JAGPAL SINGH vs STATE OF PUNJAB .

The Supreme Court ruled that the common lands in villages, such as ponds and grazing grounds, are protected under local laws and cannot be alienated or encroached upon, as established in the Punjab Village Common Lands (Regulation) Act, 1961. The Court emphasized that the rights of the community over these lands remain intact despite vesting with the State, as highlighted in Chigurupati Venkata Subbayya vs. Paladuge Anjayya, 1972(1) SCC 521. The Court upheld the eviction of unauthorized occupants from a village pond, affirming the Gram Panchayat's authority to reclaim such lands for community use.