Urvi Mahajani

The Bombay High Court has ruled that Maharashtra cannot declare land as a private forest without following the mandatory procedure under the Indian Forest Act, 1927. The court also directed the State to review similar cases and restore revenue records where landowners were wrongly deprived of their rights.

The Bombay High Court has designated 23 additional fast-track courts across Maharashtra to exclusively hear paper leak and examination malpractice cases under the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024. With 25 such courts now operational, the move aims to ensure trials are completed within three months and strengthen the integrity of public examinations.

The Bombay High Court criticised the Maharashtra Government for failing to constitute Grievance Redressal Committees for street vendors despite its own deadline. Observing that only nine panels had been formed across the State, the court extended the deadline to August 31, sought a personal affidavit from the Principal Secretary and warned against continued non-compliance.

The Bombay High Court allowed the felling of 847 mangroves and 196 other trees for a transmission line linked to the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, calling it a one-time exception due to its national importance. The court ruled that distant afforestation cannot replace local ecology and directed stricter compliance with afforestation norms.

The Bombay High Court asked the Maharashtra Government to consider transferring the probe into the 2016 demolition of Buddha Bhushan Printing Press and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Bhavan to an SIT or a senior police officer. The court questioned the slow pace of the investigation, noting that statements of key witnesses are yet to be recorded nearly a decade later.

The Maharashtra Government told the Bombay High Court it cannot implement Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to use only eco-friendly clay Ganesh idols this year as most idols have already been made. The State said it will implement the appeal from next year while gradually phasing out PoP idols and promoting environmentally friendly alternatives.

The Bombay High Court granted interim relief to Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, directing Meta, X Corp and Google to remove defamatory, abusive and AI-generated deepfake content targeting him. The court termed the posts "vile" and questioned platforms on proactive moderation. Gadkari's suit seeks an injunction, removal of fake posts and ₹11 crore in damages over false E20 ethanol policy claims.

The Bombay High Court held that a Deputy Registrar of Co-operative Societies cannot reopen proceedings rejecting a housing society's bifurcation proposal merely because the original officer was transferred. The court quashed the fresh notice, ruling that the successor officer lacked review powers, while leaving the statutory appeal remedy open.

The Bombay High Court asked Ganesh mandals and PoP idol manufacturers to produce scientific evidence proving that plaster of Paris does not harm natural water bodies. The court clarified it was examining only environmental concerns related to idol immersion, not religious practices.

The Bombay High Court has taken suo motu cognisance of the Maharashtra resident doctors' strike and issued notices to MARD, the Indian Medical Association (Maharashtra), and the State Medical Education Department. The strike, over the conditional registration of CCMP-qualified BHMS practitioners with the MMC, has disrupted OPD services in government hospitals across Mumbai.