Corbett tree felling: U’khand HC to decide on transferring case to CBI on Sep 1

The Uttarakhand high court on Monday asked the state government why a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry should not be initiated in the case of illegal constructions and felling of 6,000 trees in Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR). The court said that on September 1, the next date of hearing in the case, it will decide whether to refer the investigation into the case to CBI.

The HC order stated, “On the next date, the court shall consider referring the investigation into the case by the Central Bureau of Investigation”.

The division bench of chief justice Vipin Sanghi and Justice Alok Kumar Verma gave these directions while hearing two cases, one filed by Dehradun-based Anu Pant and another in which the HC had taken suo motu cognizance of the media reports over illegal constructions and felling of trees in Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) on October 27, 2021.

Abhijay Negi, counsel of petitioner Anu Pant, said the petitioner had placed various reports before HC regarding the felling of 6,000 trees and illegal constructions in Corbett.

“On January 6, 2023, HC had also asked the chief secretary to submit all the inquiry reports in the case to the Court and inform it about the officials responsible for illegal constructions and felling of trees. The names of some senior officers and the then forest minister Harak Singh Rawat were not mentioned in the affidavit filed by the state government. The name of the then forest minister Harak Singh Rawat has figured prominently in the report of the Supreme Court’s Central Empowered Committee, which has been submitted to the apex court. His name also figures in the report submitted to the National Green Tribunal. The auditor general of the state has also made scathing remarks about his role in the report. All these reports have been shown in detail to high court by us,” he said.

Negi said HC asked the state government that in view of the seriousness of the matter and the questionable role of the top officials, why the matter should not be sent to the CBI for inquiry. The court has fixed September 1 as the next date of hearing in the matter, he said

Last month HT had reported that the report of the principal accountant general (audit) Uttarakhand had found gross financial irregularities in various projects in CTR, Kalagarh Tiger Reserve (KTR) and Lansdowne Forest Divisions. According to the 30-page report, “Several committees have reported undertaking of construction works and procurement in and around Pakhro Tiger Safari in CTR and Lansdowne Forest Divisions during 2020-21 and 202 1-22 without statutory approvals and without necessary administrative and financial sanctions.

In March this year, the National Green Tribunal (NGT)-constituted committee in its report submitted to the green panel had named the then Uttarakhand forest minister Harak Singh Rawat and eight other officers for various violations in the illegal felling of trees and illegal constructions in CTR. NGT New Delhi in October last year, while taking suo motu cognizance of a media report on the illegal felling of over 6,000 trees in CTR, had constituted a committee to identify the violators and recommend steps for the restoration of the environment there.

On October 27, 2021, HC while taking suo motu cognizance of media reports over illegal constructions and felling of trees in CTR, had directed the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MOEFCC), principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) Uttarakhand, chief wildlife warden Uttarakhand and field director CTR to inspect CTR with regard to the allegations and National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) report and submit action taken report to the court.

The matter relates to a petition originally filed by Gaurav Bansal, Supreme Court advocate and wildlife activist. Bansal said that on a petition filed by him Delhi high court regarding illegal constructions, felling of trees and the construction of approach roads in CTR, the court on August 23, 2021 had directed NTCA to look into the issues raised in the petition. He said following the court directions, NTCA had constituted a committee on September 5, 2021 which inspected CTR between September 26 to September 30 and submitted its report on October 22, 2021.