had to be as per Forest Conservation Act, 1980. So, the then DCF, Sirsi directed and served eviction notice on the Society to vacate the forest land and hand it back to KFD.
November, 1993: The Kamadhenu Society went to the Sirsi Civil Court and appealed against the eviction notice and to be declared as illegal and violating principles of natural justice.
19.07.2000: A few members of the Society even went to High Court for renewal of lease of the forest land to them, however, the court said any fresh lease needs investigation and is subject to the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court in the T Godavarman Case. So, the status quo will be maintained regarding any possession.
11.09.2002: The state govt filed writ appeal in the High Court, Bengaluru for setting aside the 19.07.2000 order. Dismissing the appeal, the court said if the renewal of the lease is not permissible, reject the same without any further delay.
26.11.2005: But later, the suit was decreed and the Sirsi Civil Court held the legal notice issued by DCF to be illegal and hence, they were restrained from evicting the Kamadhenu Society from the reserve forest.
27.05.2010 & 24.07.2010: The state govt informed the PCCF to reject the renewal lease and later directed the society to hand over the 389.07 acres of forest land back to the KFD.
05.07.2011: The 2005 Sirsi Civil Court order was challenged by the state in the Fast Track Court at Karwar which upheld the order passed by the Sirsi Civil Court.
20.09.2013: The Karnataka govt further directed that the society hand over the forest land to KFD and pay the lease rent amount of Rs 1.17 crore.
24.10.2013: The above GO was communicated to the Sri Kamadhenu Milk Cooperative & Fruit Processing Society, however, they neither returned the forest land nor paid the lease rent.
Between 2013-2025: The Kamadhenu Society file was almost closed and neither any effort was made to recover the forest land nor evict them. During this period, the KFD also failed to collect the lease rent amount of Rs 1.17 crore from the Society.
BANAVASI RFO’S REPORT
It was only this year; the case was reopened and the matter picked up pace for eviction of the encroachers. Since the Society had failed to vacate in the absence of any renewal order or pay the lease rent, Banavasi RFO Bhavya Naik requested for initiating proceedings for eviction as per Section 64A of the Karnataka Forests Act,1963.
13.01.2026: Upon receipt of the RFO’s report, the authorized officer and ACF, Sirsi Sub-division S S Ningani initiated the proceedings for eviction under Section 64A of Karnataka Forest Act, 1963. A notice was served on the Kamadhenu Society by the ACF to appear before him on January 23 and further, the matter was taken up for inquiry on February 6, 11 and 17. Reasonable time and opportunity was given to them to substantiate their claims.
17.02.2026: On conclusion of the final hearing, the ACF, Sirsi Sub-division passed the following orders: the occupation of land measuring 389.07 acres in the three villages – Golikatta, Venkatapura & Navangere of Sirsi taluk by Sri Kamadhenu Cooperative Milk & Fruit Processing Society is hereby, declared illegal and unauthorized.
Under Section 64A of Karnataka Forest Act, 1963, the Society was directed to vacate the forest land within 30 days of the order. Further, the Society will remove all structures, house, crop or any other improvements at his own cost and hand over the vacant possession to the KFD. If the society fails, the RFO is directed to evict the encroacher and remove all structures and restore the forest land to its original condition, ACF Ningani’s order stated.
21.02.2026 & 16.03.2026: The CEO of the Kamadhenu Society filed an appeal against the ACF’s order with the Appellate Authority, CCF, Kanara Circle T Heeralal.
18.04.2026, 18.05.2026 & 01.06.2026: The CCF heard their appeals and sent notice to the ACF, Sirsi Sub-division to appear on the above-mentioned dates. The Banavasi RFO presented the case on June 1st and the Kamadhenu Society accepted the facts presented before them.
Presenting the relevant documents and details of notification, Banavasi RFO said the Reserve Forest was notified on 10.08.1911. “The Society had violated a host of lease conditions by cultivating sugarcane, arecanut, maize and building houses. Further, this forest area is a Corridor for Elephants and it is a routine migratory path which has been disturbed due to the unauthorized occupation of the land by the Society.”
After hearing all the facts of the case and verifying all documents, on 09.06.2026, the Appellate Authority and CCF, Kanara Circle T Heeralal said, “The appeal by the Kamadhenu Society is dismissed as being devoid of any merit. The order passed by the ACF has been upheld and confirmed and occupation of the forest land declared as illegal and unauthorized and directed the encroachers to immediately vacate the forest land.”
Reacting to the saga of this long legal battle, activists appreciated the KFD for their steadfast efforts and work in trying to remove influential encroachers from a pristine reserve forest land and hoped the Karnataka High Court gives orders for removal of the encroachers and restoration of the forest land at the earliest.
(PHOTO CREDIT: ALL IMAGES COURTESY KARNATAKA FOREST DEPARTMENT)