In Brief
The State of Kerala challenged a High Court order that excluded over 1,127 acres of Popular Estates' land from forest vesting provisions. Popular Estates had acquired 1,534 acres in 1963 as plantation (rubber, coffee, cardamom), but the State claimed it constituted private forest vesting in government under the 1971 Vesting Act. The High Court held that the Taluk Land Board's finding (that the land was exempt plantation) had evidential value; title deeds, surveys, balance sheets, income tax returns, and labour records substantiated plantation cultivation on the appointed date. The Supreme Court upheld the High Court's judgment, finding no glaring error where two plausible views existed on evidence assessment. Only 100 hectares and 155.9 acres of forest vested with the state; the remainder remained with Popular Estates as exempt plantation.
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