In Brief
The plaintiff, a tenant farmer, leased land for plantation purposes and sought damages after the State notified it as part of a wildlife sanctuary in 1976, later excluding it in 1993. The Supreme Court dismissed the damages suit on two grounds: (1) the suit was barred by limitation—the cause of action arose in 1993 but the suit was filed in 1998, beyond the one-year period under Article 72; and (2) on merits, the tenant acquired no enforceable right under a 1978 renewal lease because Section 20 of the Wildlife Act prohibits acquiring new rights after sanctuary notification except by succession. Additionally, the State never actually prevented the tenant from using the land or exercising lawful rights. The Court upheld the High Court's dismissal, finding the claim baseless.
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