In Brief
The State of Kerala appealed against a High Court order that granted exemption to respondents from the vesting of 14 acres of land in the State under the Kerala Private Forests (Vesting and Assignment) Act, 1971. The Court held that once the Supreme Court had interpreted the exemption provisions in Section 3(3) and found the respondents' land qualified for exemption based on prior title and personal cultivation, the State could not re-litigate the issue. The Tribunal's factual findings—that the respondents acquired the land by registered documents before the appointed day (10.05.1971) and intended to use it for personal cultivation—were upheld as binding. The appeal was dismissed, confirming the respondents' right to retain their land.
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