Sarootham Padmanabhan vs The State Of Tamil Nadu

Headnote AI-drafted · Editorially reviewed

A batch of writ petitions was filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India before the Madras High Court challenging the common order dated 19.08.2023 passed by the Segur Plateau Elephant Corridor Inquiry Committee (Case No.19/2021). The petitioners sought writs of certiorari to quash the said order on various grounds relating to property rights and the establishment of the elephant corridor in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu.

The petitions, numbering over fifty in the batch, were filed by landowners and other affected parties whose properties fall within or are adjacent to the Segur Plateau Elephant Corridor in the Nilgiris. The challenge was to the inquiry proceedings and recommendations made by the Committee constituted by the State of Tamil Nadu to examine and delineate the elephant corridor, which has significant implications for the rights of private landholders in the region.

The Division Bench of the Madras High Court, comprising Justice N. Sathish Kumar and Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy, heard the batch of matters together and pronounced judgment on 12 September 2025 after reserving the same on 08 August 2025.

Catchwords: elephant corridor Segur Plateau Nilgiris writ of certiorari Article 226 inquiry committee forest land wildlife conservation private land environmental law Tamil Nadu