Supreme Court Grants Relief to Reliance in Three-Decade-Old Land Dispute with BPCL

The Supreme Court has provided interim relief to Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) in its prolonged land dispute with Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) concerning a property in Jamnagar, Gujarat. The dispute dates back to the 1990s when BPCL alleged that Reliance encroached upon land allotted to it for a crude oil terminal. Despite several legal proceedings over the years, the matter remained unresolved. In 2025, the Gujarat High Court allowed BPCL to amend its plaint to seek a declaration of title and recovery of possession. RIL challenged this decision in the Supreme Court, which stayed the trial proceedings, providing temporary relief to RIL. The case highlights the complexities involved in long-standing land disputes and the challenges in balancing legal rights with practical considerations.