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Indian Express
an hour ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Unauthorised roads reduced Rajasthan-Nuh journey by 25 km to facilitate illegal mining: Haryana in SC
Two roads cutting across forest and agricultural land in Nuh district reduced the distance to the Rajasthan border by about 25 km and helped illegal stone miners escape authorities, Haryana Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi said in an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court on Tuesday. These roads were constructed over the past two years in connivance with the then sarpanch and local officers of various government departments, the affidavit further stated, listing the following findings of a special investigation team formed by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, which conducted a drone-based survey: (1) From Basai Meo to Chhapra village in Rajasthan's Deegh district, a road with a length of 2,050 m, a width of 12.19 m, and a depth of 3 m was constructed. (ii) From Basai Meo to Nagal village, a road with a length of 1,950 m, a width 12.19 m, and a depth 1.52 m was made. The affidavit was filed after a Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India B R Gavai on May 29 accused the state government of shielding errant officials and the mining mafia, while taking exception to an affidavit the chief secretary filed, deflecting responsibility to the forest department. The bench then remarked that the mafia appeared strong enough to protect both its members and colluding state officers. It directed the chief secretary to take immediate action against such mafias and guilty officials, and also ordered him to file a detailed affidavit by July 16. 'It is clear that illegal mining material transportation occurred through these illegally constructed rastas as it not only reduced the distance and transportation cost but also resulted in loss to Government exchequer loss (royalty, toll, overload etc) … Approximately an amount of Rs 13.26 crore has been incurred on the construction of these roads,' reads the latest affidavit. The roads were illegally carved out during consolidation proceedings on farmers' lands, which have since been returned to them along with proposed compensation for three crop seasons. Nuh Deputy Commissioner Vishram Kumar Meena removed the sarpanch from his post on July 1. However, the sarpanch is absconding. He has filed pleas in the district court and the Punjab and Haryana High Court for bail and quashing an FIR registered against him, respectively. 'Mohammad Hanif alias Hannah, the then Sarpanch could not be arrested, till date as he is absconding and for his arrest, an award of Rs. 50,000/- has been announced by the police,' the affidavit read. The case stems from reports that rampant illegal mining takes place in Basai Meo village, facilitating illegal stone transport across state borders. Mining in the Aravallis, Nuh, Gurgaon, and Faridabad has been banned since 2002, with the Supreme Court in 2009 extending it to all of southern Haryana. It remains allowed in neighbouring Rajasthan through leases. The latest affidavit points to the effects of this anomaly. It states that the Rajasthan government's mining department has issued mining leases in the border areas in the villages of Chapra, Dhulet, and Nangal. 'Policy divergence in two states helps illegal mining' 'There are licensed crasher zones in these areas. Haryana also has a crasher zone in Bewan village at Rajasthan Haryana border. The leaseholders have mined beyond their lease boundary damaging nearby areas. Also the inter-state boundary is cutting through Aravali hill top so miners blast towards Rajasthan side illegally damaging Haryana Aravali system also,' the affidavit stated. The divergence between the policies of the two states has led to widespread illegal mining in border areas, which is exploited by the mining mafia operating from Rajasthan, which extracts resources in Haryana, the affidavit added. 'Despite continuous enforcement actions-raids, seizures, FIRs, and surveillance through drones the mining mafias persist, especially in remote and nocturnal operations, causing substantial environmental damage .. It was also found that Rajasthan leaseholders often displace demarcation pillars to encroach into Haryana, misrepresenting mining locations and causing loss of mineral wealth and revenue to Haryana,' it said. Rajasthan-based miners, while encroaching on prohibited Haryana land, claim that the area where they are mining is part of their allotted land. 'The minerals extracted this way are then illegally transported into Haryana. This not only results in significant revenue loss but also poses a serious threat to the environment. This has been reported by the Mining Officer Nuh from time to time … the unresolved demarcation dispute between the Haryana and Rajasthan governments remains a critical factor enabling persistent illegal mining activities. Due to the dispute of the boundary area, it is challenging for either state to effectively enforce laws and prevent unauthorized extraction,' the affidavit stated. Clear-cut demarcation of boundaries In the absence of a clear-cut demarcation of boundaries, mining activity takes place illegitimately on the Haryana side of the border, according to the affidavit. The Haryana government proposed in the affidavit that all mining activities up to 5 km into the Rajasthan side of the border be banned. 'Survey of India may be directed to delineate this buffer zone of 5 kilometers', the State government seeks.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Govt notifies appointments of 9 high court CJs in massive rejig
In a major shake-up in the higher judiciary, the Union government on Monday cleared a series of long-pending appointments and transfers, notifying new chief justices for nine high courts and the relocation of 19 high court judges across India. The flurry of late-evening notifications came seven weeks after the Supreme Court collegium, under Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai, recommended these sweeping changes on May 26, marking his first decisive move after taking over as the head of the Indian judiciary. The collegium also comprised justices Surya Kant, Vikram Nath, JK Maheshwari and BV Nagarathna. The notifications came after the SC collegium under CJI BR Gavai recommended the changes on May 26. (HT Photo) The long-awaited approvals end weeks of bureaucratic impasse and underline continuing friction between the judiciary and executive over the pace and manner of processing collegium recommendations. These include charges of 'selective action' — a practice that CJI Gavai has explicitly cautioned against, holding that fragmented implementation of collegium decisions disturbs seniority and erodes public confidence in the appointment process. Among the significant moves, the Delhi high court received an infusion of six new judges, including the return of justice Kameshwar Rao, earlier transferred to Karnataka, and judges from the high courts of Punjab & Haryana and Bombay. The other high courts that saw a change in leadership include Rajasthan, Karnataka, Gauhati, Patna and Jharkhand, where new chief justices were appointed, and Madras, Tripura, Telangana and Jharkhand, where incumbent chiefs were rotated. This revamp comes in the wake of growing unease within judicial circles over the Centre's delay in acting on several crucial collegium files. While the government had swiftly notified the appointment of three new Supreme Court judges — justices NV Anjaria, Vijay Bishnoi, and AS Chandurkar — just four days after their recommendation on May 26, it had stalled action on other proposals from the same meeting for over a month. As reported first by HT on June 19, CJI Gavai is learnt to have taken strong exception to this practice. He has conveyed to the government that collegium recommendations, whether for appointment or transfer, must be acted upon in their entirety, without picking and choosing. While the May 26 collegium meeting proposed 22 transfers, the government on Monday cleared 19 recommendations, leaving three transfers to the Telangana high court pending. The Memorandum of Procedure (MoP), the document guiding judicial appointments, does not prohibit segregation, but the judiciary has consistently resisted the practice. In 2014, then CJI RM Lodha wrote to the Union law minister protesting the exclusion of Gopal Subramanium from a batch of four SC recommendations. More recently, in 2022–23, a bench led by justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul warned that such selective approvals undermined the 'workable trust' between the judiciary and executive. Despite Monday's progress, significant concerns remain. The government is yet to act on an additional 36 recommendations made by the collegium on July 2, after an unprecedented two-day round of interviews with 54 candidates. The latest recommendations include elevations to high courts in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana, Patna, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and others, in a move aimed at plugging the alarming shortfall in judicial strength. As of July 1, India's 25 high courts had 371 vacancies against a sanctioned strength of 1,122 judges. Furthermore, delays and inaction have also led to disillusionment among candidates. In recent weeks, two senior advocates withdrew their consent for elevation — a rare but telling sign of eroding morale. Advocate Rajesh Sudhakar Datar, recommended in September 2024 for the Bombay high court, withdrew on July 5 after waiting over nine months without communication, even as juniors from the same batch were sworn in. 'It is for the sake of my own self-respect, and for the respect of the entire bar,' he told HT earlier. Advocate Shwetasree Majumdar, an expert in intellectual property law, similarly withdrew after waiting for nearly a year. Her name remained pending even after she completed her medical examination, while contemporaries were cleared.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Health
- Hindustan Times
CJI B R Gavai contracts severe infection, being treated in Delhi
Chief Justice of India B R Gavai was diagnosed with a severe infection during his recent official visit to Hyderabad and is responding well to treatment in a Delhi hospital, an official source on Monday said. The CJI BR Gavai did not hold court on Monday on the conclusion of the partial working days.(PTI) 'The CJI is responding well and is expected to be discharged and resume duties in a day or two,' it added. The CJI was in Hyderabad on July 12 to deliver the convocation address at the Nalsar University of Law. CJI Gavai on the same day also released a special postal cover titled "Babasaheb Dr BR Ambedkar – Constituent Assembly – Constitution of India" and a set of picture postcards on "Art & Calligraphy in the Constitution of India" in Hyderabad. The CJI did not hold court on Monday on the conclusion of the partial working days.
India Today
2 days ago
- Health
- India Today
Chief Justice BR Gavai hospitalised in Delhi, responding well to treatment
Chief Justice of India BR Gavai has been hospitalised in Delhi after contracting a severe infection during his recent visit to Telangana. According to Supreme Court sources, he is currently stable, responding well to treatment, and is expected to resume his official duties in a day or Gavai travelled to Hyderabad on July 12, where he delivered the convocation address at NALSAR University of Law. During the same visit, he also released a special postal cover titled "Babasaheb Dr BR Ambedkar - Constituent Assembly - Constitution of India", along with a set of picture postcards on "Art & Calligraphy in the Constitution of India". advertisementFollowing his return to Delhi, the Chief Justice developed symptoms of infection and was admitted to a hospital for treatment. He did not hold court on Monday, marking the conclusion of a short working period at the Supreme Court. Justice Gavai, who was sworn in as the 52nd Chief Justice of India on May 14, is the first Buddhist to hold the post. He is serving a six-month term, which is scheduled to end on November 23, 2025.- Ends(with PTI inputs)Must Watch
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Health
- Indian Express
CJI B R Gavai contracts infection, being treated in Delhi
Chief Justice of India B R Gavai was diagnosed with a severe infection during his recent official visit to Hyderabad and is responding well to treatment in a Delhi hospital, an official source on Monday said. 'The CJI is responding well and is expected to be discharged and resume duties in a day or two,' it added. The CJI was in Hyderabad on July 12 to deliver the convocation address at the Nalsar University of Law. CJI Gavai on the same day also released a special postal cover titled 'Babasaheb Dr BR Ambedkar – Constituent Assembly – Constitution of India' and a set of picture postcards on 'Art & Calligraphy in the Constitution of India' in Hyderabad. The CJI did not hold court on Monday on the conclusion of the partial working days.
