Delhi Ridge tree-felling: SC notes claims of cops ‘harassing’ petitioner

Without issuing notice on the application, the bench asked additional solicitor general (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati to go through the application

The Supreme Court on Wednesday took a serious view of allegations that the Delhi Police is harassing a petitioner seeking contempt action for illegal felling of trees in the Delhi ridge area , with police personnel constantly visiting his residence and putting his bank accounts under surveillance.

A bench of justices AS Oka and Augustine George Masih said, “It is very serious,” after reading the contents of the application moved by the founder of NGO New Delhi Nature Society. (Vipin Kumar/HT Photo)

A bench of justices AS Oka and Augustine George Masih said, “It is very serious,” after reading the contents of the application moved by the founder of NGO New Delhi Nature Society. This organisation filed a contempt petition early this year against the central public works department (CPWD), director general of forests, and Delhi principal chief conservator of forests for clearing of ridge land falling within the central ridge area at Buddha Jayanti park.

Without issuing notice on the application, the bench asked additional solicitor general (ASG) Aishwarya Bhati to go through the application. “We are not issuing notice. As an officer of the court, please go through the application. We will hear it on Friday.”

Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranaraynan appearing for the petitioner NGO along with advocate Manan Verma said that on May 14, the court issued notice on the contempt petition filed by it along with another contempt plea by Delhi resident Bindu Kapurea against Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for felling nearly 1100 trees in Satbari falling in south Delhi ridge for construction of a road project.

“From June 5, individuals from the Delhi police have been visiting my house to seek details about the NGO and asking me about the other petitioner Bindu Kapurea. They have even approached my bank to get details of my past financial transactions,” Sankaranaraynan said.

The court asked, “They made enquiries about the other petitioner also? We will see on Friday.” The NGO told the court that going by the sequence of events, it is evident that the police action against it is a “counterblast” to the pending contempt proceedings and is aimed to create fear in the minds of the petitioners pursuing the case.

The NGO has also sought to implead the commissioner of police and officials of the bank to the proceedings before the court to know the basis for such enquiry.

The present application comes at a crucial stage during the hearing of the contempt petitions when the court has asked DDA to come clean on the names of the higher ups who directed the felling of trees, without waiting for permission from the court, as mandated by a 1996 Supreme Court order. In this regard, the court had asked DDA vice chairman to provide details about the involvement of Delhi lieutenant governor VK Saxena who visited the ridge site on February 3. An email from a senior DDA official pursuant to LG’s visit revealed that the LG ordered the clearing of the site.

The court had heard the matter during the summer vacation on June 24 when it ordered the Delhi government’s forest department to explain why no action was taken against the DDA which sought permission to fell 422 trees when by its own admission, over 600 trees were cut. The court also questioned the permission in this regard been granted by Delhi’s principal secretary instead of the Tree Authority constituted under the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act.

CPWD has also been asked to name the officials who ordered for clearing of central ridge land. The CPWD director general filed a short affidavit in May explaining that the clearing of land was done as the footfall at the park increased after March 2023 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Japanese PM paid their respects to the ‘Bal Bodhi tree’ which holds special spiritual and religious significance for Buddhists. The land was cleared for constructing water tanks to preserve the flora and fauna of the park. On average, 20 lakh litres of water a day was needed to sustain the plants, trees and butterflies forming the ecosystem of the park,the CPWD chief said.