The petitioners informed the Court that the Collector of Kolhapur and Chief Officer, Kurundwad Municipal Council had destroyed soyabean crops on their farms using JCB for Mahashivratri Yatra this year.
A Bench of Justices SJ Kathawalla and Milind Jadhav expressed its displeasure over the petitioner being deprived of the possession of his land for 15 days.
“We do not understand under which provision of law, such an endorsement is made/allowed and how the plot of the petitioners can be taken away for a period of 15 days especially when the petitioners are growing soyabean crop on the said field,” the order stated.
The Court further said that such practice having happened in the past would not come to the rescue of the State authorities.
“Even if this practice has been adopted in the past, the same cannot be relied upon as a precedent and the Court is required to stop such practice once it is opposed by the Petitioners,” the order stated.
Source: Barandbench
