In Brief
The State of Goa appealed against an order rejecting its counter-claim in a property dispute involving survey land in village Sulcorna. The plaintiffs had sought to have the Forest Department's name deleted from the survey entry and to be declared exclusive owners. The trial court had dismissed the plaintiffs' claim. The Supreme Court held that the Mining Lease granted by the State, which explicitly designated the land as forest land with conditions to maintain that status, established the State's superior claim. The Court allowed the appeal and upheld the State's counter-claim, modifying the judgment of the courts below accordingly.
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