Maharashtra Government to Challenge High Court Order in Land Dispute

The Maharashtra government has decided to challenge the recent Bombay High Court order in the Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of private entities in a land dispute involving 254.88 acres of prime land in Mira Bhayandar, according to Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule. The state government will file a Special Leave Petition against the April 30, 2026 judgment, which effectively cleared the way for the transfer of the disputed land to private developers.

The disputed land, located in Mouje Bhayandar, is government-owned and its revenue records were allegedly tampered with over several decades, with unauthorized alterations made without prior approval from the state government.

The ownership issue had previously reached the Supreme Court, which directed the Thane District Collector to examine the matter, and in 2002, the Collector ruled that the entire land was vested with the Maharashtra Government. However, the High Court verdict sparked a political and legal response, with the Maharashtra government raising serious objections to the ruling.

The government will argue that the High Court decided the dispute on merits even though the appeal was primarily concerning the maintainability of the proceedings, and will rely heavily on provisions of the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966, to defend its ownership rights. The dispute is expected to become one of Maharashtra's most closely watched land battles, given the enormous commercial value of the property.

The Maharashtra government is expected to file the Special Leave Petition in the coming days, and the Supreme Court will hear the case, with the government aggressively defending its ownership rights and preventing any alleged encroachment on public land.