Fake permission issued for tree felling in Vasant Kunj: Forest dept tells SC

The affidavit filed on July 10 came as a revelation in the contempt case that will be heard by a bench headed by justice Surya Kant on Monday.

A “fake” permission was issued for felling of trees in the “morphological ridge” area of Vasant Kunj in Delhi, the forest department of the Delhi government has informed the Supreme Court.

Trees can be felled on such land only with the approval and prior nod of the top court. (HT Archive)

The information was submitted in a recent affidavit filed in contempt proceedings which questioned the permission to uproot trees and sanction a housing project at the site.

The affidavit filed by the deputy conservator of forests, Amit Gemawat, who is also the Tree Officer (West Division) under the Delhi Preservation of Trees Act, 1994, was responding to a contempt petition filed by a Delhi resident Bhavreen Kandhari, who alleged out how the statutory authorities were giving the law a go-by in approving development projects on the morphological ridge land, which enjoys protection similar to Ridge land in Delhi. Trees can be felled on such land only with the approval and prior nod of the top court.

The Tree Officer said, “It is pertinent to mention that it had come to the attention of answering respondent that a fake permission was issued for tree felling in the name of the office of Deputy Conservator of Forests/Tree Officer West Forest Division which was found issued to Rakesh Kumar Sharma, R/o 137, Jorbagh, Lodhi Road, District-South, New Delhi-110003 at the aforesaid address as proof.”

The affidavit filed on July 10 came as a revelation in the contempt case that will be heard by a bench headed by justice Surya Kant on Monday.

The affidavit further stated that pursuant to the discovery of this fact, the forest department wrote a letter in December 2024 to the Vasant Kunj police to take cognisance of the issue and register a first information report (FIR). During police investigation, Sharma refuted the allegation. The police also sought the original copy of the forged permission from the department. However, they were informed that the available copy, which is “illegible” is the only copy available. Police then intimated the department that in the absence of a clear copy, the complaint would be closed.

The department further informed the court that certain individuals or a group are indulging in issuing fake permission for tree felling or transplantation in the name of forest department.

Kandhari stated that the issue about illegal felling of trees was initiated by the Vasant Kunj RWA, SectorB, Pocket-1 before the Delhi high court in September 2024 annexing photographs to show that the land had been dug and levelled. The ‘e-vanlekh’ website of the Delhi forest department records the nature of land in question as ‘morphological ridge’.

In the proceedings before the HC, it came to light that the activities at the site are being carried out for construction of residential buildings by a firm ‘R.R. Texknit LLP’. Interestingly, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has sanctioned the building plan for the said building construction in May 2024. In one of the status reports filed before the HC, the fact about fraudulent tree cutting permission came to light. It stated, “A fraudulent permission for tree felling was presented to the officials of DCF by the respondent (RR Texknit) wherein signatures were forged.”

Kandhari placed these facts in the contempt petition and named the owners of the firm R.R Texknit and officials of the MCD as alleged contemnors. Her petition filed by advocate Manan Verma said, “The inaction to stop the construction/ felling of trees in the ridge in violation of the order of this court appears to be willful and deliberate and the alleged contemnors deserve to be punished for contempt of this court under Article 129 of the Constitution of India read with the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971.”