SAKKUBAI ETC. ETC. vs THE STATE OF KARNATAKA

The Supreme Court upheld the High Court's dismissal of writ petitions challenging the demolition of commercial structures in Virupapura Gaddi, finding that the area was declared a 'protected area' under Section 19(3) of the Mysore Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1961. The Court ruled that Section 20(1) of the 1961 Act restricts land use to cultivation unless approved by the State Government, thus rendering the appellants' constructions illegal. The Court affirmed that the local panchayats lacked authority to sanction such constructions, leading to the dismissal of the appeals.