NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday issued a notice to the Delhi Police on a plea filed by a city resident, who has sought contempt action against the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for “illegal” tree felling in the ridge forest alleging harassment by cops.
A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih issued a notice to the Delhi Police after senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, representing the petitioner, highlighted police inquiries into the petitioner and the New Delhi Nature Society. Sankaranarayanan claimed that the police had also requested detailed bank account information from their bank.
Bindu Kapurea, the petitioner, alleged that trees were felled despite a March 4 court order prohibiting the DDA from doing so and that this fact was concealed from the court.
The allegations surfaced just days after the Supreme Court reprimanded the DDA for failing to disclose details about L-G Vinai Kumar Saxena’s visit to the site where the tree felling occurred.
In May, the top court initiated suo motu contempt proceedings against the DDA vice chairman Subhasish Panda for allegedly cutting 1,100 trees in the ridge forest for a road widening project.
Previously, the DDA had submitted an application seeking permission to cut the trees but proceeded with the tree felling despite not having a court order granting approval.
“The DDA was fully aware that without permission from this court, not a single tree could be touched, and, therefore, the application for permission to fell 1,051 trees was made. By completely violating the law and orders of this court, pending the application, the work of felling trees was started and was completed,” the court said May 16 order.
The court will take up the matter on July 12.