Overview
- A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi heard petitions from hotel and resort owners challenging orders to vacate the Sigur Plateau corridor in the Nilgiris.
- The Supreme Court deferred a consolidated hearing to the first week of January 2026 for detailed consideration.
- The judges noted the establishments are commercial ventures within the corridor that impede elephant movement and said courts will lean in favour of animals.
- On September 12, the Madras High Court upheld an SC-appointed panel’s finding that private purchases and constructions in the corridor were illegal and must be dismantled.
- Officials told the court there are more than 800 structures there, including about 39 resorts and around 390 houses, demolition notices went to 35 resorts last year, and petitioners argue many purchases predated notification and seek to operate without expansion under strict conditions.