On 17 January 2026, the Maharashtra Forest Department issued eviction notices to 10 hamlets inside the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), covering 385 houses in areas such as Magathane, Malad and Gundgaon. The department described these homes as "re-encroachments" built by families who were earlier relocated but later returned to the park.
The action follows a 1997 Bombay High Court order directing that all encroachments inside SGNP be removed.
Tribal families claimed that they were informed about the eviction drive just 24 hours before. On 21 January 2026, the tribals protested and blocked the entrance to the national park against the eviction threat from Forest Department authorities. Anita Patil, Conservator of Forests and Field Director, SGNP, met the tribals and informed that the eviction was as per the court orders. The tribals stated that they had no accommodation outside SGNP and that their hamlets have existed for generations inside the Sanjay Gandhi National Park.
The conflict started when environmentalists petitioned in Bombay High court to make Sanjay Gandhi National Park not just encroachment-free but human habitation-free. This was followed by massive eviction drives in the buffer zones and borders of SGNP removing thousands of slum dwellers. After protests from tribal communities, the government agreed to provide rehabilitate all the families whose names appeared on the 1995 electoral rolls in Chandivali and Powai after paying Rs 7,000. Over 10,000 slum dwellers and some tribal families were rehabilitated under this scheme.
However, the rehabilitation remained incomplete and over time new encroachments emerged. Many tribal families also shifted back to the forest hamlets. According to the Forest Department, 385 of these families later came back and rebuilt houses inside the park. The recent action of forest officials aimed at removing these families by labelling them as encroachers.
Earlier, the Minister of Forest, Ganesh Naik, had announced that encroachers, along with tribals, will be relocated to a 90-acre plot at Marol-Maroshi.
The tribals have clearly stated that they do not want to be relocated outside the national park, adding that they are already in the process of filing claims under the Forest Rights Act.
On 27 January 2026, when the eviction squad came with hundreds of policemen and forest officials, the tribals blockaded their path and physically stopped the evictions. The protestors claimed they have a generational right to forest and they cannot be evicted outside forest where their lives are unsustainable. This led to a conflict which led to pushing and shoving between protesting tribals and police. The police then retreated after Minister of Forest Ganesh Naik ordered temporary halting of evictions.
The police later filed police cases against 17 protestors including on a woman who was in ICU during the drive.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Demand to retain/protect access to common land/resources
Refusal to give up land for the project
Demand for legal recognition of land rights
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Region Classification
Urban and Rural
Type of Land
Common and Private
Forest and Non-Forest
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023
Section 125- [Act endangering life or personal safety of others.]; 324(2)[Mischief]; 189(2) & 189(4)[ Unlawful assembly]; 190 [Every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object.];191(1), 191(3)[Rioting.]; Section 3(5)[When a criminal act is done by several persons in furtherance of the common intention of all, each of such persons is liable for that act in the same manner as if it were done by him alone.]
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Original Project Deadline
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Agricultural land, Grazing, Other Natural Resource extraction/dependence
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
Type of investment:
Year of Estimation
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Forest and Scheduled Area Governance Laws
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
Yes
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Forced evictions/dispossession of land
Lack of legal protection over land rights
Legal Status:
In Court
Status of Case In Court
Pending
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
No
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Bombay High Court
Case Number
PIL no. 305/1995 and 9237/2023
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
When hundreds of policemen and forest guards armed with riot gear came to Sanjay Gandhi National park to remove encroachments, the tribals blocked their efforts and a tussle ensued between tribals and police for hours. Following which, the police booked the tribals for endangering lives, unlawful assembly and rioting.
Date of Violation
January 26, 2026
Location of Violation
Sanjay Gandhi National Park
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
Conservator of Forests and Field Director, SGNP
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023
Section 125- [Act endangering life or personal safety of others.]; 324(2)[Mischief]; 189(2) & 189(4)[ Unlawful assembly]; 190 [Every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object.];191(1), 191(3)[Rioting.]; Section 3(5)[When a criminal act is done by several persons in furtherance of the common intention of all, each of such persons is liable for that act in the same manner as if it were done by him alone.]
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
Shubham is a housing rights activist based in Mumbai. He has a post graduate from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai in urban policy and governance.
